“I never read that file or knew the full story, so...” Maverick stammered.
“Then read the fucking file and do what we agreed! Investigate, it's what you fucking cops do, right? It’s why I got you this far. Don’t call me until you have something of leverage that we can use. A taped confession would be best!”
“Wait! Wait. Armand. Are you there?” Maverick said. Queen's hand shook as she held the phone. He knew his favor with her had slipped out of his cuffed hands. One mention of that teacher's death and she was ready to go for her gun again. He tried to remain calm for them both.
“Are you there?” Maverick asked.
“Until you have something useful for me, don’t contact me again,” Armand repeated.
“Her friend Queen is a detective,” Maverick blurted. “Since Delilah’s used the video, she’s on to us. She knows the video has to have come from you. If I don’t understand what I’m into here, I don’t know how to protect myself from any accusations. I don’t know what to give her or what to alert you about. You want me to give you something useful you have to give me something useful.”
“I’m not discussing any of it further over the phone,” Armand said.
“Can you come to Falcon Cove?” Maverick asked.
“No, there’s a quarantine. No way for me to get into Colorado.” Armand said.
“Are you sure? There’s no way?” Maverick pushed. “What if I agree to get the information you want. What if I can get a confession from the ladies on this murder?”
“On tape, because your word means shit to me,” Armand asked.
“Yes.”
“Now that’s interesting. You just said it was hopeless. She won’t let you in through the front door, which is it?” Armand asked.
“You said it. I was a detective. It’s my job to find out the things people don’t want me to know. This murder, this secret you think she has. If it’s true, I can get to the bottom of it. Give me two weeks, maybe three. The quarantine can’t last forever, right? Come to Colorado, and we’ll work it out.”
Armand stayed silent for a beat and then sighed through his response. “I’ll see what I can do.”
The call ended.
“Why did you really come here?” Queen demanded.
“For Noah—”
“Don’t lie to me!” Queen said through clenched teeth. Maverick sighed.
“Take the cuff’s off. I’ll talk.”
Queen hesitated. She plucked the keys from her pocket and came over to take off the cuffs. He hated being restrained. He hated it. But he tolerated the insult because of Delilah.
“Talk!” Queen demanded. He wiped his hands down his face and whistled out a breath of patience. That fucking moron on the phone cost him big. He had to regain her trust. But he didn’t blame her for focusing on what was important—his intentions.
“What you heard, I can explain,” he said and rubbed his wrists.
“I knew you were part of it. I knew it! Better yet, let me explain how this works. We know Goodiva’s in that mountain somewhere. In a few days, the FBI is going up that mountain, and we’re going to find her. I will have you thrown in a cell right next to Jaxon Price—do you understand me?”
Maverick got up from the sofa and walked away from the conversation. Debates were only practical if you had information. Maverick went to his room to provide her that and more. Before now, he never cared to use it. Any information that hurt the woman he loved should stay buried. What if it broke down the last wall around her, and he could genuinely win her trust and love? It was time to play that card. Deep in one of his suitcases was a satchel with a few folders. All of them were given to him before he left for Colorado. When he returned, it looked as if Queen was set to leave. Possibly go back to that ranch house and tell Delilah the very worst about her suspicions.
“This is it. What I was given the day before we went into court. Your friend, Goodiva, had to have trusted these people. She told Jaxon Price that she saw a man die. She opened your pandora’s box and let us all into your lives.”
“What?” Queen looked hurt.
“You know the story. You said it yourself. It all started with Jaxon Price. His cousin, Armand, visited me and shared with me that you women were trouble to some very important people. That you had been a part of my wife’s death and that you shared some secret murder that he needed information about. He said your friend said the three of you saw a man die. A teacher or counselor. He told me that Noah would be best raised with me. That I should fight hard in court for my son by forcing Delilah to take the stand in court and face her lies. And at first, I was tempted. I hated the way she tried to bribe me out of having contact with my son. I didn’t know her or her intentions. I just saw her as the enemy, at first. I was fed up with losing people that I love.” Maverick looked at the satchel. “I couldn’t do it. In court, it all changed. When Delilah and I talked, I saw how much she cared for our son. So I stopped them from using the information. These people call themselves Scorpions. I don’t know much about them, but I know that much. Middle Eastern royalty is what Armand shared with me. They have money, government ties, and they have your friend. They are controlling you because you are letting them. You three don’t know how to talk to each other—”
“We talk to each other just fine!” Queen seethed with both anger and distress. He could see it all over her. She was going to draw her gun or run from the guest house and wake the entire ranch to warn every one of the danger they were in. The calm, cool detective he believed her to be wouldn’t pull that irrational act unless there was some bigger truth she needed to guard.
“We protect each other. We’re family,” she said.
“Really? That’s not how it feels, sweetheart, to have a gun put in my face tonight.”
“Not you! Me and my sisters. Dee and Shelly! We are family!” Queen said.
“You sure as hell don’t understand, Delilah. I could never manipulate my way into her bed. She’s a lot smarter than that. And what we shared isn’t rape.”
“I’m sorry, I said that out of anger,” Queen mumbled.
“She’s terrified of letting any of you see her as weak. You’re terrified of anyone taking advantage of her vulnerabilities, and you’re both terrified of losing this Goodiva person. Right? Am I right? My guess is it’s about this man Peter Collins's death.” Maverick tossed the satchel to the floor.
Queen put a hand to her brow and closed her eyes. “We had nothing to do with that. He was a monster. We didn’t kill anyone.”
“I believe you,” Maverick said. “Anybody can spin the truth. Right?”
She looked at him. “Wrong.”
“Instead of coming here, you should be up at the house with your best friend, trying to understand why she’s changing. It’s not for me. Trauma traps you. That’s the only reason I left law enforcement. Trauma can block the change in you, take away the things you need to be human, and put you in survival mode. I don’t want her secrets; if I did, I could have used them in court. I never read those documents. I just came here to know her and Noah.”