Chapter 5 - Precinct Twelve
Harper did not sleep that night.
Neither did Gabriel.
By sunrise, Noah was inside a guest bedroom at the Ashford residence with Mrs. Morrison sitting outside the door.
Harper stood in Gabriel’s library.
She had refused his offer twice.
The third time, she stopped refusing because she had nowhere else to go.
Gabriel had made one condition clear.
“You are not trapped here.”
He gave her a keycard.
A phone.
And access to a car with a driver if she wanted to leave.
Harper hated how much that mattered to her.
Gabriel stood near a window overlooking Beacon Hill.
Rebecca Sloan sat at the long table.
Marcus leaned against a bookshelf.
Detective Grant was not there.
She could not officially cooperate with Gabriel.
Rebecca opened a file.
“Derek Lawson was released at six twenty this morning.”
Harper stared at her.
“What?”
“The district attorney declined immediate charges related to last night pending review.”
“He broke into my apartment.”
“He claims he had lawful access.”
“He grabbed Noah.”
“He says he was preventing Noah from falling.”
Marcus scoffed.
“We have video.”
Rebecca nodded.
“And the district attorney has already questioned whether that video shows the full context.”
Gabriel finally turned from the window.
“Which assistant district attorney?”
“Charles Vane.”
Something passed between Marcus and Gabriel.
Harper noticed.
“You know him.”
Gabriel sat down.
“I know of him.”
“That means yes.”
Gabriel did not deny it.
Rebecca slid another document across the table.
“Vane has handled seven complaints involving officers from Precinct Twelve over the past four years.”
“How many resulted in charges?” Harper asked.
Rebecca looked at her.
“None.”
Silence filled the room.
Harper’s stomach twisted.
Gabriel tapped one finger against the table.
“That recording was not about Derek taking bribes.”
Marcus nodded.
“It was probably about the whole unit.”
Harper looked between them.
“You already knew?”
“No.”
Gabriel’s eyes remained on the file.
“But I suspected Precinct Twelve was protecting someone.”
“Who?”
Gabriel looked at her.
“Me.”
Harper went still.
“Why would corrupt cops protect you?”
“They weren’t.”
Gabriel’s expression turned cold.
“They were using my name.”
Harper did not understand.
Gabriel walked toward the cabinet.
He opened it and removed a thick folder.
Inside were photographs.
Shipping manifests.
Police reports.
Newspaper clippings.
“One year ago, three businesses in South Boston were approached by men claiming to collect protection money for the Ashford organization.”
Harper stared at him.
“Did they?”
“No.”
“One owner refused.”
Marcus spoke this time.
“His restaurant was raided two days later.”
“For what?”
“Drugs.”
Harper looked at Gabriel.
“Were they his?”
“No.”
“Another owner paid.”
Gabriel continued.
“The police never bothered him again.”
Harper slowly understood.
“Derek and other cops were pretending to work for you.”
Gabriel nodded.
“They used fear of my name to extort businesses.”
Rebecca turned a photograph toward Harper.
“Recognize anyone?”
The image showed six uniformed officers outside a bar.
Harper pointed almost immediately.
“Derek.”
Her finger moved.
“Officer Mills.”
Another.
“Sergeant Nolan.”
Rebecca marked each name.
Gabriel watched Harper.
“You know them?”
“They came to our house.”
Her stomach tightened.
“They drank with Derek.”
“How often?”
“A lot.”
Marcus asked the next question.
“Did they ever talk about money?”
Harper thought.
“At first I ignored them.”
She closed her eyes.
“One night Nolan joked that Derek had finally earned his seat at the grown-ups’ table.”
Gabriel leaned forward.
“What did Derek say?”
“He told Nolan to shut up because I was in the kitchen.”
Marcus and Gabriel exchanged another look.
Rebecca closed the folder.
“This is bigger than domestic abuse.”
Harper felt suddenly angry.
The words came out before she could stop them.
“No.”
Everyone looked at her.
“This does not become bigger than what he did to me.”
Her voice shook.
“This does not turn into a story where my bruises matter only because they lead to corrupt police.”
Nobody spoke.
Harper looked at Gabriel.
“What he did to me matters by itself.”
Gabriel nodded once.
“You’re right.”
There was no argument.
No explanation.
Just agreement.
Rebecca leaned back.
“Then we handle both.”
Her phone buzzed.
She read the message.
Her face changed.
“What?”
Gabriel asked.
Rebecca looked at Harper.
“Derek just filed an emergency petition.”
“For what?”
“Custody of Noah.”
Harper’s mouth went dry.
“He has no right.”
“He claims you are unstable.”
Rebecca paused.
“And that you have placed an eight-year-old child inside the residence of a known organized-crime figure.”
For the first time that morning, Gabriel looked almost amused.
“That part will be difficult to dispute.”
Harper was not amused.
“What happens now?”
May you like
Rebecca closed the file.
“We go to court.”
