Free The Madison Files (Vol. 4 - Case Closed) by Emma Brown Page A

course, had she known that, his ending probably would never have come to be with her.
     
    She started preparing the food, trying to keep her hands steady as she thought of the man. It made her jump when she felt a soft hand settle on her shoulder and she turned to face Trent.
    “You shouldn’t startle a woman with a knife in her hand,” she joked before looking back to the food, not even pretending a smile.
     
    Trent chuckled a little. “Perhaps I trust you too much,” he responded. He shrugged slightly and leaned a bit further over her shoulder. “Making omelets?” he asked. She nodded a bit.
     
    “I’m not big on sausage and pancakes, so I figured this would be suitable,” she answered. He nodded in response.
     
    “I’m not opposed,” he answered and moved back again. He headed back to his seat and took to watching her again. He glanced around the area, realizing he hadn’t really taken in the layout of her home before. Sure, he knew where the rooms were and the basic setup of furniture, but he didn’t really know her tastes and style.
     
    The room behind him, the living room, housed many potted plants. There was a miniature tree of sorts in the corner of the room, in a large pot; a small spider plant on an end table; and a hanging ivy near the doorway. A large television set sat on what appeared to be, an old record stand and drawer. The furniture surrounded it in three sides of a square with a coffee table neatly placed in the center, and a few pictures hung on the wall next to the television.
     
    His attention returned to the kitchen when he heard the sound of a dish being set on the counter he sat at. “Any thoughts?” Madison asked. He stared at her a moment before realizing she was referring to his studying the living room. His shoulders rolled into a shrug and he scooted his plate a little closer, picking up the fork she’d set down with it.
     
    “I think it feels lived in,” he answered. She made a small face and stared at him.
     
    “Are you saying it’s messy?” she asked. She glanced passed him and to the room; everything seemed to be in its proper place. He chuckled some.
     
    “No. I mean it feels like your home. It’s not bare or too cluttered,” he answered. She studied him before nodding slowly a bit.
     
    “Good save,” she teased. He chuckled again and shook his head.
    *****

Madison stared up at the large building, one of the only ones in the city, and took a deep breath. So this was the building Liam had taken up residence as a lawyer in. She glanced to Trent, who waited for her at the door, before glancing up and then heading after him. She didn’t want to see Liam; she didn’t know how she would react. It was hard to trust her emotions to stay under control, but she also knew she was going to have to.
     
    She followed Trent in, thanking him when he held the door for her, and watched him deal with the receptionist with ease. The woman seemed reluctant, and yet she ended up agreeing to let them go up to see Liam. She informed them that he was on the sixth floor and told them where to find the elevator. Madison again followed Trent, letting him handle the elevator and then following him through the halls to a door, where Liam’s name was etched into the glass.
     
    They paused outside of it. Trent turned to face her and put his hands to her shoulders, staring her in the eyes. “You can stay out here if you wish,” he stated. She, at first, thought he was going to instruct her to stay here and just stand by in case something bad happened.
     
    “No, I… need to see him,” she answered with a shake of her head. As much as she feared confronting him, she needed it, and she knew she needed it. He studied her a moment before giving a single nod and straightening again. They entered the room to see Liam leaning over his desk and a woman sitting near it, holding some papers. Both of them looked up, staring at Trent and Madison in the doorway. Liam slowly rose from his