Retribution Boxed Set (Books One and Two) (2 page)

“What else does your boss have access to?”

“I don’t know.” Nicole’s voice rose with hysteria.
“I didn’t look. I did what she asked and then logged out.” She wiped the tears
from her cheeks. “I’m an honest person, Detective Holden. I don’t snoop into
other people’s business, and I certainly don’t steal other people’s money.”

“I believe my client has answered enough
questions, detective. She’s denied being involved, and everything you have up
to this point is circumstantial. If you’re not going to charge her, then I
think we’re finished here.”

A frown settled on the detective’s face. He
glanced between his notepad and Nicole. “Fine. She can leave. For now.” He
stood, focusing on her attorney. “I’ll be in touch.”

Mr. Barton stayed seated after the detective left.
He steepled his fingers, staring intently at her. A large diamond ring
glittered on his right hand. He probably cost a fortune to retain. How would
she ever pay his bill?

“How much are you charging me for this?”

“We’ll consider this your first, free
consultation. After that, my usual rates are two hundred dollars an hour.”

“Oh, my God.” She blinked, waiting for him to say
he was joking. He didn’t. “I don’t make much money. Despite what the police are
claiming, I live on my salary and nothing else.”

“There should only be minimal amounts of time
spent on this case unless you’re formally charged.”

“What do you mean by minimal?”

“A couple of hours total would be my guess,
depending on what the police come up with, assuming you want me to represent
you.” He paused for a brief second. “Which I would highly recommend.”

At that rate, a handful of hours would wipe out
her savings account. “What if I can’t pay? Can I ask for a court-appointed
attorney or something?”

He seemed affronted by the idea. “Ms. Camden,
this is your future we’re talking about.”

She gave him a helpless look. “I have some in
savings, but not much.”

“Fine. I’ll have associates work on the majority
of your case, and I’ll toss in a pro-bono hour or two. But if this goes to
trial, you may want to consider asking family and friends to pitch in. Chancing
your freedom on an unknown attorney could have some serious consequences.”

She nodded. If the worst happened, she couldn’t afford
to
not
pay.

Nicole left the central precinct, grateful to be
walking out a free woman. A cloud of suspicion would follow her, but she felt
as though she’d been granted a second chance at life. The sun on her face
seemed warmer than she remembered, and the brightness of the blue sky hurt her
eyes. It was as though she’d been held in an underground dungeon for weeks. Thank
God it wasn’t a rainy day.

She glanced down the busy street and spotted her
aunt’s old Corolla parked on the opposite side, not far from the corner.

She was relieved her aunt had been available to
pick her up, but she had no idea how she’d explain things to her. It was
absolutely ridiculous to think she’d be charged with grand larceny, but then
again, it was equally ridiculous to have been questioned in the first place. Though
she’d been relinquished back into the real world, a major tendril of fear
clawed at her. Until the police had located the real suspect, it would be hard
to sleep at night.

She navigated the crosswalk and opened the
passenger door. The plush gray seats in her aunt’s car were warm as well, and
she took a small amount of pleasure allowing the heat to soak through her
clothes and into her body. She was free.

For now.

“Thanks for coming to get me, Aunt Claire. After
the horrible morning I’ve had, I didn’t want to try to figure out the bus
schedule from here.”

“Of course. I would have been upset if you hadn’t
called me.” Her aunt seemed so frail sitting behind the wheel. Eight months
ago, she’d been in a serious car accident and had only recently begun to regain
her strength. Even so, she was the strongest, bravest woman Nicole had ever
known.

Instead of starting the car, she turned to Nicole.
“Are you okay, honey? Dark bags hovered beneath her dull green eyes, testifying
to the fact she wasn’t getting sufficient rest.

“You haven’t been sleeping again, have you? I’m
so sorry to worry you like this.” The guilt resulting from giving her dear aunt
additional stress gnawed at her.

The older woman pretended to tuck her short gray
hair behind her ear. The strands weren’t long enough to actually tuck, but it
was a gesture her aunt used repeatedly when she was upset. Maybe it carried
over from a day when she’d had longer hair.

“I never sleep. You know that.”

“I know.” Her aunt’s medications also brought on
insomnia. “I wish I could change things. I wish I could make it so you didn’t
worry about me.” The last thing the poor woman needed was something else
threatening her health. She prayed this whole ordeal would be over before she
suffered another hit.

“Me, too.” The older woman glanced out the
window, seeming to stare at the traffic as it whizzed past. “I need to ask you
something.” She turned her pale gaze to Nicole. “Did you do this thing they’re
accusing you of?”

The sharp point of the arrow that carried her
aunt’s words pierced her. “No,” she whispered, emotion pooling in her eyes. “You
think I did? She’d spent her whole life trying to prove to her aunt that she
deserved the sacrifices she had made for her, trying to prove to the world that
she was not her father’s daughter.

The older woman’s eyes filled with tears as well,
and she shook her head. “No.” She sighed. “No. I just remember the same
feelings of confusion and sadness when I found out about your dad’s life of
crime. This brought back all those memories and all those horrible times. But
you’re different. I know you are.”

“I’m nothing like him.”
Nothing
.

“Of course you’re not. You and I both made sure
of that.” She shook her head again as though to put order to her thoughts. “How
did this happen, Nicole? Why would they even think to accuse you?”

“I don’t know, Aunt Claire. Whoever did this used
my computer, but they left no prints. I don’t know if they meant to frame me or
if they chose a random computer and happened to be lucky enough to pick a night
when I’d gone back to the office for my TriMet pass, which made me a prime
suspect. Maybe this person or people didn’t really intend to hurt me.”

“Or maybe they did it on purpose.”

She couldn’t bring herself to believe that. “Why?
I haven’t made enemies. Why would someone purposefully choose to hurt me like
this?”

“If you look guilty, then the police will stop
looking elsewhere for whoever really did it. Maybe someone knows about your
father’s past. Maybe they thought you’d make a good scapegoat.”

“How could they? I’ve never talked about him to
anyone at work.”

Her aunt shrugged. “I don’t know. But it’s a
strange coincidence, don’t you agree? At this point, I don’t think you can
discount anything.”

Frustration and anger welled inside her and came
out in a growl. “This is all so unfair. I’m a good person!”

“Yes, you are.”

“I’ve lived a good life. I’ve never hurt anyone. How
does something like this happen to someone like me?”

The older woman took her hand and squeezed. “I
don’t know, honey. But you’ve got to do whatever you can to protect yourself,
okay? This attorney? Is he any good? I could take out a loan to help pay for a
good lawyer.”

No, she couldn’t. Her house was already mortgaged
to the hilt to pay for her medical expenses. “He seems like he’s pretty good. He
did a great job getting me out of there. Plus, he came highly recommended by a
friend.” She’d have to call Riley and thank him for his help.

“How will you pay him without a job? The wrinkles
in her aunt’s forehead thickened as she raised her brows.

“I have a paycheck coming, plus a bunch of
vacation pay. They can’t withhold that.” At least she didn’t think they could. “Plus,
I have some in savings.” She was seriously screwed. “I’m sure I can find
another job of some kind to pay the bills while I wait for the police to figure
things out.”

“I’m not so sure. Do you really think someone
will hire you?”

“I have to try, don’t I? She didn’t have another
choice. “Besides, I haven’t formally been accused of anything, only
questioned.”

“I think you should come home. Come back and live
with me while you get this mess settled. I can take care of you.”

“Thank you so much, Aunt Claire. But you have
enough to do, tending to yourself.” Her father’s sister had taken better care of
her than her parents ever had.

“I’d be more likely to get some sleep if you were
with me.”

Nicole narrowed her gaze at her aunt, but smiled.
“Let’s see how things go in the next couple of weeks. I hate to give up my
apartment if I don’t have to.” It had taken her a long time to find a decent
place on her salary, plus it overlooked a park which worked well for her and
her dog. “If things get worse, I’ll move home.”

“I suppose I can live with that. Another thing,”
her aunt said as she started the car. “I think we need to check into a private
investigator.”

“The police are investigating.”

“The police also believe they’ve captured their
suspect. Do you really think they’re going to put much effort or manpower into
proving your innocence?”

Her aunt had a point. “Probably not.” How in the
world would she ever afford a lawyer
and
an investigator? “I’ll look
into it after I get home.”

“Promise? Because if you don’t, I will.”

“I promise.”

Aunt Claire returned her smile, and a rush of
gratitude fell over Nicole. Her aunt had always encouraged her to stand on her
own two feet, but she’d also been there to catch her when she’d fallen. “When
times get tough, family should stick together.”

She took the older woman’s hand and squeezed. “Thank
you, Aunt Claire. Thank you for always being there for me.”

“It hasn’t been a one-way street, honey. I’m
grateful every day that I have you for a daughter.”

Emotion gathered inside her, but she held back
her tears, not wanting to cause her aunt further worry. “I know. And I’m so
glad I’ve always been able to count on you like I never could with my parents. You’d
never lie to me like Dad did. You’d never let me down like they both did, and I
hope I never disappoint you either.”

Claire shook her head. “I’m no saint, Nicole.” She
released her hand and pulled out into traffic.

“You’re as close as they get. If I’m half the
woman you are, that will be enough for me.”

*        *        *

The moment Nicole’s neighbor opened her door,
Stormy pushed between Janie’s legs and rushed toward Nicole.

“Whoa, little one.” Janie, Nicole’s confidant and
best emergency dog-sitter, grabbed the doorframe for support.

“She’s not exactly little anymore.” Nicole
laughed as she knelt down and let her sweet Australian Sheepdog cover her
cheeks with kisses.

“Isn’t that the truth? I remember how small she
was when you both moved in, and that wasn’t that long ago.” Janie pulled her
door closed most of the way, secreting them in the quiet hall. Her boyfriend,
Paul, worked nights and was probably asleep.

“She’s grown up fast.” Nicole stood, giving her
neighbor a grateful smile. Janie with her short blond hair and brilliant blue
eyes had a natural beauty that Nicole always envied. “Thank you so much for
watching her. I wasn’t certain how long the police would detain me. I guess I
panicked.”

Janie waved away her thanks. “I’m always fine
with Stormy, but what about you? Are you okay?”

Nicole appreciated the fact that her friend
hadn’t questioned her innocence right off the bat. “Honestly? I’m not sure. I’ve
been accused of stealing money from my job. Serious money. I hope you believe I
didn’t do it.”

“Of course you didn’t. I don’t believe a word
they’re saying.”

Nicole’s heart plummeted. “
They
? She’d
hoped the news media wouldn’t deem her worthy, but deep down, she knew that wasn’t
likely.

“There was a brief clip on the late-morning
news.”

“It’s already hit the news? She forced back the
bile rising in her throat. “What will people think?”

She tilted her head with sympathy. “Don’t worry. I’m
sure there will be something else more sensational than you to steal their
attention.”

“Dear God. I hope so.” Stormy nudged her hand,
her patience at an end. She clearly didn’t understand the severity of her
owner’s situation. “I’d better drop off my mail and take this one outside
before she has an accident.”

Janie checked the watch on her wrist. “It’s been
a few hours.” She put a hand on Nicole’s shoulder. “Take care. I’m here if you
need anything.”

“Thanks, Janie.”

Her friend gave her a commiserating smile. “This
one-hundred percent sucks, Nicole.”

“That’s the understatement of the year.”

Nicole hugged her friend goodbye and took Stormy
for a quick walk before heading back to her small, one-bedroom apartment. It
was weird to think the last time she’d been in her home, her life was on the
verge of a complete disaster, and she hadn’t even known it.

She dropped onto the couch, exhausted and
overcome with the unbelievable ordeal she’d just endured. Now that her needs
had been met, Stormy seemed to sense her owner’s troubled feelings, and she
whined as she circled and then sat on Nicole’s feet. Her sweet little doggie. She
rubbed Stormy’s ears and leaned forward to kiss her nose.

It would be so easy to sink into a puddle of
tears and frustration, but she knew better than most that crying didn’t solve
anything. Her aunt had never let her get away with sulking for long. She’d
taught her to get back on her feet and fight.

Unfortunately, at this point, she had no idea who
to fight, no idea how she’d landed in this predicament. But she couldn’t sit
and fret and let her feelings of helplessness overwhelm her. She needed to
do
something.

In the end, housework became the only foe within
fighting distance. She scrubbed and dusted and tossed useless things into the
garbage. It might only be her corner of the world, but for a while, she was in
control.