the Ardon Corporation building, Josh followed Detective Dean to the holding cells located at the rear of the Coronado precinct.
When they reached the officer who stood guard, Dean said, “Take the time you need, Commander. And thank you for your help.”
Josh strode past the first four cells, two on either side. Looked like a sellout crowd. At cell six, he stopped.
“Dix.”
She sat on the cot, her back tucked against the corner and a grey blanket wrapped around her legs.
“Hey.”
She didn’t jump to her feet like he expected. Dix didn’t move a muscle, as if accepting her plight, and that bothered him greatly. “Sweetheart, you’re not going to prison.”
“Think you’re wrong about that. On the bright side, I won’t have to run my feet off at the Erotic Bean. Instead, I can make license plates. Eat three squares a day.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “There’s some kind of cosmic irony buried in this mess. I just don’t know what it is yet.”
He squeezed the bars, wishing he could pick the lock. Not to escape with Dixie, but to hold her. “I will figure this out.”
“Detective Blanchard left me with some words of wisdom. Said I was going to take the fall for Chandler’s death and there’s no way out. Told me to cop a plea deal. Serve a few years and everyone will be happy.”
He hadn’t met any Detective Blanchard. “Was this guy in the interrogation room with you?”
She nodded. “Don’t go chasing waterfalls, Josh. I asked Dean who he was already. I got stonewalled. Don’t know where he came from, but I’m pretty sure it’s Senator Kallis’s doing.”
Dix was probably right, which meant the senator had something to hide. “Why did you go downtown to meet Chandler? Why didn’t you tell me?”
She shrugged. “Because you would have stopped me.” Dix fiddled with the hem of the grey blanket. “Did you find Gesem?”
Telling her Gesem was most likely dead would only add to her worries. Josh nodded. “She’s free.”
A flicker of a smile broke her dour expression. “Did you see her?”
“You’re my priority, Dixie. She’s…with the police.” True, in a manner of speaking.
“Good. Then maybe some good will come out of this.”
He could well imagine Dixie saw her situation had gone from bad to worse. Josh needed to keep the faith for both of them. “I’m taking you home real soon. Okay?”
Dixie kept her concentration on her lap. “If you don’t, promise me you won’t beat yourself up over it. And if you’ve got a second, can you ask Rayne to get me some clothes?”
Standing here wasn’t helping her, but he didn’t want to leave, either. He’d lost count of the number of hostages he’d rescued over the years, their missions sanctioned by the government. Now, the woman he loved was being railroaded by a representative of the government to hide his own crimes, and Josh wore the strange, ill-fitted boots of a civilian.
He didn’t like the feeling. Not one fucking bit of it.
“Dix?” She finally turned her gaze toward him. “I’m not going to lose you again.”
She snorted. “Least you’ll know where to find me.” She swept the blanket from her lap and crossed the cement cell. Dix wrapped her cold fingers around his hands. “I never had much faith in anyone after I left home. As much as I tried to ignore my parents’ accusations that I’m nothing but sin, their words always festered in my gut. But I’m not evil.” Tears glistened in her eyes. “I wouldn’t kill another human being. Not even Chandler.”
“You don’t have to tell me that, sweetheart.” He palmed her cheeks. “I know you wouldn’t. This will be over soon. Hold onto that thought.”
****
Avis entered Ed’s apartment as he held the door open. After his meeting with the Admiral, he considered having a quick nap before the exercise this afternoon, but instead, he drove to Nado Baked Goods and convinced Avis to take an early lunch break.
“Mind if I use your bathroom?” she asked, after dropping her purse by the door.
“Help yourself.” He put the take-out chicken he’d bought on the table and headed to the fridge to get a couple bottles of water.
“Umm, Ed?”
He closed the fridge. “Yeah.”
“Something’s wrong with your toilet. The flush valve thingy is stuck.”
He strode to the bathroom and leaned in. The familiar sound of a running toilet verified her diagnosis.
Avis slid her butt on the counter to give him room to work. “I didn’t flush. It was already like this.”
He chuckled. “The building’s old. So are