a partial petabyte server free,” the DA’s IT guy said. He stepped forward, set his gear on one of the free desks.
Nik smiled, scooted back so the tech could get his stuff arranged how he wanted it. She looked up at me. Smiled.
I looked back at the DA. “That part is settled. What else do you need from us?”
Wright ran his hand over his forehead. “I need sworn statements of what happened here. The admission of perjury in the previous case.”
I nodded. Looked at Nico.
His smile was tight, but he nodded as well. “We can arrange that.”
“Bossman,” Nik called out. “What do you want to do about the personal files?” She flicked her gaze at Willow. Back to me.
Shit. I looked at Wright. “Willow’s ex-husband gives his last will and testament on film. He’s left everything to her. Will that hold up in the courts?”
He shrugged. “I’ll have to review it.”
Willow clenched my hand in hers. “I can show you where the bodies are buried.”
Wright chuckled. “Most everyone I know has skeletons in their closet, Ms. Chase.”
She held his gaze. “That may be, but I’m talking about the literal bodies. From my last conversation with my ex-husband, there should be seventy-three of them.” She lifted her chin.
His eyes bugged out. “And you’re just now coming forward with this information?”
I stiffened my spine. “Ms. Chase has made multiple reports about this. Spanning at least eighteen months. Houseton and Cambridge are the current investigating officers. Amatucci sent over copies of his own files that had mysteriously gone missing from the precinct. It seems you need to clean your own house before you come sniffing for dirt in ours.”
Wright pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’ll be looking into that.”
I nodded. “See that you do. We also have video evidence of Cavendish providing Errington with an electric diode that was found in Ms. Chase’s body. He was using it to essentially electrocute her. Cavendish made thinly veiled references to killing both of us. He also mentions knowing de Silva. Additionally, Ethan’s seen, on camera, accepting at least fifteen girls from de Silva. I think you have much more to worry about than some reports.”
Nico stepped up beside us. “We’ll sign your affidavits, our confessions to perjury. But I want an investigation into Houseton launched. She repeatedly attacked my client, blamed her for the trauma. An outside doctor is willing to testify against Houseton.”
Wright sighed. “You guys have been busy, I see.” He looked over at the IT people. Nodded. “Take a beat, scratch out a confession to the perjury, I’ll add it to the file. It could be that the judge will side with you considering the state we found you all in when we arrived.” He pulled two pads of paper from his briefcase. “Use these. Each of you go to a different corner of the room and write it down. As much detail as possible.” He tore off a couple sheets and handed them to me. He gave a pad to Willow and one to Nico.
I went off to the far corner of the room after I got Willow settled at one of the tables. Her hands were shaking as she laid the tablet of paper down on the desktop. I pressed a kiss to her hair. “We’re almost done, cupcake. Almost done.”
She nodded, seemed to settle.
Across the room, I used the low coffee table as a writing surface. I wrote down my perjury confession in as concise a language as I could manage. I kept all personal remarks about Ethan, Willow, the Amatucci family—hell, everything my life had become lately—out of it.
I was just scrawling my name across the bottom of the page when I heard a commotion at the door.
“Hands up. Hands up where I can see them,” one of the uniformed officers barked.
I looked over. Mas was coming into the room. His mouth was set in firm lines as he put his hands over his head. “I’m unarmed,” he said. I could barely hear him with his whispered voice.
The panicked officer radioed for one of his colleagues to come pat Mas down. Mas stood placidly by while they checked him for weapons. He remained still as they finished and backed away.
Nico stood up. He slid his pad of paper to Wright before he turned to his brother. They held a little confab near the door.
Nico was shaking his head and gripping Mas’ arm as I delivered my papers to Wright as well. Wright grabbed my arm, pulling my