by G. K. Parks
Thankfully, when the pain started to dull, everything else did too. Lucca wasn’t back yet, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep my eyes open. Oh well, so much for staying awake. I drifted in and out of consciousness, but my painkiller induced sleep was devoid of dreams or thought wisps that might lead to something tangible.
The mattress shook, and I fought to make sense of the world. The lights in my room were still on, and Lucca was seated on the chair placed at the end of the bed. He had taken off his shoes and had his feet resting at the bottom of the bed.
“You said you had no plans to sleep. Who’s the current president?” he asked, flipping through the pages inside a manila folder.
“You need to be more specific. There are dozens of countries in this world that have presidents. Some are even elected by popular vote. Obviously, that’s not true here, but you get the point.” I propped the pillow against the headboard and sat up. “Well, what’s the verdict?” I nodded at the file.
“The internal cameras place you leaving the federal building at 7:45 last night. You traveled west, and half a block later, we lose sight of you. For two blocks, there’s a blind spot that’s been caused by either out of focus or nonexistent cameras. Our computer techs are checking nearby DOT footage, hoping to pick up your trail, but it’ll take time.” He flipped to another page and read off a familiar phone number. “It’s a private number. Who does it belong to?”
“James Martin.” Mark knew Martin was the last phone call I received, and he also knew that his old pal and my current romantic entanglement was not a part of whatever happened last night. “I’m sure Jablonsky’s already cleared him. Move on.”
“Who is he?” Lucca picked up a pen. “There are a lot of calls and texts back and forth between the two of you. Aside from work numbers and your cop friends, he’s basically the only person you talk to. Boyfriend? Ex-boyfriend? Bookie?”
“Boyfriend.” I shook my head. “He’s not involved, so please don’t pull him into this. He’s already been vetted with a full background check. He’s clean. Jablonsky will vouch for him. They go way back.”
“You know how it reads. The majority of assaults are perpetrated by someone close to the victim. Most of the time, it’s a husband or boyfriend.”
“He didn’t do this.”
“How do you know?” Lucca pushed.
“Because he was at work.”
“And he couldn’t have just snuck out to meet you? He knew where you were going or at least that you were leaving the office. You were speaking to him when you left.” Lucca scribbled a note on the page. “What’s his address and place of employment?”
I licked my lips, not wanting to say anything else but unsure of how to get out of it. “Go downtown and read some signs. His name’s on the building. And I’m not giving you his home address. Jablonsky has it, so talk to him.”
“Jeez, do you expect me to believe that? I’m not the one that hit my head.” He studied me for a few moments. “Holy hell, you’re serious. Your boyfriend is some big shot mogul?”
“He isn’t involved in whatever happened,” I repeated, emphasizing each word.
“Well, he does have plenty of means which could afford him opportunity. Clearly, the motive is self-explanatory since he’s dating you.” Lucca pulled out his phone and began tapping away at the screen. “And he was previously accused of murder, at least by the press. Need I say more?”
“He has no criminal record, and if you keep reading, you’ll see that an apology was printed by that particular newspaper for getting the facts wrong. He was a victim, just like the woman he was accused of murdering.” The conversation had caused my temper to flare, and I moved to get up and escape the inquisition. “This is not a trial. I didn’t do anything wrong, and the few people that I’m close to aren’t responsible. So back the fuck off.”
“Easy.” Lucca put his palms up in surrender. “I’m just doing my job the only way I know how. We start with the obvious and go from there. You’d do the same thing.”
“Then let’s start with the obvious.” I jerked my chin at the file. “What has the forensic lab uncovered?”
“You had wood splinters beneath your damaged fingernails. The wood itself was treated with a varnish, so it had to come from indoors.” He flipped to the next page. “Tox screen is negative for drugs, positive for alcohol. Rape kit is negative. No signs of sexual assault. No fingerprints on your body. No real evidence pointing to a clear source for your injuries. Patterns of your lacerations and bruises aren’t indicative of any one thing.”
Breathing out a sigh of relief, I relaxed. “Well, I guess that’s the good news and bad news.” Suddenly, the exhaustion seemed to set in as the stress that had been keeping me alert evaporated into the abyss. “Where do we go from here?”
Lucca began speaking, but I was asleep before he finished explaining our next move.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
G.K. Parks is the author of the Alexis Parker series. The first novel, Likely Suspects, tells the story of Alexis’ first foray into the private sector.
G.K. Parks received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History. After spending some time in law school, G.K. changed paths and earned a Master of Arts in Criminology/Criminal Justice. Now all that education is being put to use creating a fictional world based upon years of study and research.
You can find additional information on G.K. Parks and the Alexis Parker series by visiting our website at
www.alexisparkerseries.com
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Full-length Novels in the Alexis Parker Series:
Likely Suspects
The Warhol Incident
Mimicry of Banshees
Suspicion of Murder
Racing Through Darkness
Camels and Corpses
Lack of Jurisdiction
Dying for a Fix
Intended Target
Muffled Echoes
Crisis of Conscience
Misplaced Trust
Whitewashed Lies
On Tilt
Prequel Alexis Parker Novellas:
Outcomes and Perspective: The Complete Prequel Series
Assignment Zero (Prequel series, #1)
Agent Prerogative (Prequel series, #2)
The Final Chapter (Prequel series, #3)
Julian Mercer Novels
Condemned
Betrayal
Subversion
