With Ties That Bind: Book 2 (The Broken Bonds 5)

No. I’m doing the job—despite what it will cost me—for her. And I’m mentally arguing my point, like I need to convince my brain this is the truth. The actual truth is; I’m lost without my job.

I send Avery another message, telling her to stay put with her detail at the crime lab until I get there to pick her up. I stuff my phone away, hoping like hell she actually listens to me.

Lark and Gannet is a swanky law firm set amid the downtown courthouse district. I’ve been itching to get inside this building and kick up the dirt around Maddox and the other lawyers I just know have some skeletons hiding behind their doors.

And now I’m here.

It’s not the way I planned—by implementing a more detective like, stealthy approach, having nailed down the dirt on them first. But we’re running out of time. Avery’s running out of time. I’ll beat the dirt out of them if I have to.

What’s the captain going to do? Suspend me?

As I walk up to the double doors, Sadie is waiting out front, her hair pulled back in a messy ponytail and her signature jean jacket open to reveal a white, nondescript T-shirt. I swear, she dresses like she’s still in college just to throw suspects off their game.

It’s either that, or she really doesn’t want to stand out. Making herself difficult to be remembered. Trying to profile a profiler is like playing cat’s cradle with my brain; once I think I’ve strung a connection together, the strings get all jumbled.

I eye her curiously as I approach. “You call anything in to Wexler or the team?” I ask.

She tilts her head, squinting against the sun peeking through the clouds. “Nope. I wanted my partner’s input first.”

“Gee, Bonds. You really know how to stroke a guy’s ego.”

Her smile is sincere. “Figured you were getting bored.”

That’s an understatement. “What’s this about?” I ask as we enter the foyer.

“Honestly, I’m not sure. Carson and I snooped around, asked some vague questions to try to get a read on the lawyers, but it wasn’t until I was headed back to the department that I got a call from Chase Larkin.”

I stop short and face her.

She shrugs. “He requested that we both meet with him. That he was adamant about. You now know as much as I do.”

I seriously doubt that. Sadie has an uncanny ability to gather intel where the average person sees and hears nothing. She then has another sage ability to hide that intel away for her own future use.

I’m not knocking it…but it would be nice to channel those talents to work for us, especially now as a woman with dark hair wearing a slick business suit stalks forward. Just what are we about to get ourselves into?

“Detective Quinn and Agent Bonds?” she addresses us. Once we confirm we’re in fact the ones, she directs us toward a bank of elevators. “Please, follow me.”

We arrive on the top floor, where she leads us past offices and cubicles to a corner office. Chase Larkin’s name printed in gold script on the door. The only door that’s not glass.

“Mister Larkin is ready for you.” She opens the door and leads us in.

No wait. Interesting. I don’t know what I expected. When dealing with lawyers, you usually have to jump through flaming hoops and produce warrants written in blood. “You didn’t have to field any evasive tactics?” I whisper to Sadie.

“Surprisingly, no. The only catch was that Larkin insisted you be here for the questioning.”

I expect the woman to leave, but she takes up post next to Larkin’s desk. No hidden agenda, then. We won’t get anything relevant. This has to be some kind of stalling tactic.

Chase Larkin is clean shaven, slick, and probably as slippery as his silk tie. He rises from his chair and motions toward a leather sofa. “Please, make yourselves comfortable,” he says. “Can I offer you anything to drink? Coffee?”

Sadie declines and I shake my head. This guy is way too welcoming and eager. Especially since he has to be aware his firm is under investigation. I nod toward a glass chessboard. “You like to play, or is the board only for decoration?”

A glib smile stretches his lips. “I enjoy a game or two on occasion.”

I huff out a breath. “Well, let’s try to avoid the games today.” I give him my own bright smile. “I’m curious why you’re so zealous to work with us, Mister Larkin. If you don’t mind me being blunt.”

“Not at all.” He walks around his desk to take a seat across from us. “This is precisely why I requested you.”

A compliment, and yet he didn’t answer the question. I hold my smile despite the urge to set him straight. I’m not here at his request. “I think you want us to see how cooperative you and your firm are, prove just how little you have to hide. I hope you’re not wasting our time, because I’m sure you’re aware by now of the murders plaguing our city.”