The Red Evening

Chapter Forty-Three

My friends and I sat on one couch as Felix and the two FBI agents sat on the opposing couch. Pia had her arms crossed and looked absolutely livid. Felix didn't dare to look at her and hung his head low in shame.

"Well, what is going on?" I asked. "I don't like the idea of two federal agents entering my house without any warning or story."

"Agent Asher, take it away," Felix encouraged, his eyes still on the floor.

"Hello, Morena Noel. My name is Agent James Asher and this is my partner, William Rudd, and we are working on a case against your father. We would also like to inform you that your brother, Arturo Aguilera, is under our protection."

I furrowed my eyebrows and shook my head in shock. "Under your protection? Is my brother in danger?"

They nodded their heads in unison.

"Arturo has been your father's right hand man for many notorious jobs, with a track record of his own, if I may add. It is to our knowledge that your brother no longer wants to partake in those activities and has decided to surrender himself. We are trying to come in contact with your father, but seem to be at a roadblock. We are here to ask for your help."

Before I could process or respond to the agents, Pia decided to ask her own questions. "First off, how did you two get in contact with this idiot?" She pointed to Felix.

"We've been monitoring his friends and anybody interested in Arturo's whereabouts. We caught Felix looking in Arturo's house with a detailed file on him. We initially thought that he was a threat, but he offered us information that was quite valuable to our case," Agent Asher informed as he looked at me. He looked at me as if I were his golden ticket to success.

"I'm not willing to help unless I benefit as well," I stated.

"What do you have in mind?" Agent Asher asked, tilting his strained neck to the side.

"My husband, Elijah Christensen, is in prison for a murder he didn't commit. If you release him, I'll give you my father."

The two agents looked at each other with a derisive smirk. "It doesn't work like that," Agent Rudd answered. "We don't let murders walk."

"He was framed by my father," I informed.

Felix's headed propped back up. "Wait, what? How does your father have anything to do with Elijah?"

"Oh, so you don't know?" Pia asked, her eyes filled with relief.

"No?"

"A few months ago, my father hired Elijah to oversee me. Elijah ended up pursuing me and I believe my dad is retaliating by farming him for murder."

Agent Asher looked at me with suspicious eyes. "Do you have any evidence to prove this theory?"

"Yes, Elijah had a file on me. It included email exchanges between my dad's associate and Elijah." I instantly remembered that I tore up the file. "It's in piece though. I ripped them out of anger."

"Understandable. If you can give us all the pieces we could send it to forensics to have it restored. If all of this is true, I believe we have a deal. We will release one fish for the sake of a bigger fish," Agent Asher informed. "We will stay in touch."

***

"Did you genuinely not know that Elijah was paid to stalk me?" I asked.

"I didn't know," he whispered. "He kept that all in the dark."

"Seems like you're not the only one who had been left in the dark. I'm not sure if my marriage is legit."