Stanton Box Set

One of the officers hands Joshua a photo and he looks at it and frowns.

“Is this the woman who has been blackmailing you?” the officer asks.

Joshua’s eyes drop to the photo. “Yes,” he answers. “I’ve been through this.” He passes the photo to me. Stupid bitch’s face is staring at me in a mug shot. It looks as though it is a few years old. She is a brunette. My stomach rolls. God I hate that dirty whore.

Shit! Abbie and Bridget are busted—their names should officially be changed to Dumb and Dumber. Who breaks into a house and then gets locked in there? I rub my forehead as nerves start to pump through me. If he asks me outright did they do it, what will I say? I can’t rat out my two best friends. Joshua must be able to sense my nerves and grabs my hand reassuringly. Ben stands to the side uncomfortably.

“Have you found her?” Ben asks.

“I’m afraid we have.”

I swallow uncomfortably. Oh shit, here it comes. Did your two stupid friends break into her house? I drop my eyes. I can’t lie for shit.

“She was found dead this morning,” the officer says.

The room falls silent. Oh my god.

“Why are you telling me this?” Joshua snaps.

“You are, of course, a suspect, both of you.” He gestures to me.

My eyes widen in horror.

“We have been to her place and we have ten sets of different fingerprints from her apartment and we are analysing them now.”

My stomach drops again. Oh my god, the girls’ fingerprints are all over that place.

My horrified eyes meet Ben’s and he subtly shakes his head in a knowing gesture to tell me to hold it together.

“I’m sure she was blackmailing about ten different men,” Joshua snaps.

“She was and you are not the only man or wife in question. We are actually more interested in you, Ben.”

Joshua’s face drops. “Why are you interested in Ben?”

“He is a person of interest.”

“What! That’s ridiculous!” Joshua snaps as he stands in a rush.

“We have been doing a little research on you Ben. Ex special forces.”

“Yes,” Ben answers flatly.

“How much does Mr Stanton pay you per annum?”

Ben’s eyes flick to Joshua. Shit, what is going on here?

“That’s none of your business. Get out. I will not allow you to speak to him without a lawyer. How dare you insinuate he had anything to do with this,” Joshua snaps as he dials a number on his phone.

“Murph, get over here.” He hangs up.

My eyes widen as I sit riveted to the spot.

“Two million dollars a year Ben, what kind of security do you get for that?” the policeman sneers. Shit, Ben gets paid two million dollars a year? That’s a lot of money.

“That is none of your business!” Joshua snaps. “Of course he gets paid well, I am a billionaire and he is my chief of security. Do you think I would pay him peanuts?”

“I imagine two million dollars would buy you some hard core loyalty.”