The Betrayal

by Chris Taylor

  Opening up the file in front of her, she appeared not to notice his preoccupation. Declan drew in a deep breath and eased it out, willing himself to relax.

  “Senior Inspector Sabattini, both Agent Munro and I are keen to find out what this is all about. We have yet to receive the Brief of Evidence from you. As far as we know, your number one witness could be little more than a figment of your imagination. Agent Munro’s life is on hold. We would appreciate it if you would be direct.”

  The woman held White’s gaze for a moment and then her gaze flicked to Declan. He caught his breath at the anger that sparkled in their dark depths.

  “I can do direct,” she said, her gaze still drilling his. She addressed him, despite the fact his barrister had opened the conversation.

  “For a start,” she continued, her eyes sparking fire, “the brief’s not due for another two days, as I’m sure you very well know.” Her gaze narrowed and her eyes turned hard. “Secondly, why didn’t you tell me about Meg Harvey?”

  Shock ricocheted through each and every one of Declan’s nerve endings. Roger turned in his seat to face him, a question in his eyes. Declan felt the weight of his barrister’s stare.

  Declan’s gut churned with dread. “What the hell does Meg have to do with all of this?”

  The expression on the investigator’s face didn’t change. “You’ve been charged with unauthorized access to secure police files, files that contained pornographic pictures of children. You can’t possibly expect me to believe you didn’t think the fact that a woman who complained about you improperly touching her four-year-old daughter would be relevant?”

  Her voice had risen, along with her anger. Color crept up her neck and spilled over into her face. Declan glanced at his lawyer, who had paled beneath his tan. With admirable brevity, White regained his wits.

  “Don’t answer that, Declan. In fact, I suggest you say nothing further until after we’ve discussed the matter at length.” He turned and shot an intimidating look toward the woman who sat across from them. “In private.”

  Chloe’s lips thinned, but she gathered her file and pushed away from the table.

  “Wait,” Declan said. “I want to answer.”

  Roger reached out to him as if to stop him. “Declan, we need to talk. Don’t say anything until we’ve had a chance to—”

  “No,” Declan interrupted, shaking off his lawyer’s cautionary hand. “I have nothing to hide. I didn’t touch Meg Harvey’s daughter and I didn’t access files containing kiddie porn.”

  He turned away, sickened by the thought.

  Chloe slowly regained her seat. She eyeballed him, her gaze steady.

  “Are you sure you want to continue?”

  “Yes.”

  Roger opened his mouth to protest again, but Declan shook his head.

  “Roger, it’s fine. Like I said, I have nothing to hide.” He turned back to Chloe. “Ask your questions.”

  The barrister crossed his arms and made a sound of disgruntlement. “For the record, I’d like it to be clear you are doing this against my advice. I will not be held accountable for what this may or may not cost you.”

  The barrister’s words and his somber demeanor gave Declan pause. The man was the best criminal defense lawyer in the country. He knew what he was talking about. But to leave the allegations hanging without a word of explanation was something Declan was simply not prepared to do. He was innocent. He had to make her see.

  He offered White a brief nod of acknowledgement. “Thank you for your advice, Roger. I appreciate you being here, but I would like to answer Senior Investigator Sabattini’s questions. I’ve already told you, I have nothing to hide.”

  White studied him closely and seemed comforted by what he saw in Declan’s eyes.

  “As you wish,” he murmured.

  Declan drew in a deep breath and steeled himself for Chloe’s questions. He met her gaze without flinching.

  She stared back at him. “Tell me about Meg Harvey.”

  CHAPTER 7

  Chloe stifled a surge of surprise when Declan agreed to be interviewed. She’d been sure he’d lawyer up and refuse to answer any of her questions, especially given the sensitive nature of this development.

  But he hadn’t. In fact, he’d even gone against the advice of his barrister to answer her. She couldn’t help but feel a twinge of admiration and she wouldn’t deny his cooperation had pushed the balance ever so slightly back in his favor.

  She hadn’t been required to allow him the opportunity to explain himself, but despite the damning evidence she’d discovered in his State Police file, something about the inconsistencies in the case that were still keeping her sleepless had prodded her into offering him the chance.

  She eyed him closely, eager to note every miniscule expression. His voice was low and without inflection when he spoke.

  “Meg Harvey and I dated for nearly a year. She was the daughter of a wealthy South African businessman. I was introduced to her through mutual friends at a charity function in Sydney. She was about my age, single, blond and beautiful. We hit it off straight away.”

  Chloe swallowed the twinge of jealousy that went through her at his words. It was the second time she’d heard him mentioned in reference to a blonde. Did he have a type? Did he prefer blondes over brunettes? She hated that she’d even thought that and hated it even more that she cared even a little bit about the answer. She cleared her throat in annoyance.

  “When did you meet her daughter?”

  Declan ran a hand through his hair. Chloe watched the movement of his fingers, knowing that he was completely unaware of the effect his looks had on others. Even messy hair couldn’t detract from them.

  “We’d been dating constantly for a couple of months before she introduced me to Ella. I didn’t even know she had a daughter until the week before she introduced us. We’d met for dinner and parties many times during weeknights and weekends and not once had she mentioned anything about a daughter or the need for babysitters.”

  He drew in another deep breath and let it out on a sigh. “I’m not sure why it took her so long to say anything. Perhaps she thought it would scare me off.”

  “Did it?” Chloe asked, not daring to breathe.

  “Of course not,” he retorted. “I love kids, but not in the way you’re implying. My brothers have enough between them to just about fill a theme park. The only reason I don’t have any of my own is that I haven’t found anyone I want to have kids with.”

  He flashed a disarming smile, a roguish glint in his eyes. “It takes two, you know.”

  Chloe felt the heat of it, all the way down deep in her belly and even lower. His humor was all the more surprising given the gravity of their conversation. She squirmed on the chair.

  His gaze turned knowing and it was all she could do to prevent the heat from spreading up her neck and across her face. He spared her from replying by continuing his story.

  “My parents have always told me the best thing I can do for my kids is to love their mother.” He shrugged. “I guess I haven’t found her yet.”

  “You’ve never been in love?” she asked and then immediately regretted it.

  Declan’s barrister sat forward. “Are these questions necessary, Investigator?”

  This time she did flush and there was nothing she could do to stop it. With unsteady hands, she shuffled the papers in front of her and prayed her question would be ignored.

  Sneaking a peek in Declan’s direction, she stifled a groan. He watched her closely, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

  “Of course I’ve been in love. It started from the time I was three. Jennifer Doyle was her name. She was the prettiest girl in preschool. I gave her my lunch every single day for at least a week.”

  Chloe forced herself to meet his teasing gaze. “A whole seven days? That is dedication.”

  “Five, actually, but who’s counting?”

  His grin widened and Chloe clamped her lips together lest they move upwards of
their own accord.

  What was she doing? Was she flirting with him? He was the suspect in her investigation. What was she thinking?

  Tearing her gaze from his, she cleared her throat and tried desperately to restore a professional demeanor.

  “So, Meg told you about Ella…?”

  Declan rearranged his position in the chair, his body relaxed. “I’m not sure how it came up, but one night, Meg told me she had a daughter. I was surprised she hadn’t told me earlier, but it didn’t make any difference to me or to our relationship.”

  “Did you ask about the child’s father?”

  He shook his head. “It wasn’t important. Meg said something about going through a messy divorce and that a lot of her money was still tied up in the courts, but I wasn’t that interested. It was early days in our relationship and I was still a little uncertain about how serious things would get.”

  “You’d been dating regularly for two months. You didn’t think you were past the early days?” Chloe asked, a little disbelievingly.

  He shrugged with unconcern. “Call me old fashioned, but I like to take things slowly. Build up the anticipation. I like to get to know the woman I’m dating before it becomes complicated.”

  Chloe was desperate to ask whether that meant refraining from sleeping with Meg, but the question would be totally out of bounds and one that he and his barrister would justifiably have reason to object to.

  “When did you meet Ella?”

  “I think it was the weekend after Meg told me about her. I hadn’t freaked out at the news she was a mother and I guess she felt comfortable enough to introduce us. We went to a movie, chosen by Ella, and afterwards went out for ice cream.”

  “And Meg was with you?”

  Declan pulled a face. “Of course she was with us. Do you think she’d introduce her four-year-old to someone and then just leave? Is that something you would do, Senior Investigator Sabattini?”

  Heat seared Chloe’s cheeks and she looked away.

  “Do you have kids, Investigator?” Declan asked.

  She resolutely kept her gaze fixed on the paperwork in front of her and shook her head.

  “I see. That explains your question, although I can’t for the life of me think of anyone who’d be willing to leave their young daughter with a complete stranger.”

  Anger tightened her throat. “That’s not what I said, Agent Munro and you damn well know it. This woman accused you of fondling her child. She claims to have caught you on two separate occasions in her daughter’s bedroom. I’m trying to establish the truth of what happened and what weight, if any, should be given to her claims given that you have come before me charged with illegally accessing child pornography.”

  Chloe’s eyes blazed into his, her breath coming in short pants. She felt a brief surge of satisfaction at the remorse that filled his eyes.

  “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. Can we try again?”

  Chloe swallowed and drew in a deep breath, focusing on her notes.

  “You said you and Meg dated for nearly a year. That’s a reasonable amount of time to put into a relationship. Why did it come to an end?”

  For the first time, he looked uncomfortable. His gaze fell away and he moved restlessly in his chair. Chloe sat forward, her body tense.

  “It didn’t work out. Simple as that.”

  “I don’t believe you.”

  Anger flashed in the depth of his eyes. “I don’t know what else you want me to say?”

  She narrowed her eyes on his face. “I want you to tell me the truth.”

  He held her gaze for an interminable few seconds and then looked down at his lap.

  “All right, you want the truth? The truth is, I wasn’t ready to take her on, to take them on. She was looking for a husband and a father for her child. While I’m not against either of those roles, I couldn’t see myself in that role with her. For a little while, perhaps, but not forever.”

  His gaze caught and held hers. “As I said, I’m a little old fashioned; that’s what it would be for me. Forever.”

  Chloe tried to look away and couldn’t. The sincerity in his eyes beckoned to her, pleaded with her to believe him. She dragged her gaze away and cleared her throat.

  “Tell me what happened.”

  Declan’s shoulders slumped on a heavy sigh. “She went psycho. Completely off-her-brain out of control. The night I broke it off, she pelted me with anything and everything out of her kitchen cupboards. Thank Christ she didn’t have any sharp knives at hand or else I might not have lived to see it through.”

  “Did you report her assault to the police?”

  He shook his head and grimaced. “Of course not. Have you taken a look at me? I’m six-foot-four and weigh over two hundred pounds. Meg barely came halfway up to my shoulder and weighed less than half that. I’d have been the laughing stock of the office.

  “Besides,” he added, squirming a little. “I guess some part of me thought she was allowed to vent a little anger. After all, I’d just told her we were over. She’d invested the best part of a year into us and I’d gone and called it off. I kind of felt she had a right to beat up on me.”

  Chloe made a few notes on the paper in front of her, digesting his explanation. She had to admit, it made sense and she couldn’t imagine him complaining to a random general duties officer about how his featherweight ex-girlfriend had assaulted him.

  “What about Ella? How did she take the news?”

  A fond smile flickered at the corners of his mouth. “Ella was a trooper. I found her curled up on her bed. I thought she was asleep, but she wasn’t and I went in and sat down beside her. I told her I wouldn’t be seeing her for a while. She asked me why, so I told her the truth. She was a smart kid. She gave me a hug and thanked me for telling her. I left soon after.”

  “Did you hear from Meg again?”

  Declan made a noise of disgust. “She rang me constantly and when I gave up answering the phone, she started texting me. I can’t remember exactly what she said but the flavor of it was always the same: I was the biggest asshole in the world; I’d led her on; I’d wasted twelve months of her life; I’d never loved her.” He shook his head. “It went on and on.”

  “Did she ever say anything about Ella?”

  “No. Meg wanted me back. She begged me to come back. She told me we’d work things out, that she’d do anything to have me back. She wanted us to be one big happy family.”

  “Why do you think she came forward with the accusations?”

  He eyed Chloe balefully. “You’re a smart woman, Investigator Sabattini. It doesn’t take much working out.”

  “So it was nothing more than a woman scorned? Is that what you’re saying?”

  “Not just me, Investigator. This was thoroughly looked into by the New South Wales Police Internal Affairs Department. They arrived at the same conclusion: The allegations were groundless.”

  Chloe continued to stare at him, saving the best for last. She couldn’t wait to hear his explanation for the next bombshell.

  “Do you own a laptop, Agent Munro?”

  His hard gaze remained on hers, but his expression stayed neutral. “Yes. I have a Toshiba I have for personal use.”

  “A Toshiba laptop was seized during the search of your apartment. Would that be the laptop you’re referring to?”

  He shrugged. “Without seeing it, I can’t say for sure, but if you say it came from my apartment, then I’d guess it was mine.”

  “Is your laptop protected with a password?”

  “No, as I said, I only use it for personal stuff. I don’t keep anything of importance on it and I live alone. There’s no need to prevent anyone from logging in.”

  Chloe made a note of his response. “Do you ever take the laptop with you when you travel away or for any other reason?”

  “No. If I’m traveling for work, I sign out a work laptop. If I’m traveling for leisure, I leave as many technological devices as I can at home. That’s the wh
ole point of getting away, isn’t it?”

  His lips tugged upwards in a tiny smile. She tried hard to ignore its effect on her.

  “Have you ever loaned your laptop to anyone? A friend? A colleague?”

  “No.”

  “Are you certain?”

  “I’m certain.”

  Declan’s barrister made a sound of impatience. “Is there a point to any of this line of questioning, Investigator? I thought we’d agreed you’d be direct.”

  Chloe compressed her lips together and nodded. The moment had come.

  “As you wish, Mr White.” She turned her stare on Declan. “As I mentioned, the laptop taken from your apartment has been examined. A substantial number of pornographic images of children were found on the hard drive. Would you care to explain how they got there?”

  Declan’s face leached of color. Shock and disbelief widened his eyes.

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” he choked.

  Roger White was on his feet. “Declan, don’t say another word.” He turned blazing eyes toward Chloe.

  “Investigator Sabattini, how dare you! How dare you ambush my client like this! You could have had the decency to give me a little prior notice of your discovery.”

  Chloe shrugged, unmoved. She’d done nothing wrong. Her narrowed gaze remained fixed on the man seated across from her.

  “Are you prepared to answer the question, Agent Munro?”

  “No—”

  “Yes,” Declan declared.

  They spoke simultaneously and then squared off in silence.

  “I have nothing to hide,” Declan stated, his voice cold. “Not now, not ever.”

  “We need to talk about this before you say anything that might be used against you,” White pleaded. “Don’t give them anymore ammunition.”

  “I have nothing to hide,” Declan repeated, his hard gaze now fixed on Chloe’s.

  She drew in a deep breath and waited the men out. Long seconds passed before White’s shoulders slumped in defeat.

  “So be it, but I reiterate my earlier warning,” he growled and regained his seat. He looked far from happy.

  Tension emanated from every part of Declan’s body. Chloe picked up her pen and tugged the notepad closer, waiting for him to speak.