My heart is beating like wild, and no number of deep breaths can calm it down. Only the revelation of this offer can. So, I wait as patiently as I can to hear it.
“If you get us some dirt on Dominic Hart, we’ll talk to the DA and see if he can reopen your father’s case.”
My mouth instantly becomes drier than the Sahara. Inside my mind, there is an explosion the likes of which I never could have imagined. It left behind just a stunned silence and complete inability to pick up the leftover pieces and make any sense of them.
“You… want me to spy on him?” I ask, incredulous. The real weight of their offer hasn’t really fallen completely on my head. It’s still barely pressing on me. My mind if half-fighting it, half-accepting it, because this is the first time in so many years than anyone has even entertained the idea of reopening my dad’s case.
The thought fills me with so much hope and for a moment, I’m willing to do anything, even sell my soul to the devil himself.
“Not really spy on him,” this time, the younger one is doing the talking. I didn’t think he would, but his voice is smoother. It sells the idea better. “We want you to… well, see what you can dig up. Maybe you could go through his study, his laptop…”
“You mean invade his privacy,” I snarl much more angrily than I intended to.
Something inside of me knows this is wrong. It’s immoral. They want me to find evidence that proves Dominic is guilty of that kidnapping charge, while the whole accusation is preposterous.
“We mean just take a look at things that are out in the open,” Detective Lowe’s voice is slithery, like a snake’s. “You don’t have to rummage through his closet or anything, just what you can see. Like my partner said, if you make it worth our time, we can make it worth yours…. and your dad’s.”
I swallow heavily, but it does nothing to help the dryness in my throat. I know I shouldn’t even be considering it. I should just tell them that they can shove their offer where the sun doesn’t shine. That isn’t how I want my dad to get this chance at proving himself innocent.
But at the same time, I know that if I don’t seize this chance, I might never get another one. My father might never get out of prison, because no one will be willing to take a closer look at his case again. We were already told that we need someone good if we want to see results. In other words, good means expensive. We never had any money. If we had, we would have spent it on a good lawyer when he was first charged.
As always, money dictates everything in this life. That is why I’ve always been adamant to change this, as much as I can. My first case ever would be my dad and I would make sure to do everything in my power to prove his innocence. Then, I would dedicate my practice to cases that others wouldn’t take, cases where people like us couldn’t afford proper defense. I wouldn’t defend criminals and the rich, who always think they are above the law.
Strangely, that’s what I thought Dominic would be like. Then, I slowly started to get to know him, one thing led to another and… now, we are where we are, and I have no idea where exactly that is, or what we are. It’s obvious that we don’t want to be apart from each other. The connection we share is too strong, but we’re both fighting it. Honestly, I don’t know how much longer we’ll be able to do this, and when that moment comes, we’ll either cut it for good or we’ll end up together. I have no idea which of those two frightens me more.
But I can’t think about him right now, not with these two detectives staring at me, waiting for my reply.
“Can I have some time to think about it?” I ask, wanting to buy some time.
They show an immediate dislike for my response. I guess they expected me to jump at the opportunity to spy on my boss. If the situation was different, if they had only asked me a few weeks ago, I would probably agree right here, right now. I wouldn’t feel all that good about it, that’s true, but I would do anything for my dad.
I would do anything for him even now, but my emotions for Dominic are in the way. I know I shouldn’t think about him at all, I shouldn’t hope that we might kiss again, that he might touch me again or make love to me again, but I can’t get those thoughts out of my mind, and worse yet, out of my heart. That is where he has lodged himself, unwilling to go away.
“If you think you need time,” Detective Puttner takes over again, and the whole tone of the conversation turns much more sinister. “Just a friendly heads up, the offer won’t be on the table for long. Maybe we’ll come up with something on our own and we won’t need you to help us. Keep that in mind.”
Just as I’m about to say something to that, they both get up at the same time, signaling that the conversation is finished.
“Officer Jennings will see you out,” Detective Puttner tells me while he’s already at the door, and a moment later, I’m left alone in the interrogation room again, now with even more to think about than when I walked in.
I glance over at the mirror, which shows me only my own reflection. I have no idea who is looking from the other end of the glass. Not that it matters. I haven’t agreed to anything. They can’t force me. Only I can force myself.
I know what my dad would tell me. He’d say to do what I think is right. In this scenario, I think that it isn’t right to try and dig up dirt on someone who’s already stuck between a rock and a hard place. I don’t want to do it. I don’t want to go behind Dominic’s back because I think he doesn’t deserve it. He’s much nicer than he’d want you to think, but it’s not just that. There is Marley to think about. I don’t think he did it, and unfortunately, I know that this doesn’t mean anything. Justice is blind. Justice doesn’t care that a little girl would be left without a father. In Marley’s case, she would be left without either of her parents. She would get lost in the system.
I sigh heavily, burying my face in my hands. I don’t know what to do. Marley’s face is constantly before my eyes, merging with the image of the little girl I once was. We are the same. We could be the same. And I know I can’t let that happen, no matter what I have to do.
“Miss Saunders?” I hear someone’s voice call out to me, and I recognize the same police officer who ushered me in here after our conversation. I nod to him, getting up, and walking over to him. “Please follow me,” he says.
I do so without any protest. I feel like I’m about to suffocate if I stay here just a moment longer. As soon as the fresh outside air hits me, I feel slightly better. Only slightly, because the decision is still hanging over me, like a sword about to fall, with devastating consequences.
I walk over to my car, feeling hollow inside, as if this pressure has emptied me. I still have no idea whether I will accept their offer. I want to. God knows how badly I want to, but I’m not sure.
I’m not sure about anything anymore…
Chapter Eighteen
Dominic