Her Last Day (Jessie Cole #1)(12)

Olivia was on her feet again. “Was that about Higgins?”

He nodded. “He’s doing better than expected. We can pick him up in the morning.”

“Thank goodness!”

“Yeah,” he said. “Thank goodness.” Now he needed to figure out how he was going to come up with the money to pay for the surgery, which was going to cost him more than they had originally quoted. After he got that problem settled, he would need to figure out how to break the news to Jessie that she was now the proud owner of an injured dog she didn’t have time for.





SEVEN

Jessie was jolted awake by a bloodcurdling scream.

It took her a second to remember she’d slept in jail. The cot was lopsided, and the place smelled of vomit that someone had tried to cover up with bleach. Detective Roth had been kind enough to make sure she was put in her own holding cell, far enough away from the shit disturbers to get a few hours of sleep.

She sat up and pushed tangled hair out of her face. This wasn’t the first time she’d been thrown in jail, but it was the first time she’d ever spent the night there. There were no windows, and she had no idea what time it was. She wondered about Olivia. Was she okay? Had Colin made sure she’d gotten something to eat? Did he take her to school?

Feeling dizzy, Jessie lowered her head close to her knees and took deep breaths. She’d never done well in small enclosures, and the strong smell of disinfectant wasn’t helping.

A few minutes later, footfalls sounded. Down the corridor she saw a guard coming her way. Following close behind was Andriana. Thank God. Keys rattled, and the iron door slid open.

“How are you doing?” Andriana asked.

“Never been better,” Jessie said. She looked at the guard and waited for him to cuff her, but that didn’t happen.

“Bail has been posted,” the guard said. “You can collect your things at the front desk.”

Jessie looked at Andriana. “They set bail?”

“Come on,” she said. “Let’s get your things, and I’ll take you home. We’ll talk on the way.”

Their footsteps echoed off the walls as they walked down a long corridor leading to the front of the building. Through a maze of cubicles, she could see a group of patrol officers taking roll call before their shifts. The moment Jessie stepped outside, she took giant gulps of air, filling her lungs. One night inside the six-by-eight cell had felt like twenty. It was morning, but it was already warm. The heat wave was expected to last another day or two. In an hour the air would be stifling hot.

Side by side, she and Andriana walked across the parking lot. “What’s the deal with bail? Why wasn’t I notified?”

“You were lucky to get bail. We have a problem.”

Jessie stopped in her tracks. “Let’s start with who bailed me out?”

“Your father did.”

“Seriously? How?”

“He pledged his property.”

“How would he even know what had happened? And why would he do that?”

“Because I asked him to.”

Jessie scratched her forehead. “That’s insane.”

“I’m not just your lawyer—I’m your friend. Nobody had enough money for a cash bail, and unfortunately it took the bail-bond agent two minutes to see that you had exactly zero assets. The only way he could help you was if someone could post a property bond. The agent will keep a stiff fee. If you don’t show up for your court appearance, your dad loses everything.”

Arms crossed, Jessie looked the other way. She hardly ever spoke to her dad. After her mother ran off years ago, her father had started drinking. Too many DUIs later, he’d spent eighteen months in prison. It was a downhill spiral from there. Her younger sister got pregnant, and Jessie knew she had to get her sister and niece away from Dad. Sophie’s disappearance didn’t help his drinking problem. Whenever Jessie paid him a visit, he’d swear he’d given up drinking, but he was only lying to himself. She did her best to stay away from him.

“Come on,” Andriana said, walking ahead. “Get in the car. Your dad is the least of your worries. We need to talk.”

Jessie climbed into Andriana’s black Prius and buckled herself in. “I’m listening. What’s going on?”

“It’s about Parker Koontz.”

Jessie didn’t like the worry lining Andriana’s voice, especially since her lawyer wasn’t a worrier by nature. “What about him?”

“Koontz is a criminal defense lawyer—”

“And?”

“And his partner is saying Koontz had been carrying a gun because he was afraid for his life. For the past week a woman was stalking him. A woman who fits your description.”

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“This is not a joke.”

Jessie unclenched her jaw. “What else?”

“His partner, David Roche, wants justice. He wants you behind bars. His firm has clout. He knows people. And at this point, it’s your word against his.”

Jessie was tired, and her neck hurt from sleeping on the flimsy cot. “This is bullshit. You know that, right?” Jessie started searching through her purse. “I don’t have my gun or the GoPro. I need to go back inside.”