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Charli’s phone buzzed on her nightstand the next morning, but she ignored it. When it went off again, she groaned and turned, but was too slow. “Whatever,” she grumbled, pulling the covers back up to her chin. She was past the point of exhaustion. They’d finished their project late and then spent time at the police station, and all the lost hours of sleep were catching up to her. Now that she was comfortable and flat on a mattress, she didn’t want to move for a week.
“Char?” Felix’s voice came through her door as he pounded on it.
What now? “I’m sleeping!” she hollered, snuggling down even further.
“Charli, you need to get up.”
“No.”
“Ken just called.” Felix’s voice dropped. “They found Bronson’s sister last night.”
Charli stiffened. Oh no. She jumped to her feet and opened the door. “What?” she asked breathlessly.
Felix grinned. “If only Bronson could see you now,” he teased, his eyes going to her head.
Charli grimaced as she put a hand up and realized she had a terrible case of bedhead. “Shut up,” she snarled, punching her brother in the arm. “What did you say about Bronson’s sister?”
Felix’s humor fled. “They caught her last night, and some guy. Ken just called because he couldn’t get a hold of you.”
Charli slapped a palm to her forehead. “Crud,” she muttered, knowing that those were the calls that had just come through. “I need to shower and take Bronson over.”
“He’s already gone.”
She jerked to a stop. “What?”
Felix picked at his nails, not quite meeting her eyes. “He was up early, too agitated to sleep, I think. Headed out to the station before my first sailing this morning.”
“Your first...” Charli glanced to her nightstand and realized it was past ten in the morning. “Oh my gosh,” she whispered. How did it get to be so late? She turned back to Felix. “How did he seem?” she asked, already dreading the answer.
Felix let out a loud breath before his eyes met hers. “Not good.”
Nodding firmly, Charli backed into her room. “I need to shower really quick.”
Felix backed up. “I have a bad feeling that he’s gonna need you today.”
Charli’s brows furrowed. “Me too,” she said quietly.
Taking the world’s fastest shower, Charli didn’t even bother to dry her hair, though she knew it would dry into a half-curly mess by the end of the day. Right now, she just didn’t care. The idea of Bronson handling this all alone broke her heart and she wanted to get to him as quickly as possible.
Grabbing an apple, she darted out the door and forced herself not to speed down Main, though it was tempting. She parked and put her head high while walking inside, as if she belonged.
“Heya, Charli,” the front desk secretary, Mabel, said.
“Hi.” Charli smiled back. “I understand that Bronson Ramsay is here. He’s probably with Captain Wamsley. Can I see them?”
The secretary eyed her a moment, then nodded. “Let me ask the captain.”
Charli shifted her weight from foot to foot as Mabel spoke into the phone before finally waving her back. The station was bustling this morning, in contrast to the quiet feel last night, which only agitated Charli’s nerves. If Bronson has been here that long, then something’s happened. I wonder how he’s taking it.
She knocked lightly on Ken’s door before opening it, relieved to find Bronson inside. “Hey,” she said softly, hesitating slightly at the threshold. It just now occurred to her that Bronson hadn’t asked her to come, nor invited her. Maybe he wanted to handle this alone, and she, bossy woman extraordinaire, had come barging in like it was her right.
Bronson’s smile of relief quickly helped ease her sudden worries and he waved her over. “Morning, sleepyhead,” he said with a tired smile.
She slowly came over to the chair beside him. “I think you need to be a sleepyhead a little more,” she quipped, still keeping her voice soft. She lightly touched the bags under his eyes. “Why didn’t you wake me?”
He gave her a crooked grin. “Because you’re too beautiful to be marred by this kind of makeup.” He pointed to his dark circles.
Ken cleared his throat and Charli jumped, feeling guilty, though she wasn’t sure what for. She turned to her friend. “What have you discovered? Felix said you brought some people in?” She watched Bronson out of her periphery, feeling bad when he winced at her question.
Ken stared at Bronson for a moment as if asking permission before answering Charli. “We caught Aria Ramsay and Davis Sorenson at a hotel a few miles down the road,” he said in a business-like tone. “They’re in separate rooms at the moment and we were just about to head over to interrogate them.”
Charli turned to Bronson. “Do you want me to come? Or would you rather be alone?”
His large, warm hand gripped hers. “It probably won’t be pretty, but if you’re up for it, I’d love the company.”
Charli nodded. She could be strong for him. Her own problems weren’t going anywhere, so they could wait. “Then let’s get this over with.”
A very somber group walked down the hall to the areas where the suspects were being detained. Bronson and Charli were ushered into a room adjoining the one Ken would be in, where a window allowed them to see the proceedings.
“You sure you want to be here?” Bronson asked as he wiped his hands on his jeans.
Charli took the clammy hand and held it between her own. “I want to be wherever you are,” she said.
Bronson’s shoulders sagged a little and he gave her a short smile. “You might regret those words when you discover just how terrible my family is.”
The door opened and a man in a tailored suit briskly walked in.
Bronson shot to his feet. “Canon?”
Charli’s eyes widened. Bronson and Canon looked little alike. They shared the same stunning eyes, but otherwise, they seemed to come from two different worlds. Canon was crisp and orderly in every aspect of his appearance, where Bronson’s ruffled hair and week-old beard made him appear almost homely next to his brother.
“Bronson,” Canon said curtly. His eyes dropped to Charli and narrowed. “Who are you?”
Bronson tugged Charli to her feet. “This is Charli, my girlfriend.”
One eyebrow rose. “Your girlfriend?” He snorted. “Figures you’d be busy with things other than your job.”
“Don’t start,” Bronson growled. “She’s been an integral part in making sure the house was done in time.” Bronson slumped back into his seat, taking Charli with him. “Not that that matters anymore.”
“Probably not,” Canon admitted to Charli’s surprise. “But maybe we need to see what dear old sister has to say before we pass judgment.”
Charli’s eyes were darting back and forth between the two men, but she didn’t speak a word. Part of her was concerned that if she did, Canon would snap her head off. He wasn’t as large as his brother, but his presence was far more intimidating. No wonder he’s been called a nightmare in the courtroom.
“You think she’s guilty?” Bronson asked, his voice shaking.
Since Canon had taken a seat behind them, Charli couldn’t see his face, though she dearly wanted to turn around to look. It took a few seconds before the lawyer answered.
“Yes.”
*****
CANON’S RESPONSE MADE Bronson’s heart beat so hard, it felt as if it were trying to break free of his chest. He had wanted to be wrong. He wanted to go back to thinking of his baby sister as a baby sister. A beautiful, growing woman who had the world at her feet. But after spending several hours this morning with Ken, digging through her college, or lack of college, career...Bronson’s opinion had soured.
Apparently, Aria had been kicked out almost six months ago, citing a drug problem they were unable to resolve. How Bronson had never heard of the situation was beyond him.
I wonder if Canon knew...
Bronson almost turned around to ask his brother, but he kept himself facing the window. What good would it do to argue about such things now? They were where they were, and the only thing to do was to figure out what happened next.
“Aria Mariah Ramsay,” Ken said in a formal tone as he entered the small empty room. He put a folder down on the table and took a chair. “I’ve met some of your family recently.”
Aria snorted. “Really? Would that be my perfect oldest brother? Or perhaps the family screw-up middle child?”
Bronson was taken aback by the vitriol in her voice. He’d never heard her speak that way before. She was the darling of the media. Just as stunning as their mother, but less volatile. Though Bronson had seen her throw a few tantrums in her time, this wasn’t like her at all.
Truth be told, he barely recognized her at all. Aria had always been thin, especially as a woman who wanted to do modeling, but right now she was so skinny, he could see veins and bones protruding from her body. Her face, which had enchanted millions, was now haggard and sharp. Dark bags hung under her eyes and her clothes practically fell off her body. Even if he had no idea what had happened at college, Bronson would have recognized the signs of drug abuse. His sister had gone from bright and beautiful to a washed-up addict.
“Both, actually,” Ken said casually. He shuffled some papers, then looked her in the eye. “What brings you to Seaside Bay? From what I understand, you’ve been going to school in California.”
Aria scoffed. “Don’t pretend you don’t know. There’s only one reason you would have picked me up, since I was just sitting in my hotel room watching a movie when you arrived.” She leaned forward. “I want a lawyer.”
Ken studied her.
“I think she got that from you,” Bronson grunted, sending his comment over his shoulder.
“I’d say good girl,” Canon responded, his voice less sharp than before. “But in this case...” His voice trailed off and Bronson turned to see a break in Canon’s normally perfect facade.
In a word, Canon looked...weary.
The man who commanded court rooms, brought fear into his opponents and ran his family like a military compound was breaking.
Canon let his eyes meet Bronson’s and for a split second every doubt, fear and regret the slick lawyer had was visible. The speed of a blink, however, had it disappearing and Canon stood. “I believe that’s my cue.”
Bronson watched, his jaw slack, as his brother made a grand entrance into the room. “Good morning, Captain Wamsley.”
Ken nodded. “Canon.”
Aria had been sitting back in her chair with a smirk on her face and it faltered at their greeting, before she plastered it back into place. “Hello, brother. Ready to spring me out of here?”
Canon grabbed an empty chair and sat down. “No, actually. I don’t think that would be in your best interest this time.”
This time?
Bronson felt as if he’d been sucker punched. “What is going on?” he asked no one in particular.
Charli squeezed his hand. “I think Canon’s been keeping secrets,” she whispered.
Bronson groaned and let go of Charli to put his face in his hands. “How much worse can this get?”
The words were like a prophecy as Aria jumped to her feet, screaming at her brother.
“You’re taking his side!” she shouted. “How can you do that? I’m your sister. Your ONLY sister, and you would choose Bronson and his stupid charity over me?” She pushed her hands into her hair, looking like she wanted to yank it out from the roots.
“I’m not taking anyone’s side,” Canon said calmly, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world. “As your legal counsel, I believe it’s in your best interest to cooperate.” His voice dropped and Bronson had to strain to hear what happened next. “You can only get caught so many times before you pay the consequences.”
Aria hissed, looking wild in her anger. “You want to know why I’m here?” she said in a deadly tone. Her face jumped between the two men. “Because Bronson is an idiot.”
Bronson flinched and Charli scooted closer to him.
“She’s not in her right mind,” she whispered, clinging to his arm. “She’s probably in withdrawals at the moment.”
So she noticed, he mused distractedly. It would be a miracle if Charli wanted anything to do with him after this.
“Mr. Goody-Two-Shoes is about to inherit five million dollars, and what does he want to do with it?” Aria threw her hands in the air. “He wants to buy a crappy building so a crappy charity doesn’t get kicked out.” Her laugh was dark and humorless. “Can you imagine? What makes those people so special?” She spun quickly and slapped her hand down on the table, making it shudder.
Bronson had to give credit to the men in the room. Neither one gave her any emotional response to the outburst.
“Those people don’t deserve that money. They didn’t earn it. All they earned was a ticket to the poor house.”
“Are you saying that you deserve it?” Ken asked, still looking detached from the situation.
“Of course, I do!” Aria screeched. “It was my father’s. It should be mine.”
“You already got your part of the inheritance,” Ken said smoothly. “And Bronson is your brother. Why begrudge him his part?”
A terrifying smirk crept across her face and she slunk to the chair, sitting down. “And let him waste it?” Aria clucked her tongue and slowly shook her head. “Him helping those people would be like throwing it away. Which would just be a rotten shame. That kind of dough could get me back in business.”
Charli gasped and Bronson felt as if his heart had stopped. “She was selling?”
“So you...what? Wrote a fake will?” Ken tilted his head, watching her curiously.
“No,” Aria scoffed. She folded her spindly arms over her bony chest. “I had Davis do it. He’s a law student, you know.”
Ken nodded and gave a grunt that could have meant anything. “Why bother sabotaging the house, then? If the will was going to get you the money, why did you feel the need to go after him physically?”
“The dolt was going to win!” Aria’s voice was shrill again. “The first thing he did when he got to this podunk town was find someone to help him, and it was working!” She snarled. “I couldn’t let that happen.” In the blink of an eye, Aria was smiling again. “So I took matters into my own hands.” Her face tightened and she slammed a fist on the table. “Until last night when Davis got lazy. I told him he should have looked harder for that can he dropped.” She spit some curse word that would have made a sailor blush.
Charli’s grip tightened on Bronson’s arm. “I think we should go,” she said. “You’ve heard enough.”
Bronson shook his head. “No. No more running. I want to know it all.” Charli didn’t respond, but she didn’t leave, for which Bronson was secretly grateful. The next hour was spent listening to Aria spew hatred for him, their father and eventually Canon as well, as she talked about needing to maintain a certain lifestyle in order to be happy. Nothing more was truly revealed other than for Bronson to recognize that his sister was gone. In her place was a shrew who was so deep into the dark underbelly of society that she didn’t know right from wrong anymore.
He waited after she was removed from the room, knowing Canon would stop by before he left, and Bronson didn’t have to wait long.
“I’m flying out this evening,” Canon said by way of greeting when he opened the door. “I’ll work on a defense that will end with Aria in rehab.”
Bronson didn’t know whether to admire his brother’s way of keeping aloof or be saddened by it. “Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, referring to the fact that this wasn’t Aria’s first offense. Apparently, Canon had been running interference for years behind Bronson’s back, and that might have hurt more than anything else at this point. It made Bronson feel weak, as if Canon thought he couldn’t handle the weight of the problem.
Canon sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Now’s not the time—”
“WHY?” Bronson shouted, rising to his feet. His hands were clenched and the sterile space suddenly felt too small. “And what about the will? Why did you refuse to let me see it? Why push the part that you suspected was wrong?”
Canon’s face was like a statue, solid and unflinching. “I was trying to uncover things on my own without involving the police, and that meant you were caught in the crossfire. In order to be able to dig behind the scenes, I had to act as if nothing was wrong, which meant treating the will in public the exact same as I would anyone else’s inheritance. I apologize that you were hurt during that time.”
The betrayal pulsing through Bronson’s chest was enough to strangle him. The room felt too small and there wasn’t enough oxygen, but he still needed to know. “But why not say something? Why not let me know what was going on and let me help?”
Canon looked him in the eye for a moment. “One of us deserved to be free.” After another heartbeat, he was gone and Bronson’s trembling knees gave out, bringing him back down to his chair.
He barely felt Charli’s hand on his back or her words of comfort. With those few words, Bronson realized he’d misjudged both his siblings. And now he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe it was too late to fix.