nothing to do with it . . . but . . . what if . . . what if I know something?” she asked.
“Then give us a statement and we’ll talk to the state’s attorney about an immunity deal.” Berg scooped up the images, all theatrics gone. “Talk. Now. Deal’s good for thirty seconds.”
Arena stood and flicked on the recording device in the interview room as Lauren’s words tumbled over each other in her haste to be rid of them.
An hour later, they left a shaken, yet relieved, Lauren in the interview room with her appointed legal counsel.
Arena stood outside the interview rooms holding the ten-page, signed witness statement in his hand; the statement detailing how Lauren, while sitting on his yacht three months ago, had overheard her boyfriend on a disposable cell organizing the hit on his wife—a cell that unfortunately ended up in the lake.
“Gimme five, partner.” Arena crowed, delighted.
Berg smiled and slapped his proffered hand.
“Are we an awesome partnership or what?”
“That was a nice bad cop, Arena.”
“Well, your good cop was pretty impressive. It looked like you actually cared about her and had real human feelings and everything!” he said.
Berg shot him a sour look.
“What say we go out and celebrate later, just you and me? Anywhere you want to go.”
Berg sighed. “Arena,” she said. “Give it up. It’s never gonna happen.”
“Come on, just a beer! One single beer to celebrate catching a murderer?” he whined.
“No. I’m not comfortable with that. Plus, I’m . . .” She started to say involved , but then she remembered that wasn’t the case.
“Is it O’Loughlin you’re worried about?” Arena asked. “Because you don’t need to worry about him. He gave me the green light.”
“No, of course it’s n—wait. What?”
“Yeah, his exact words were ‘be my fucking guest.’ ” He shrugged. “So I guess he’s okay with it. Maybe he thought dating you wasn’t worth the hassle? He mentioned something about you being in recovery?”
She was hit with a surge of anger so forceful she took a step back and became incapable of speech. Storming up the steps to the detectives’ level, she barged into Jay’s office and slammed the door behind her.
Jay quickly glanced up, his brow furrowed and mouth open before the look on Berg’s face registered. He mumbled something about calling back into the phone and hung up abruptly. “Berg, look—”
“Save it. Did you tell him about me?”
“Berg, listen to me!” Jay reached out a hand, his face a mask of desperation. “He’s manipulating you. He barged in here last night and told me as much.”
“Did. You. Tell. Him?” Berg repeated slowly.
Jay looked away and nodded once reluctantly. “He doesn’t know the specifics. He tricked me. Sorry.”
“Sorry?” Berg replied incredulously. “You’re fucking sorry? You’ve just blurted out the one secret that could end my career to the most indiscreet person in this building, and you’re fucking sorry? ” she yelled.
“I told you, he tricked me. He wants me out of the way. He sauntered in here like he owns this office!”
“It sounds to me like you’re already out of the way. Be my fucking guest , remember?”
“Jesus, I was being sarcastic. You know I don’t want that. I’ve been waiting for you to be ready so we could be together!”
“Really?” Berg raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “And the woman at the deli the other night?”
“A cadet I was interviewing!” Jay lowered his voice, his hurt easily coming through in the softer tones. “How can you not trust me, after everything? I’ve known about you for months. Have I ever once used it against you? Have I ever said anything to anyone?”
Berg looked at Jay, her gaze raking over his tall, hard body and stopping at his compassionate face. His blue eyes were shining with unshed tears. “I can’t do this anymore,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. It’s just too hard,
“Then give us a statement and we’ll talk to the state’s attorney about an immunity deal.” Berg scooped up the images, all theatrics gone. “Talk. Now. Deal’s good for thirty seconds.”
Arena stood and flicked on the recording device in the interview room as Lauren’s words tumbled over each other in her haste to be rid of them.
An hour later, they left a shaken, yet relieved, Lauren in the interview room with her appointed legal counsel.
Arena stood outside the interview rooms holding the ten-page, signed witness statement in his hand; the statement detailing how Lauren, while sitting on his yacht three months ago, had overheard her boyfriend on a disposable cell organizing the hit on his wife—a cell that unfortunately ended up in the lake.
“Gimme five, partner.” Arena crowed, delighted.
Berg smiled and slapped his proffered hand.
“Are we an awesome partnership or what?”
“That was a nice bad cop, Arena.”
“Well, your good cop was pretty impressive. It looked like you actually cared about her and had real human feelings and everything!” he said.
Berg shot him a sour look.
“What say we go out and celebrate later, just you and me? Anywhere you want to go.”
Berg sighed. “Arena,” she said. “Give it up. It’s never gonna happen.”
“Come on, just a beer! One single beer to celebrate catching a murderer?” he whined.
“No. I’m not comfortable with that. Plus, I’m . . .” She started to say involved , but then she remembered that wasn’t the case.
“Is it O’Loughlin you’re worried about?” Arena asked. “Because you don’t need to worry about him. He gave me the green light.”
“No, of course it’s n—wait. What?”
“Yeah, his exact words were ‘be my fucking guest.’ ” He shrugged. “So I guess he’s okay with it. Maybe he thought dating you wasn’t worth the hassle? He mentioned something about you being in recovery?”
She was hit with a surge of anger so forceful she took a step back and became incapable of speech. Storming up the steps to the detectives’ level, she barged into Jay’s office and slammed the door behind her.
Jay quickly glanced up, his brow furrowed and mouth open before the look on Berg’s face registered. He mumbled something about calling back into the phone and hung up abruptly. “Berg, look—”
“Save it. Did you tell him about me?”
“Berg, listen to me!” Jay reached out a hand, his face a mask of desperation. “He’s manipulating you. He barged in here last night and told me as much.”
“Did. You. Tell. Him?” Berg repeated slowly.
Jay looked away and nodded once reluctantly. “He doesn’t know the specifics. He tricked me. Sorry.”
“Sorry?” Berg replied incredulously. “You’re fucking sorry? You’ve just blurted out the one secret that could end my career to the most indiscreet person in this building, and you’re fucking sorry? ” she yelled.
“I told you, he tricked me. He wants me out of the way. He sauntered in here like he owns this office!”
“It sounds to me like you’re already out of the way. Be my fucking guest , remember?”
“Jesus, I was being sarcastic. You know I don’t want that. I’ve been waiting for you to be ready so we could be together!”
“Really?” Berg raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. “And the woman at the deli the other night?”
“A cadet I was interviewing!” Jay lowered his voice, his hurt easily coming through in the softer tones. “How can you not trust me, after everything? I’ve known about you for months. Have I ever once used it against you? Have I ever said anything to anyone?”
Berg looked at Jay, her gaze raking over his tall, hard body and stopping at his compassionate face. His blue eyes were shining with unshed tears. “I can’t do this anymore,” she whispered. “I’m sorry. It’s just too hard,
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