Black Widow (28 page)

“What do you mean we? How have you seen all of the evidence? Nothing should be public record until the trial.”

He sits up straight, looking me directly in the eye. “I’m SFPD. I was on the scene when you called police after you found her. I heard her address over the radio and got there as soon as I could. I’ve seen everything there is to see and I have to admit, I’m disgusted with you right now. I can’t believe that you would defend the murderer of your best friend.”

Oh my God, yes, this is the guy she spoke to at her building the day there was a break in. Why didn’t Becca want to introduce me to her brother? Because he’s a cop?

I stand, walking slowly to the other side of my desk to try to get through to him the best way I can. “That’s exactly it. She was my best friend and I want nothing more than to find the person that killed her. And the only thing I know for absolute certain is that Preston Babcock is innocent. Someone is framing him and I promise you I will find out who is responsible for this.”

He stands up, standing a good foot taller than me, and moving closely, looking down into my eyes as he fights back, “How can you even say that? It was him.”

“I promise you, it wasn’t. He has an iron clad alibi.”

“What could be so iron clad that you would honestly say he is being framed? His fingerprints were found with her blood on the doorsill, and even his sperm is positive. He. Killed. My. Sister.”

I put my hand on his chest, trying to calm him down. “I’ve seen all of the evidence. I know how crazy it sounds but I promise you, he’s innocent.”

“Then what’s his alibi?”

“That’s attorney/client privilege. I can’t share that with you.”

“Bullshit!” he turns to walk toward the window looking out like he’s contemplating saying something else.

He looks down, rubbing his eyes before he whispers, “How much did you know about my sisters, um, activities?”

Oh shit, I don’t like where this is going. I play dumb. “What do you mean, activities?”

“I didn’t want to believe it was true. She was raised better than that. She knows that sex is something to be shared between husband and wife.”

My heart races out of control. How does he know?

He’s quiet before looking at me with sadder eyes than when he first walked in. “I heard this might have been going on. I shot down the idea and steered the other officers away from the thought only to look into it more myself. I just can’t believe it’s true.”

“You have to fill me in here. I don’t know what you’re trying to get at.”

“She belonged to one of those underground sex clubs.”

Oh shit!
“Wha, um, what do you mean, underground?” I try to say with nothing but pure shock in my voice, hoping he believes me.

“I didn’t want to believe it either. But Babcock confirmed it himself. I know it was wrong but I had to confront him about it. I stopped him on a run this morning,” he looks back to the window before he continues, “he not only confirmed that the club does exist but said she helped him start it.”

Why in the hell would Preston do that? Has he lost his mind?
I’m silent, trying to tread water as I figure out what my next move is.

Nicholas turns around, “Please tell me you didn’t know and you aren’t a member, too?”

Deny. Deny until I die is all that goes through my head. “No. I had no clue she was a, um, member of a, um, sex club.” I get an idea, “This could help with my investigation though. How did you find out about this club? Where is it? Can I get a list of names that belong? Maybe someone within the club is framing Preston.”

He shakes his head slightly, “I don’t know who the members are. I just know it exists. It’s even located behind his showroom, that crazy bastard thought he was being secretive.”

“Ok, so how did you find out?”

“I knew my sister was up to something. Another police officer saw a picture of her on my desk and said he recognized her from a club and got all hot and heavy about their time together before he knew she was my sister. I could have beaten him up that day. How dare he say those things about my baby sister.”

I walk up to him, trying to comfort him so he’ll continue to talk.

“He said it had been a few months since he saw her at another club he frequents so one night I followed her.”

My chest tightens and I have to hold my breath to keep him from hearing my fear.

“I watched her walk into a dark alley, then I watched as other people followed, all staying for a few hours before leaving. The place was obviously secretive and not many people knew about it. I went back the next day to see it in the daylight and it was nothing more than a warehouse door. I was sick to my stomach; I can’t even imagine what was happening behind those doors. I don’t even want to know, actually.”

I try to comfort him again by placing my hand on his arm and rubbing it slightly, trying to get more info, “When you saw her, was she alone?”

“Yes, the first night she was.”

Oh, thank God!
It was odd for us not to go together but there were times I went straight from work alone and met her there. But then what he said hits me. “The first night?”

“Yes, she went back on Saturday, again alone. I went back every night that week with no sign of anyone until Wednesday night when she walked down the alley with Preston’s arm wrapped around her as they walked in. I sat and watched but no one else ever came. Just the two of them. They stayed for over two hours then left, going their separate ways.”

Whoa, what the hell? Why were they together, there, on a night it was closed? Preston said he hadn’t slept with anyone but me. Is he lying? What else could he be lying about?

Nicholas turns to me, tears filling his eyes, “I wanted to talk to her. I was just trying to figure out how and when, and now, I can’t.”

I wrap my arms around him, bringing him close to me as he starts to cry over the death of his baby sister.

Me: We need to talk.

Preston: What’s up? Everything ok?

Me: I just have some questions. Meet me at Starbucks next to my office. Say half hour?

Preston: It’s late. How about I come over or you can come over here?

Me: I don’t trust myself and I need answers.

Preston: See you there.

I look at my clock realizing it’s past ten at night. It’s late but since the Starbucks is open 24 hours I knew it was a good place to meet. I can’t tell you how many times it saved me working way too late into the night, really just not wanting to go home over the years. And here I am again. Not wanting to be home and nowhere near wanting to go to sleep. My mind is going crazy over knowing that Preston and Becca were there, alone, on Wednesday night before she died.

Preston shows up right on time, dressed as casual as I’ve ever seen him in a hoodie and jeans. He still makes my insides ache just seeing him, even like this. Which reminds me why we’re meeting here, in public.

My hot tea warms my freezing hands as I wrap them around the cup. It may be summer but San Francisco doesn’t know seasons and it’s always cold here. His eyes meet mine and his warm smile welcomes me in as he approaches my table.

“Hi,” he says in an almost whisper after he sits down, keeping silent for a few beats as we stare at each other.

“Hi,” I finally reply.

“So what did you want to talk to me about?”

“I need to make sure you’re telling me the absolute truth.”

“You know I am. Are you really starting to doubt me? Please Kamii, I need you, more than anyone else, to believe me and my innocence in this matter.”

“I know that but there are things you’re keeping from me.”

He cuts me off, “No, I’m not. I’m 100% open and honest with you.”

“No, you aren’t because you won’t give me the list of members,” I plead.

“We’ve been over this,” his jaw tenses.

“I know we have but that’s just one thing. I also need you to be honest with me about your relationship with Becca.”

“I have been. Why are you questioning me?”

“I had a visitor today, Becca’s brother.”

“I didn’t even know she had a brother.”

“He knows Preston. He knows about the club. He figured it out before Becca was killed. He was staking out your place the week she was killed.”

“Wait, holy shit. That has to be the guy who just attacked me while I was on my run today. He said he knew about it.”

“Yes, that was him, he’s SFPD, Preston.”

“So. I don’t think he’ll go public with it. He threatened but when I told him the only good it would do would be smearing his sister’s name in the press, he seemed to back off.”

“Yeah, I agree, I think he’ll keep it a secret.”

“Ok, so then why are we here?”

“Preston, you said you hadn’t had sex with Becca for more than a month.”

“And I was completely honest.”

“Then why were you both at the club on Wednesday night, by yourselves? He said he saw you enter together and leave a few hours later.”

“We were just going over paperwork and setting things up with the place. There were a few things that needed to be done to the bar and the wall in one of the rooms. She came to help and just hang out.”

I look down, ashamed that I’m even asking him these questions. It’s not like we’re dating. Hell, I didn’t even know his real name until the other day, and he literally watched me have sex with two other guys. But why was I so jealous to hear he spent time alone with Becca?

When I look up he has a slight smirk covering his gorgeous face. “You were jealous.”

“No, I wasn’t jealous,” I bite back. “I’m trying to get you off the hook for murder. I just need to know everything. Don’t you remember, your semen was found in her? I thought you were lying about the last time you had sex with her.”

“I already told you it had been awhile. Not since I met you and besides, I was with you that entire night. My dick has only been inside you for the last month,” he smirks.

The way he said that made me start to ache in need. My legs involuntarily clench and he grins when he notices.

“You liked that thought didn’t you?” he smirks.

I close my eyes, taking a deep breath before opening them again. “Preston. I’m your attorney. We need to keep a distance between us. I can’t stay focused when you are constantly making me feel this way.”