Roman's Vow (Riley's Pride #4) - Sandra R Neeley Page 0,12
going to put on a pair and touch a smooth surface for us. We’re going to take those prints and compare them to the textured prints I think we’ll find on the stolen items.”
“Okay, but why?” Talie asked.
“He’s thinking your fingers are smaller and would have left less of the texture print from the gloves on the items they recovered,” Roman said.
“Exactly. Whoever cleaned the stolen goods, if they wore these gloves would have left behind the texture imprint of the gloves. Their fingers would have pressed the fingers of the gloves against the surfaces they touched at a different rate than Talie’s will. It will prove it wasn’t her that wiped them down. And if it was her, why didn’t she bother to wear gloves when she moved them to the shed,” Patrick said.
“But it still won’t incriminate anyone else,” Ms. Autry said.
“No, but it casts a shadow of a doubt,” Patrick explained. “The incrimination part… I’m hoping someone might be able to convince Frederick to step up and take responsibility. Or at least cause him to slip up and admit to someone what he’s done so we can haul that someone into court as a witness. Or maybe even one of his friends will admit to what they’ve been doing. Surely one of them had to brag about how successful they’ve been in their thievery.”
After all their questions were answered, and they’d been through everything a minimum of three times, Patrick closed the folder in front of him and sat back looking at Roman and Talie. Roman was clearly in love with the woman, and doing all he could to prove her innocence. Talie was scared. She was overwhelmed and just trying to hang on, but she obviously trusted Roman, and his presence calmed her. He knew once he announced that the meeting was over, the guards waiting outside would take Talie back to jail. He didn’t know if he could manage to have her brought to his offices again, but at least now, once the paperwork was filed and processed, it would be noted that she had a husband and she’d be allowed to call and speak to him, and in turn her daughter.
“We’ve gotten as much done today as we can, and we’ve made good progress, I feel. We’ve got a plan to create a doubt with the jury, and we’re moving forward on it. You’ve got a new husband that has legal custody of your daughter, and he’ll be granted visitation once the papers are processed so he can visit with you whenever possible while we figure this out. You’ll be able to call him, too, once they approve phone calls periodically,” Patrick said. “We’re in a better place than when you arrived. Would you agree?” Patrick asked Talie.
“Yes, sir,” she said.
“Unfortunately, once I let them know we’re done here, they’re going to take you back, Talie. I can’t change that at the moment.”
“I know,” she said, her voice weak and shaky.
Roman scowled and lifted her from her chair placing her on his lap and holding her close. “It’ll be okay. I promise. Somehow, I’ll make this okay,” he promised her.
Patrick hated that he had to let the guards take her back to jail, but there was simply no way around it.
“Gentlemen, Ms. Autry, if you’ll accompany me to the back of the room, we’ll give them a bit of privacy for as long as we can,” Patrick said. Together Raymond, Robert, Patrick and Ms. Autry stood and they went to the back of the room to stand near the coffee pot and talk quietly amongst themselves.
Riley patted Roman on the back and stood as well. “Take as much time as you can, Roman,” Riley said, before he went back to have a cup of coffee as well.
Roman nodded and looked down at his mate, his wife now, sitting on his lap and pressing her face to the crook of his neck as he held her. “I don’t want to let you go,” he whispered.
“I know. I don’t want to go,” she answered.
“It won’t be for long, I promise. If I have to burn the damn place down, I’m bringing you home,” he said with a growl behind his voice.
“Well, get me out before you set it on fire, okay?” she said, offering him a shaky smile.
“Okay,” he answered. “Can’t believe you’re really my wife,” he said, smiling as he smoothed a thumb across her cheekbone as she looked up at him.