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Words had left her. She stared into Gavin’s blue eyes, burning with anger, and her voice fell silent. She couldn’t get her lips to move.
“The guards found him dead in his cell after dinner.”
Her mind was blank as she stared at Gavin in horror. He wore a dark-trimmed suit with a white shirt and maroon tie. He furrowed his brow as the color in his face changed.
“When the guards went to check on him before lights out, they found his body on the cot. There was some swelling around his throat.”
Stacy searched her mind for something reasonable to say, but to her surprise, nothing came out.
“Then I get a visit this evening from Deerfield’s attorneys. Apparently, they claim you offered Deerfield some leniency on the charges against him for information about Chance.” His eyes desperately searched Stacy. “Say something,” he roared. “Did that happen? Because I am in danger of losing my job based on the answer.”
Her brain stuttered for a moment. Every part of her paused while her thoughts tried to catch up. A wash of cold crept over her.
“Gavin,” she said, her voice soft. “That’s ridiculous. I did visit Deerfield. That part is true.”
He pinched his brow. “And what for? What did you possibly hope to achieve?”
Stacy looked down at the floor for a moment and collected herself. The intensity of his gaze caught her as she locked eyes with him.
“My mom is in town.”
Gavin blinked. He held his stare.
“She has a postcard from Chance that was sent a few weeks ago. He said that he’s okay but that we’re not safe.”
Gavin made a face. “And you think Deerfield had something to do with it?”
“Deerfield claims that Chance sent him a card as well.” Stacy set her jaw. “I don’t know,” she said, a pleading tone creeping into her voice.
“That’s not proof. A ten-year-old could’ve written that note. We have no idea if Deerfield had any connection to that note or not, and I doubt he would admit to it even if he did.”
“But I needed to be sure,” Stacy interjected. “Deerfield didn’t tell me anything. He lied the entire time.”
“How do you know that?” At the question, Gavin paused, allowing his ears to hear the words spoken. “Never mind. I know you can spot someone lying.”
“And he was,” she added. “I was there for less than fifteen minutes. Check the visitors’ log.”
“That’s already happened,” he said, his voice taut. “Deerfield’s attorneys already did.”
“I wouldn’t betray our relationship by stepping outside of my authority like that.”
“It’s not about our relationship, Stacy. What happened was an abuse of power and authority.”
His words entered Stacy as if through a narrow vein.
“I’m trying to find out what happened to Chance.”
His blue eyes flared sharp. “And rid yourself of guilt.”
They both said nothing as the looming sodium ceiling lights above them cast down a pale white light, hazing the edges of the room and bleaching out the space between them.
Gavin’s face hardened and dimmed with confusion and worry. “Thank you for telling me the truth. But this isn’t over. Not at all. My office will initiate an investigation into this—assuming I’m a part of the office after today. My office is likely going to recommend IAB get involved, as well.”
Stacy felt her throat clench. “I understand.”
Gavin picked up the papers. “This is a copy of the motion made by Deerfield’s lawyers to have the case dismissed. They want to tell what they think happened to the judge and get it on the record.”
Stacy bent down and picked up the papers and unfolded them. She glanced at the words but didn’t read them.
Gavin started to walk away. As he did, he stopped and turned around to face Stacy.
“Chance Tavitt is not a good person.”
Stacy blanched. Gavin leered at her again, his skin became grayed, and his moth hung with lips slightly parted. He was waiting for a response.
“Excuse me,” Stacy said, her voice surprisingly low and rough.
“I wondered if Chance was worth all of this trouble, and he’s not.”
Stacy felt her shoulders hunch together like she was trying to disappear inside of herself. “I can’t believe this. Chance is my brother. My family. It’s no concern of yours.”
Gavin frowned. “I did some investigating on him. He’s never held steady work, he has two arrests on his record for drunk driving, and he owes the mother of his child over $25,000 in overdue child support.”
Stacy knew what Gavin said was true, but she didn’t realize the overdue child support money had ballooned into a five-figure number.
She pinched her brow under squinted eyes. “Is Chance currently under investigation by the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office?”
Stacy found herself biting off the last word. This was not the moment to tell Gavin what Brandon had told her about Chance and his involvement with the dirty cops and the protection-for-drugs racket they were running. Eventually, she knew everyone would know, including Gavin.
Gavin sealed his rounded mouth into a flushed pout. “No.”
“Then, aren’t you abusing your authority as an officer of the court? Why would an AP use office resources to investigate someone not yet charged with anything? Is Chance the subject of an active investigation?”
He made a face. “Chance is a missing person. That situation is not the same as the other.”
Stacy shook her head in defiance. “Seems similar to me.”
Gavin’s eyes lingered for a moment, then flitted away when she caught them.
“Stacy. I’m sorry, but Chance is a loser, and I think you need to decide if he’s worth this obsession and you bending the rules to save him.”
His comment was so out of character and so far from what she knew of him that Stacy just stared at him, slack-jawed.
“He’s my brother, Gavin. I’m not going to let something bad happen to him.”
Gavin took two long strides toward her and leaned close. His piercing eyes nearly bore through Stacy.
“Chance is going to cost you everything if you don’t back off,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Look what’s he done already. Think about it.”
Gavin held his stare at Stacy until she blinked back tears and looked to the side.
“He’s had more than enough time to come forward and explain himself.”
In her pocket, her cell phone buzzed. She pulled it out and answered.
“SWAT is ready,” Austin said through the line, his voice bright with pleasure. “They’ll be armed and ready before dawn and will wait for instructions.”
Stacy sniffed and cleared her throat. “Thanks, Austin.” She ended the call as he was ready to say something else.
Stacy leaned around the cubicle wall separating her desk from the hallway. She reached forward and closed the transcript’s binder.
When she turned around, Gavin arched an eyebrow at her. She wanted to discuss what she’d read in the trial transcripts with him, but Stacy found herself too flummoxed to concentrate.
“I need to go,” she said to herself and nobody at the same time. She pushed past Gavin.
“Where?” he paused. “What’s going on, Stacy?”
His voice trailed off as she reached the elevator. The discussion of Chance and Brandon Deerfield had reminded Stacy of something.
“I’m going home,” she muttered into the faded chrome elevator doors. “It’s time for a family meeting.”