Free 4 Arch Enemy of Murder by Vanessa Gray Bartal Page B

crazy.”
     
    “She wants you, Lacy. She’s scared and alone back there, and you’re her only hope.”
     
    “I can’t do this,” Lacy said. “This is crazy, even for Pearl.”
     
    The jail door opened. “You can go back now, Lacy,” Trent said.
     
    Lacy glanced at him before giving one more pleading look at Tosh. He placed his hands on her shoulders and gave them a squeeze. “Look, I know how you feel about Pearl, but you’re doing this for me. She’s my secretary and a friend. She needs us.”
     
    “But,” Lacy tried to interrupt, but he gave her the look, the one that reminded her of all the transgressions she had committed during the course of their friendship, the one that promised that if only she would do what he wanted, then he would be willing to forgive her. “Okay,” she capitulated.
     
    “Great. It’s going to be fine, you’ll see.”
     
    “It’s really not, but I’ll do what I can,” Lacy said.
     
    “Thanks, Lacy.” He pulled her into a quick crushing hug before letting her go and turning her toward the door. “Give Pearl my best.”
     
    Lacy nodded in a dazed kind of way. No matter how many times she entered the jail, she never got used to the fear and claustrophobia that accompanied passage through the heavy metal door. “Interview room one,” Trent called. Lacy nodded. She was a little sad that she knew exactly where that room was.
     
    She entered and saw three people: Pearl, Detective Arroyo, and Jason. No one looked as surprised as Lacy felt. Pearl stood and gave her a bone-crushing hug that had her fighting for air by the time it was over.
     
    “Enough. Sit,” Detective Arroyo said.
     
    “Lacy, what are you doing here? You can’t be here,” Jason said.
     
    “Actually, I can,” Lacy said. “Apparently I’m Pearl’s counsel for the time being.”
     
    “You’re not a lawyer,” Detective Arroyo said.
     
    “You don’t have to be; you simply have to be willing to represent in court. Which I am not,” she added to Pearl. “Seriously, Pearl, you need to hire a real lawyer. I don’t know what I’m doing. You could get in some real trouble here.”
     
    “I didn’t do anything wrong,” Pearl insisted. “And since Eddie died, there aren’t any good, honest lawyers anymore.”
     
    Ed McNeil had been the smarmiest, most dishonest lawyer in town, but Pearl thought he walked on water—a clear sign of her insanity. Lacy couldn’t help but dart a glance at Jason after this comment. He gave her a look and she nodded her agreement. Yes, Pearl is not playing with a full deck.
     
    “If you’re serious about this, then we can’t proceed until we fill out an attorney-in-fact form and have it notarized. I’ll go get one of the dispatchers to type it up,” Detective Arroyo said. He left and Lacy turned to Pearl.
     
    “What happened?”
     
    “Don’t say a word until Detective Arroyo gets back with the form,” Jason warned Pearl.
     
    “I didn’t do anything wrong; I have nothing to hide,” Pearl insisted.
     
    “Nonetheless, we’re doing this by the book. Not a word.”
     
    Pearl pressed her lips together and glared at him. To his credit, he didn’t react. Pearl’s glare was a scary sight to behold, and Lacy was glad it wasn’t trained on her for once. But soon another glare was headed her direction.
     
    “Lacy can I see you outside for a minute?” Jason asked.
     
    “No,” Lacy said.
     
    He had already started to stand so that when he paused to look at her, he was mid-crouch. “Why not?”
     
    “Because you’re going to yell at me.”
     
    “I really need to talk to you,” he said.
     
    “Do it here, in front of this witness.” She pointed to Pearl.
     
    Jason spoke through gritted teeth. “I can’t talk to you in front of a suspect. Step outside, woman, before I pick you up and move you myself.”
     
    Pearl clucked her tongue. “You sound just like my husband.”
     
    Lacy hunkered down in her chair. Jason stood fully upright