Free Undercover by Christina Wolfer

her if she’d have run and you'd been the one left standing?
    "No. Not at all, but I was older. She counted on me."
    "Sweetheart, the only thing she counted on you for was to play with her. You know that in your heart, don't you?" He rubbed her arms.
    "Yes," she whispered, loving the feel of his hands on her. “This thing with LeAnn felt so familiar, like I had abandoned her and it brought back all those old emotions and fears.”
    “What could you have done different?”
    “Nothing, I guess. I knew LeAnn would go back to him. They always do. I wish I could have done or said something that would have convinced her otherwise.”
    “If she had gone back to Ricky it would have been her choice and her right, but the thing is, she didn’t. Her girlfriends said Ricky pestered her all weekend, but LeAnn refused to see him or even talk to him. She said that you made her realize she could stand up to him. She wanted to be strong like you.”
    Erica studied Derrick’s face. “How do you know that?”
    “Haley told Joey.”
    Derrick’s words went a long way in healing the hurt around her heart. He was right, if LeAnn had wanted to go back, there would have been nothing Erica could do to stop her. She stepped between LeAnn and Ricky, making a point, which had apparently hit home with LeAnn and had given her strength. That knowledge gave Erica a sense of peace and with it, the determination to make sure LeAnn’s newfound power was not in vain. To do that, Erica had to make sure LeAnn’s murderer paid for what he did.
    “So how did Ricky get to her?”
    “It had to be during the night. Haley said she and Deidra were at LeAnn’s house with her until almost midnight. Plus, LeAnn’s mom was home.”
    "Do the police know this?"
    "I'm sure they do."
    Erica started for her car. "I've gotta go, Derrick. I appreciate this." She stopped and turned back. He stood in the murky light, looking lost and so handsome. She knew this might be the last time she would ever see him. She rushed back to him, throwing her arms around his neck and pressing her lips to his before he could think, before he could protest. He held her, kissing her back until she ended the embrace and stepped back. "Thank you. You helped me more than you will ever know."
    The second she was alone, Erica called Steve, talking over his attempt to get out a hello. "Did you talk to LeAnn’s parents? Did you check her bedroom?"
    A heavy sigh scurried across the line. "Welcome back, Cordero. Yes. They or someone broke through the window and took her."
    "Jesus, Steve, please tell me you’ve got something," she begged.
    "We’ve got all kinds of something’s. Get your ass in here first thing in the morning." There was a pause. "She did the smart thing, Erica, but she paid a heavy price."
     
    ****
     
    Erica felt more herself, more in control, when she walked into the police department the following morning. She learned that the police had collected fingers prints along with blood and hair samples from the bed and the broken window. LeAnn had fought her attacker, evident from the skin and blood they scrapped from beneath her fingernails. If Ricky did this, robbed her from her bed, from her home and of her life, then he would pay.
    Erica paced the police station halls when the team left to raid the school and remained out of sight as they paraded the six members of The Hell Boys down the hall and into holding cells. Ricky Sanchez was shown into the interrogation room adjacent to the viewing area where Erica waited. Shock warred with pleasure and regret at what she saw. Deep, raw fingernail marks ran down one side of his face and his right eye was bruised and swollen.
    Steve joined her as the detective entered the interrogation room with Sanchez.
    "Every single one of them was carrying. We've got them no matter what comes of this."
    "Not good enough. We've got to pin LeAnn's murder on him," Erica stated.
    "We all want that and we will, if we can."
    An hour passed. Sanchez gave