But then Phillip’s would-be killer was still out there, and he’d be back.
Marcus knew what he had to do personally, but he wasn’t willing to expose his team. ‘I’ll call Rex,’ he said finally. ‘He can help us figure out what we can and can’t say.’ To his relief, his words were met with nods all around. He glanced at Scarlett. ‘Rex Clausing is my attorney.’
Scarlett’s brows leaped to the top of her forehead. ‘You’re lawyering up? Really?’ She folded her arms over her breasts and gave him a death glare. ‘Really, Marcus?’
He accepted her anger without even trying to defend himself. ‘I’m sorry. If it were just me, I’d have told you already. But like I said, this is not my secret to share.’
She closed her eyes. Drew a deep breath. Then looked each member of his team in the eye, waiting until they looked away before going on to the next. She ended up with Jill. ‘Is there anything you want to tell me, miss?’
‘No,’ Gayle said forcefully.
‘With all due respect, ma’am,’ Scarlett said, ‘I wasn’t speaking to you. Is this young woman a minor?’
‘No,’ Jill said. ‘I’m nineteen, so she can’t speak for me. I would love to tell you everything, but I don’t know anything. All I know about is the damn list of threats, and you have that already.’
‘How do you know I have the list?’ Scarlett asked with a frown.
Jill’s bravado melted into a frightened wince. ‘I overheard my aunt say so.’
Gayle closed her eyes. ‘Young lady, I am going to . . . I don’t know what. I just don’t know. You are seriously disappointing me.’
Scarlett did one of her long blinks, her composure restored. ‘How long will it take your attorney to get here?’ she asked calmly.
‘He’s on his way,’ Lisette said. ‘I called him as soon as Marcus called me.’
Scarlett’s appraisal was cool. ‘You expected to need an attorney?’
‘Rex is also Lisette’s ex-husband,’ Marcus explained. ‘We all grew up together. It was an amicable divorce.’
Scarlett lifted a sarcastic brow. ‘I am so glad to hear that.’ Rolling her eyes, she held up her phone so that everyone could see the time. ‘It has now been an hour since the man you all claim to care for was attacked and left for dead. I have wasted precious minutes listening to you whine and point fingers. If anyone is willing to give me something that will help me catch the SOB who shot your friend’ – she turned to Lisette – ‘and your brother, just let me know. I’ll be in the hallway. Talk amongst yourselves.’
No one said a word as she turned to go, dropping their gazes to the floor while Marcus bit back a frustrated roar. Scarlett was right. One hundred percent. Phillip could die and they were acting like selfish, stupid children.
‘They’re protecting me,’ he told her, cutting off Stone’s protest with a look. ‘Let’s find a private room and I’ll tell you.’
She just looked at him over her shoulder. ‘Don’t waste my time, Marcus.’
He shook his head. ‘It doesn’t matter who did what. I’m the boss and I did all the dicey stuff. I can walk you through the list and explain why we’re being . . . stupid.’
Slowly she pivoted on her heel, those midnight-blue eyes never leaving his. She didn’t believe him, but that didn’t matter at this point. ‘All right. Come with me.’
Diesel lurched to his feet and Scarlett blinked, her eyes growing wider as they followed him up and up. Diesel had that effect on everyone.
‘That’s bullshit,’ he barked, darting a quick glance at Gayle. ‘Sorry,’ he said meekly.
Gayle shook her head wearily. ‘I’m not your mother, Diesel. Thank God for that.’
Scarlett took a step back so that she didn’t have to crane her neck to see Diesel’s face. ‘I don’t think we’ve been formally introduced,’ she said.
‘Diesel,’ Marcus said, ‘Detective Scarlett Bishop. Scarlett, this is Diesel Kennedy.’
‘Mr Kennedy,’ she said. ‘Why is this bullshit?’
Diesel jerked his head toward Marcus. ‘He’s gonna take the fall when I am just as guilty. Probably more so.’
Stone stood up with a sigh. ‘And me.’
‘Me too,’ Lisette whispered.
‘And me,’ Cal said. ‘I’m Calvin Booker, the Ledger’s editor-in-chief. Everything goes through me.’
Diesel shrugged, his jaw tight, expression challenging Marcus to disagree. ‘Looks like we are Spartacus,’ he drawled.
Stone rolled his eyes. ‘Shove it, Diesel.’
‘Both of you shove it,’ Marcus snapped, then pointed to Gayle. ‘She’s not involved.’
‘She knows nothing,’ Cal added. ‘She just types memos.’
‘That’s not true,’ Gayle protested. ‘I know everything because I type the memos.’
‘You’re Spartacus too, ma’am?’ Scarlett asked politely, and Marcus felt the insane urge to laugh. It wasn’t funny. None of this was funny. These idiot friends of his were going to get themselves in trouble, and they didn’t have to. He’d be damned before he dragged Gayle into it.
‘No,’ Marcus, Stone, Diesel, Cal and Lisette said in unison.
Gayle sighed in angry frustration. ‘Suit yourselves. You’re all crazy, you know that? I’ll be bringing you cakes with files in them. How will you like that?’
‘Make mine chocolate,’ Diesel said, and Gayle dropped her face into her hands.
‘I’ll still want to talk to you even though you don’t know anything, ma’am,’ Scarlett said, then turned to Jill. ‘And to you.’
‘I got nothing to say. I didn’t do anything,’ Jill said with a shrug.
‘Then why don’t you and your aunt just wait over here,’ Scarlett said, motioning them to a sofa in the corner. ‘I need to find us a private room. Don’t worry,’ she added to Lisette. ‘I’ll make sure they bring us news of your brother as soon as he’s out of surgery.’
Cincinnati, Ohio
Tuesday 4 August, 10.00 P.M.
Scarlett stood back as Marcus’s troop found places around the table in the small doctor–patient consulting room. Marcus looked positively grim – and angry with his employees. He’d wanted to take all the blame on his shoulders, which hadn’t surprised Scarlett in the least.
That his people had stood with him said more about their loyalty to Marcus than their desire to tell the truth, but it didn’t really matter as long as the truth was what she got. She was giving Phillip’s attacker more time to escape or plan another attack with every second that ticked away. Part of her wished Deacon were here to help with this, but another part was glad he’d stayed at the crime scene with Agent Coppola. Scarlett wasn’t sure if she could stomach any more testosterone. The room was practically reeking with it.
‘Are we comfortable?’ she asked, and watched Stone O’Bannion roll his eyes.
‘No we are not,’ he muttered. ‘But we are here, so let’s get on with it.’
‘Thank you,’ Lisette said to her. ‘For stationing the policeman outside of the operating room. I feel like Phillip’s a little safer, anyway.’
Scarlett’s smile was sympathetic. ‘It was no trouble.’ She’d had to ask for someone to watch Jill and Gayle, anyway. She didn’t want them speaking to each other or anyone else without a police witness. She’d positioned it as having a guard keeping an eye on Gayle for her own protection. ‘I have brothers,’ she added. ‘And I do know what you’re going through. One of my brothers was shot a few years ago. They operated on him in this hospital, in fact. We all took turns standing guard outside his room until we could bring him home.’