Chapter 70
Chapter 70
Chapter 70
Ariel arrived at the station the next morning to a storm waiting at the door, cameras, microphones, frantic reporters shouting questions.
“Detective Lawson! Is it true the police mishandled evidence?”
“Sources say the killer has ties to the department—can you confirm?”
“Rumor is you accused a wealthy philanthropist—what was your motive?”
Ariel froze as flashes burst around her. Her stomach twisted. She had no idea how the press knew any of this. The investigation was supposed to be sealed.
Micheal forced his way through the crowd, grabbing her arm. “Come on, Ari—don’t talk. Just move.”
They shoved into the building, slamming the door behind them. But the damage had already been done. The entire front desk staff stared at her, some with pity.
Ariel swallowed hard. “Someone leaked out the investigation.”
Before she could respond, Captain Harris stormed out of his office, his face flushed with anger. “Lawson. My office. Now.”
Her pulse pounded as she followed him inside. The blinds snapped shut behind her.
“Do you know what kind of chaos you’ve caused?” Harris snapped, slamming a folder onto the desk. “You accused Damien Kane—a man with major political influence— of murder without solid evidence. And now the press knows.”
“I didn’t leak anything,” Ariel shot back.
“That’s not the issue.” Harris leaned forward, his jaw tight. “City Hall is furious. Kane’s lawyers are threatening to file a complaint.”
Ariel’s brows knitted. “So I should ignore the fact that all the victims worked under his network? That he owned the clubs? That he had—”
“You should follow protocol,” Harris barked. “Instead, you created a media disaster.”
Ariel stared at him. “You think I did this for attention?”
Harris looked away. “Doesn’t matter what I think. The Chief made the call.”
Her chest tightened.
“Ariel Lawson,” Harris said, voice abruptly cold, “you’re suspended. Effective immediately.”
The words hit like a punch.
Suspended.
For doing her job.
“For how long?” she asked quietly.
“Indefinite,” he replied. “Turn in your badge and firearm.”
Ariel’s hands shook as she placed them on the desk. For a moment she couldn’t breathe.
Harris didn’t look at her. “You’re dismissed.”
Micheal found her outside, leaning against the concrete wall behind the station where there were no cameras or press. Her eyes were glassy, her jaw clenched so tightly it hurt.
“Ariel—”
“Don’t,” she said sharply, wiping her face. “They suspended me. Because I followed the evidence.”
Micheal exhaled, frustration etched into every line of his face. “They’re protecting someone.”
“I know.” She looked down at her empty hands, feeling suddenly exposed. “But now we’ve lost our access to files… to resources…”
“You lost access,” Micheal corrected gently. “I didn’t.”
Ariel blinked up at him.
“I’m going to keep helping you,” he said. “Off the record.”
He meant it. She could see it in his eyes, even if it cost him.
Ariel let out a shaky breath. “Thank you.”
“You’re not alone in this,” he said quietly. “We’ll figure it out.”
They met that night in her small living room, blinds drawn, Micheal’s laptop glowing faintly between them.
“Okay,” Micheal said, typing rapidly. “I got the list of high-end fragrance purchases. I wasn’t able to pull Rowan’s internal file without raising suspicion, but—there’s someone else.”
Ariel leaned forward. “Who?”
Micheal turned the laptop toward her.
Dr. Benjamin Howard.
Ariel’s stomach dropped. “The pathologist who did Mr. Cole’s autopsy.”
“Yep. He bought the same cologne three months before Freya’s murder.” Micheal’s fingers drummed the table. “And look at this—he worked with Cole’s foundation for years.”
Ariel frowned. “Howard wasn’t on any suspect list.”
“That’s why he’s perfect,” Micheal said. “He has access to bodies, evidence, crime scenes…”
“And obsessed with anatomy,” Ariel murmured.
Her pulse pounded harder. “We need to talk to him immediately.”
Micheal grabbed his jacket. “Let’s go.”
Dr. Howard’s house sat at the end of a quiet cul-de-sac, the kind of neighborhood where porch lights glowed warmly and families slept without fear. The contrast felt grotesque.
Ariel’s nerves prickled as they approached the front door. Micheal knocked.
No response.
He knocked again. “Dr. Howard? It’s the police. We need to speak with you.”
Silence.
Ariel exchanged a look with him. Something wasn’t right.
The air felt… wrong.
Micheal tried the doorknob.
It unlocked…… strange.
He stepped in slowly, hand near his holster. Ariel followed, her heart pounding.
The house was dark except for the faint glow from a lamp deeper inside. Papers littered the living room floor. A chair had toppled over.
Ariel whispered, “Micheal…”
They moved cautiously down the hall toward the light. The smell hit her first—
Then she saw him.
Dr. Howard sat slumped at his desk, head tilted unnaturally sideways, a belt looped over a beam above him… except his feet still touched the floor.
Ariel’s breath hitched. “This is not suicide.”
Micheal nodded grimly. “The killer beat us here.”
Ariel stepped closer, scanning the desk. A sheet of paper lay neatly unfolded beside his hand.
Her fingers trembled as she picked it up.
Just four words.
She was next.
Her blood went cold.
Micheal swallowed hard. “Ariel… he means you.”
Ariel’s pulse thundered in her ears. The room felt like it was spinning.
“He killed Howard to silence him,” she whispered. “And to warn me.”
Micheal turned toward her, jaw clenched. “No—this is a threat. Ariel, you need protection.”
She shook her head. “If I back down, he wins.”
“He’s hunting you.”
Ariel inhaled shakily. “Then let him come.”
Micheal’s voice rose. “Ariel—”
“No.” She met his gaze with a steadiness she didn’t feel. “This killer has been ahead of us at every turn. But he made a mistake tonight—he wants me scared and I won't be.”
Micheal exhaled hard, rubbing the back of his neck. “What do we do now?”
Ariel looked at the body, then at the note clutched in her fingers.
Now, everything was personal.
“We go after him,” she said. “Suspension or not.”
Somewhere in the dark, the bright light of the computer seemed to be the only reflection in the room. His face was fully covered, his head toppled backwards with wild laughter.