Chapter Nine
The thought of entering the police station made her stomach churn.
She felt like a coward going back to her apartment after Eneko was arrested but she just couldn't make herself follow him. Once she was back at her own place, she phoned Bobby and Sam to let them know what was happening. They sounded worried but promised to call her again when they reached home.
It wasn't until Lori came home from wherever she had been–she wouldn’t say–that Jasmine got up the nerve to go to the station. With her sister’s batting lashes and flirty smile, they were allowed to talk with Eneko for fifteen minutes. He sat in a jail cell with his head in his hands, wearing an orange jumpsuit that didn't suit him at all.
“Hey,” she managed to croak out. Memories flitted through her mind of all the times she had had friends in this situation and had never seen them again, because she was sent away before the end of their sentence.
They can't force me to leave this time.
Eneko looked up. He jumped to his feet and ran to the bars that separated them. “Jasmine. Are you okay?”
Tears burned her eyes. “You’re the one in jail and you’re asking me if I’m okay?”
“Are you?”
Jasmine nodded. “Why did they arrest you? What evidence do they have?”
Eneko’s expression darkened. “A witness has come forward. They say they saw me beating her the night she died.”
“But the camera outside the clinic—"
“Didn't catch a look at the person who left her there.” Eneko’s eyes grew stormy. “The cops are saying I snuck out a back window, killed her and dumped her body and then went back through the window to throw off the investigation.”
“They wanted you to be guilty so they found proof for it,” Jasmine whispered. “And this so-called witness… they’re lying. Who is it?”
Eneko shook his head. “I have no clue. It doesn't matter. They’ve nailed the coffin shut, not caring if the person they’re burying is guilty or not.”
Jasmine’s hands tightened on the bars. “No!”
Lori, where she stood near the door, glanced nervously backwards to the bullpen. “Quiet, Jazz. It took my best flirting to get you in here. If they kick us out I won't be able to get us back in.”
Jasmine pressed her lips together tightly and inhaled deeply before nodding. She reached between the bars to cup Eneko’s face. “I will find a way to get you out of this mess. I’ll find a way to prove you are innocent. I promise.”
She pressed a quick kiss to his lips before fleeing the room. If she stayed any longer, she’d end up crying and she didn’t want him to see that. Lori followed her out. Her sister fell in step beside her, head bent slightly. Once they were in the car, Lori gave her a half-smile.
“So. You and the doc, huh?”
Heat rose in Jasmine’s face. “Um… yeah.”
“Have you slept together?”
“That’s not really your concern, Lor.”
Lori frowned at her. “Hey, you’re my sister and he’s been arrested for murder. I know that you’re not the kind to jump into bed with just anyone. But you’ve only known him for what, a few weeks?”
“Just over a month.”
“Oh, well that’s much better.” Lori rolled her eyes. “I know I don’t have the best track record with guys, but you’ve always been smarter than me. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
Jasmine repressed a sigh as she pulled away from the station. “Yeah. We slept together. I’ve never felt this drawn to a man before, Lor. It’s like… it’s like when I’m with him, nothing else matters. I know that all our problems will be solved and even if they’re not, I can be happy.”
“Is he… is he your mate?”
This time Jasmine did sigh. “I don’t know, Lor. I don’t know.”
***
When Jasmine pulled up to the Durant mansion, Adela was waiting for her. Adela embraced her tightly, then stepped back and peered worriedly at her. Jasmine didn’t want to have to reassure her that she was fine, so she spoke before Adela could.
“I was hoping to talk to Isaias,” she said quickly. “He’s the one paying for the clan’s lawyers, right?”
“Part of them, yeah.” Adela squeezed her hand. “Come on inside.”
Jasmine followed her in. Two men and a short, curvy woman were in the living room while Adela’s little girl danced in the center of the rug. When she saw Jasmine, her face broke into a smile and she came running for her. Jasmine hugged her tightly.
“Hello, little bug,” she said. “I’ve missed you.”
“Daddy and me go to the park,” Luci said eagerly. “Lots of times!”
Adela smiled fondly at her daughter, then went to Isaias’ mate, Becky. “Can you take Luci out for a bit? This has to do with Eneko Alava.”
Becky nodded. Luci was reluctant to leave, but eventually they were able to get her out. Jasmine twisted her hands as she looked at the two men left. At first she was put-out that Adela didn’t send Marcus off too, but then he was friends with Eneko. Perhaps he could help her with this.
“You’re working for Dr. Alava, right?” Isaias asked her.
“Yes… but it’s more than that,” Jasmine said. “We’ve gotten… close. I just need to—”
Isaias held up his hand. “I understand that you’re worried and frightened. And I really wish I could help more. I’ve called in my best lawyers on the case, but there is only so much they can do. This witness especially makes it tricky.”
Marcus snorted. “No way Alava killed anybody. Not even if they had a gun to his head would he kill someone else.”
Jasmine saw an opportunity and jumped on it. “Then help me prove it,” she blurted. “I know he wouldn’t have hurt her, if we can find the real killer—”
“Whoa, there.” Marcus held up his hands. “Listen, I get it. I completely get it. You’ll do anything for your mate.”
“He’s not…” She trailed off as her eyes filled with tears.
“I can’t start going against the law,” Marcus continued. “I’ve got a shady enough past and with my new position, I’d only put everything I’m trying to accomplish in jeopardy. Not all cops are bad, I guess, but there are a few who would love to see me screw up enough to throw me back in jail. I have my own mate and child to think about, too. It might seem like a tough situation, but Isaias here has the best vampires money can buy. They’ll get our boy out of this.”
Jasmine’s hands curled. “But—”
“But interfering in a police case and poking around in a murder won’t do you any good,” Marcus said firmly.
Isaias nodded. “A woman has already been murdered. Do you think it would help Eneko if you got hurt or arrested yourself?”
Jasmine could see that she would get no further with this. Her shoulders slumped.
“Clifford Boone’s firm is handling Eneko’s case,” Isaias said gently. “He’s a good lawyer. I’m certain he’ll handle it.”
It was probably the best she was going to get. Even though her instinct was to beg or scream and do whatever she could to get them to agree to do this her way, she couldn’t bring herself to make another sound. Her jaguar batted against her chest, but she had spent too long purposefully disconnecting herself from it that she didn’t even know what it wanted. She nodded slowly, her mind so abuzz with thought and emotion that she couldn’t hold any one of them. Bending her head, she walked away without another word.
Only one thing was clear. If nobody else could help Eneko, she had to. Somehow, she had to catch a killer and prove his innocence.
***
“So, I guess there is only one thing to do.” Lori patted Jasmine’s back. “We’ll just have to break your boyfriend out of jail.”
They sat at Jasmine’s kitchen table. On the way back to her apartment, Jasmine had started to cry and she couldn’t stop. Now she had a cup of tea clutched in her hands while tears dripped down into it. She had told Lori everything that had happened, as well as her determination to find and jail the real perpetrator.
Jasmine stared at her, her tears forgotten for a moment. “What did you just say?”
“Come on, he is your boyfriend. I’ve never seen you this weepy… ever.”
“Okay, one, that’s not the issue. Two, you are not getting involved in this. Three, we’re not breaking anybody out of jail.”
Lori gave her one of her ‘Lori’ grins. The kind that said she was going to do whatever she wanted, and she was going to have fun doing it. That grin had gotten her into a lot of places she shouldn’t have been, and yet she always found a way out. Even if it was calling her big sister to come rescue her. “Let’s see… for once I get to play the hero to my big sis instead of the other way around. I’d like to see you try to stop me, Jazz. So. Tell me the facts so far.”
Jasmine hesitated. She didn’t want to get her sister involved in all of this, but who else was she supposed to turn to? Given everything that was happening, she needed someone in her corner… Maybe it was a stupid idea, but Jasmine relented. She told her everything she knew. Lori listened, nodding in the appropriate places.
“And you say this Andy boyfriend guy actually attacked Eneko?” Lori leaned forward. “Well, I guess Mr. Andy is the first person to interrogate, huh? I’ll go flirt with him while you figure out how to bust Eneko out of jail.”
“Hell no!” Jasmine burst out.
Lori looked startled, then sniggered. “Wow. I think that’s the first time I’ve ever heard you swear.”
“That’s beside the point.” Jasmine narrowed her eyes at her sister. “There is no way you are going to go flirt with a man like that. Eneko had to chase him away from Jana multiple times. I want you to stay away from him, do you understand me?”
Lori leaned forward, cupping her chin in her hands. “One, I’m going to do what I’m going to do. Two, you have your own things to worry about. Busting a man from jail isn’t going to be easy. And you have to get moving on that. The moment this thing goes to trial, it’s going to be a helluva lot harder to get him out. You know that as well as anybody.”
Jasmine stared back stonily, but there was part of her that agreed with Lori. How many of her friends had been jailed, and then left in jail for weeks and months after the real criminal was caught? In this case, Eneko probably wouldn’t even be released until after someone else was found guilty.
Breaking Eneko out of jail, though…. That was risky. Very, very risky. It could put him in an even worse situation.
“No,” she said. “We’re not going to break him out of jail. I am going to go with you when you go flirt with Andy. I’m not going to let you put yourself in danger.”
Lori shrugged, a sour expression on her face. “Fine. But you’re not gonna like watching.”