Biker's Virgin

Manolo smiled. “You’ve been in there barely five days, Phil,” he said. “You don’t get to be this bitter.”

“Is it strange that I’m more worried about my relationship than about my job?” I asked.

Until I’d said it out loud to Manolo just then, I hadn’t actually admitted as much to myself. I felt a small amount of release, except that it was hollow because I was so hurt and angry with Megan for actually believing that I was guilty, especially when it was her own brother who had put me in this position.

“It’s not strange,” Manolo said kindly. “You love her.”

“Fat lot of good that did me.”

“Hey, you haven’t been found guilty yet—remember that,” he said sternly.

After Manolo left, I had an hour to myself that felt more like five and then a cop came to get me from my cell. He didn’t tell me what it was about, and I didn’t ask. He led me to a room where Victor sat, waiting for me.

“I have good news,” he said, as I walked in.

I held my breath and sat down, hoping that it was really good news and not just spin that he was trying to dress up for my benefit.

“Okay?” I said cautiously.

“They caught the guy who framed you,” Victor said immediately.

“No!” I said, my voice coming out in one heady breath.

“Yes.”

“Fuck!” I nearly yelled. “You really did?”

“We followed the leads you gave us, as well as the leads that Megan gave us—”

“Megan?” I said, frowning at him.

“She visited Officer Manolo two days ago,” Victor told me. “And, she told him about her brother.”

“Her brother?” I said, in confusion. “I thought she believed Brent was innocent and I wasn’t?”

“As to what she believed, I can’t say,” he said. “I only had a short conversation with her. But she discovered a few bags of drugs in her brother’s closet, and she connected the dots I suppose.”

“She came to the station?”

“Yes, and she also gave us a few leads as to where we might find her brother.”

“So it was Brent who set me up,” I said.

“We don’t know yet.”

“What?” I said, in disbelief. “Isn’t it obvious?”

“We don’t know that Brent was the mastermind in this operation or if he was merely the pawn,” Victor told me. “The police are still trying to figure that part out. He might be part of a bigger drug conspiracy. The police are keeping quiet about a few things. I think they want to catch everyone involved with this.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Does that mean—”

“You can’t be released just yet,” Victor said, in a measured voice. “There will be a hearing and after the hearing, you will be absolved of all charges and you will be free to go.”

“When will the hearing be?” I asked.

“Possibly two days,” he replied. “They just want to cover all their bases and be sure that you’re completely innocent first.”

“You mean there are a few people who think I might have been in on this drug thing?”