“We need to find Albatross,” Charlie said. “Finish what we started.”
It was their duty to save him, if they could, but it went deeper now. “As well as clear our names. Everyone believes we’re guilty because of this alleged eyewitness. I can’t wrap my head around it.”
“Pretty convenient, isn’t it?”
“Too convenient. Too tidy.” The whole thing reeked.
“Do you still have the hit man’s burner phone?” Charlie asked.
“Sure do.”
“Can I have it?”
Aiden dug in the pocket of his jeans and handed it to her. “What are you thinking?”
“We need to know who is accusing us, but we’ll need a little assistance to find out.”
“Draper won’t lift a finger to help us, and no one else in the office is going to be inclined to stick their neck out. Not with this kind of heat. If Draper found out, he’d tank their career.”
“There’s one person who might help us.” Charlie shifted in her seat, turning to him. “Nick.”
Aiden was quiet for a long moment. Shame swept through him as he remembered the resentment that he’d held against Nick during those two agonizing months.
“On vacation, he can help from a distance,” Charlie added. “He hates Draper just as much as we do, probably more, and is already planning to transfer to another office. I think he’s our best chance to get some answers.”
The reasoning was solid. Unable to find fault with it, Aiden nodded. “Call him.”
“Maybe the request would be better received if it came from you.”
Nick had moved on; he was no longer hurt by the way Charlie had treated him, and he was in love with Lori. Even better, the one thing his buddy couldn’t resist was a woman in trouble.
“You call him,” Aiden said. “Nick has a serious savior complex.” Maybe Nick thought he could save Charlie from a loveless, lonely life. But Nick didn’t understand that she didn’t need to be rescued. Charlie had to be the hero in her own story. Fear was her dragon to slay. Love was her choice to make. No one could do it for her. “It’s a big ask, but he won’t say no to you. Trust me.”
“What’s his number?”
“You don’t have it memorized?” Aiden asked, keeping his tone light, teasing.
A hint of a smile played over her lips, her eyes deadly serious. “The only number I have memorized is yours.”
That was music to his ears. Aiden rattled off Nick’s number.
“I hope he answers, since it’ll be an unknown number,” Charlie said.
He hoped Nick wasn’t too busy making love to Lori with his phone shut off. Nick had only landed in Phoenix today. It’d been weeks since he’d seen Lori, and he must’ve missed her something awful.
Aiden was happy his friend had finally found happiness.
Charlie dialed and waited with the phone to her ear. Nick must’ve answered, because she put the call on speaker. “It’s me, Charlie. Aiden and I are in a world of trouble. We need your help.”
“What do you need?” Nick asked, without a beat of hesitation.
The man was a good friend and a great marshal.
Charlie explained the details of the situation. “According to Draper, the eyewitness is making a formal statement. We need to know who it is. Figure out a motive. Maybe discredit the person.”
“I know Albatross,” Nick said. “I was the one who got him settled in San Diego and helped him with his transition. I might reach out to someone in our office for information, claiming I saw it on the news. I also have a reliable contact in the SDPD.”
“Since you knew the guy and you’re familiar with his history, do you remember anyone who might’ve had a grievance against him?” Charlie asked. “Or anything odd about his case that stood out?”
“As a matter of fact, yeah. The US attorney’s office was livid at first. They were expecting information on one mobster they’d been going after. Some guy in New Orleans—uh, I can’t recall the name. Anyway, Albatross had been working closely with him, was even engaged to his sister, I think, but in the end, Albatross gave them nothing on the target. Instead, he turned over evidence on two other big fish. Two convictions versus one, so the US attorney’s office accepted it and made the deal.”
“That’s helpful, Nick,” Aiden said. “More than you know. Thanks for helping us. We really appreciate it, brother.”
“No problem. You’d do the same for me. When I get something, should I call this number?” Nick asked.
“Yeah, this number.” Charlie lowered her head and her voice went soft. “Thanks, Nick. And hey...the way things ended between us, I, uh, I—”
“There’s no need to apologize. It doesn’t matter anymore,” Nick said. “It was a long time ago, and I found what I was looking for with Lori. We’re getting married.”
A strange tension blasted off Charlie as she sat back in the seat.
Things had broken off badly between Nick and her.
Nick had ended the fling once he realized he’d never be anything more than entertainment for her, a diversion, a toy, and Charlie had lost it because Nick had beaten her to the punch. But no matter how ugly the breakup, Nick had defended her against others in the office who had snide, unkind things to say about her, and he had even broken one marshal’s jaw.
Hotheaded and impulsive, but Aiden respected the heck out of Nick for it.
“Okay. Thanks. We appreciate the help.” Charlie disconnected.
That wall of hers went up, like an iron curtain drawn between them, and Aiden felt lost. She hadn’t cared about Nick, not romantically, but something troubled her.
“Does it bother you that he’s getting married?” Aiden asked. “You’re not jealous, are you?”
“Of course not.” The stark sincerity in her voice relieved him. “It’s just that... Nothing.” She shook her head. “It’s stupid.”
“Nothing you have to say is stupid. What is it?” He glanced over at her.
There was a glimmer of pain in her eyes—just a flash like lightning in the darkness—and then it was gone. “The only reason I let it last so long with Nick was that I thought he was like me. That hooking up was enough. That he believed happily-ever-after was a crock,” she said, a cutting edge to her voice. The normal confidence she carried faltered. “He pushed for me to spend the night, leave stuff in a drawer. And I thought it was about him needing to control a woman who refused to be controlled. Turns out that he really does want the lifelong commitment, house with white picket fence, two-point-five kids.”