Read Online Silenced by Allison Brennan - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Allison Brennan
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get a taxi back to your car? I have to get back to headquarters.” He left without waiting for an answer.
Lucy followed Noah, who was walking quickly and ignoring her. “Noah, wait,” she finally said. The heat made her hot and irritable.
He stopped under a tree near the sidewalk. “I know what you’re going to say. Josh Stein is an asshole. He’s impulsive and arrogant. But he’s also my superior, and yours.” He added under his breath, “It’s my fault.” He started walking again, but Lucy stopped him.
“Noah, what did I do?” Her heart was racing and she began to panic that she’d overstepped. “I’m sorry I said anything to the congressman, but I was only thinking about what we’d been talking about earlier, that maybe Wendy James has another place. And we confirmed it!”
“I planned on coming back to talk to Crowley without Stein.”
“I didn’t know.” She felt foolish, but wished Noah had given her a clue to his plans.
“I’ve given you a lot of slack these last two months, but that can’t continue. This case is far too complicated and high-profile.”
“I haven’t jeopardized anything, have I?” She couldn’t imagine what she’d said or done that would put a conviction at risk.
“Not yet.” Noah flagged down a taxi and opened the door for Lucy.
She slid into the cab.
Not yet.
Which meant he expected her to screw up.
* * *
It was after six by the time Noah and Lucy arrived back at Wendy James’s apartment. Noah was on the phone the entire drive, talking to an analyst about property records. Apartment 710 was owned by the corporation that managed the condo and two floors down from Wendy’s official residence, 910.
The manager let them in. “I don’t think Wendy ever used this place,” Betty Dare said. “It’s leased for short-term stays—less than a month.”
“Do you have the printout of who’s leased it in the past year?” Noah asked.
She handed him a folder.
Noah glanced through it. “These are businesses.”
“Yes—they will lease the place for staff who are coming into the city to testify, sometimes staying a week, sometimes longer.”
Lucy held her hand out. “I can go through them tonight.”
Noah didn’t give her the file. “We have a well-staffed office, Lucy. You don’t have to volunteer for everything.”
Ms. Dare hesitated, then handed Noah the key. “If you can lock up and return the key on your way out?”
“Of course.”
After the manager left, Lucy looked around.
The place was lavishly decorated with expensive, durable furniture befitting a high-end lease. Leather couch, plush carpet, granite in the kitchen, and a fifty-inch television on the wall. A plethora of plants made the place appear homey, but upon closer inspection, Lucy realized they were silk. The refrigerator had two unopened bottles of white wine and long-shelf-life barrel cheese. The kitchen cabinets included unopened packages of crackers and a wide array of alcohol. There were plates, glasses, utensils, all clean.
“Looks standard,” Noah said.
“With food and drink?”
“For executives who come in after hours—hotels do it.”
“Something seems—off.”
“Maybe Wendy didn’t want to bring Crowley into her apartment. Nosy neighbor, maybe she had a boyfriend.” Noah added, “We got nothing from the neighbors earlier, but we should follow up now that it’s after six.”
Lucy was only half-listening to Noah. She stared at a discolored strip of molding along the ceiling. There was a dark mark near the edge that caught her attention.
She pulled over a chair from the dining area and put it against the wall. As soon as she got closer to the molding, she saw that it was loose. The smudge appeared to be grease. She wiggled the piece and realized it was on a hinge.
“What are you doing?” Noah asked.
“There’s a hidey-hole here.”
“Hidey-hole?” Noah sounded amused.
Lucy pushed up and the little door snapped off. “Sorry,” she
Lucy followed Noah, who was walking quickly and ignoring her. “Noah, wait,” she finally said. The heat made her hot and irritable.
He stopped under a tree near the sidewalk. “I know what you’re going to say. Josh Stein is an asshole. He’s impulsive and arrogant. But he’s also my superior, and yours.” He added under his breath, “It’s my fault.” He started walking again, but Lucy stopped him.
“Noah, what did I do?” Her heart was racing and she began to panic that she’d overstepped. “I’m sorry I said anything to the congressman, but I was only thinking about what we’d been talking about earlier, that maybe Wendy James has another place. And we confirmed it!”
“I planned on coming back to talk to Crowley without Stein.”
“I didn’t know.” She felt foolish, but wished Noah had given her a clue to his plans.
“I’ve given you a lot of slack these last two months, but that can’t continue. This case is far too complicated and high-profile.”
“I haven’t jeopardized anything, have I?” She couldn’t imagine what she’d said or done that would put a conviction at risk.
“Not yet.” Noah flagged down a taxi and opened the door for Lucy.
She slid into the cab.
Not yet.
Which meant he expected her to screw up.
* * *
It was after six by the time Noah and Lucy arrived back at Wendy James’s apartment. Noah was on the phone the entire drive, talking to an analyst about property records. Apartment 710 was owned by the corporation that managed the condo and two floors down from Wendy’s official residence, 910.
The manager let them in. “I don’t think Wendy ever used this place,” Betty Dare said. “It’s leased for short-term stays—less than a month.”
“Do you have the printout of who’s leased it in the past year?” Noah asked.
She handed him a folder.
Noah glanced through it. “These are businesses.”
“Yes—they will lease the place for staff who are coming into the city to testify, sometimes staying a week, sometimes longer.”
Lucy held her hand out. “I can go through them tonight.”
Noah didn’t give her the file. “We have a well-staffed office, Lucy. You don’t have to volunteer for everything.”
Ms. Dare hesitated, then handed Noah the key. “If you can lock up and return the key on your way out?”
“Of course.”
After the manager left, Lucy looked around.
The place was lavishly decorated with expensive, durable furniture befitting a high-end lease. Leather couch, plush carpet, granite in the kitchen, and a fifty-inch television on the wall. A plethora of plants made the place appear homey, but upon closer inspection, Lucy realized they were silk. The refrigerator had two unopened bottles of white wine and long-shelf-life barrel cheese. The kitchen cabinets included unopened packages of crackers and a wide array of alcohol. There were plates, glasses, utensils, all clean.
“Looks standard,” Noah said.
“With food and drink?”
“For executives who come in after hours—hotels do it.”
“Something seems—off.”
“Maybe Wendy didn’t want to bring Crowley into her apartment. Nosy neighbor, maybe she had a boyfriend.” Noah added, “We got nothing from the neighbors earlier, but we should follow up now that it’s after six.”
Lucy was only half-listening to Noah. She stared at a discolored strip of molding along the ceiling. There was a dark mark near the edge that caught her attention.
She pulled over a chair from the dining area and put it against the wall. As soon as she got closer to the molding, she saw that it was loose. The smudge appeared to be grease. She wiggled the piece and realized it was on a hinge.
“What are you doing?” Noah asked.
“There’s a hidey-hole here.”
“Hidey-hole?” Noah sounded amused.
Lucy pushed up and the little door snapped off. “Sorry,” she
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