Lila

She walked into the Police Station that morning in red heels and a dark blue power suit. She'd taken the time to do her hair and make-up properly that morning, her ribs aching from holding the blow dryer high over her head. But she took a couple anti-inflammatories and moved on.

​​

She was on the warpath this morning, venting her frustration over conflicting with Chris about the business the night before. They'd disagreed on whether or not to let the staff know that Dane wasn't coming back, and outright argued about when or how to talk to them.

In the end she'd just pulled rank.

"I'm going to tell them the truth," she'd said. "Dane left me the business because he knew he might not come back from this, and he wanted me—and you—to make sure they were all safe."

"That won't explain to them why it's you rather than me!" Chris barked.

"No, maybe not. But it's the truth. If we tell them the truth, they'll recognize it, even if they don't like it. It's our best chance of keeping them on side. Sometimes the truth is really hard to face. But it's still the truth, and that's worth something."

Her words weren't just for the staff, and Chris knew it. His face had gone hard and his eyes narrowed. She'd braced for an attack, but in the end he'd just shaken his head. "Fine."

Then, before she could even take a breath, try to pry, see where he was at with all this, the Police had called and said they needed to brief her on their investigations into Tish's case. She had a hunch this had more to do with the Dane video, but she played along.

She needed to get back into the Penthouse. She needed to move—to go forward. Somehow. She needed to do something... she didn't even know what. But she wasn't leaving this station this morning until she had some answers, and something new to do. She was done sitting around waiting for bad news.

At least, she would be as soon as she got off the wooden bench where she was told to wait for the lead detective in the Tish case. She rolled her eyes at herself.

Then the door into the station itself opened and she turned as a man in his late thirties, with sandy brown hair and hard eyes stepped through and found her. "Mrs. Daniels?"

"Yes. Lila."

He nodded. "Thank you for coming in. Would you like to come back to my office now?"

She got up and followed him, praying she could figure out how to make this guy give her what she wanted. She'd hoped it would be Harry, but since he hadn't been the one to call, she'd suspected he was being sidelined.

Maybe she'd ask to see him when she was done with this guy.

If only Dane was there. He'd know how to play this.

*****

"Why don't we cut the bullshit Officer Dayton. When are you going to let me back into the Penthouse?" she said coldly, ready to throttle this man who kept speaking to her like she was a child. "It's been over a week. I can't imagine there's anything else to find in there at this point?"

He raised his eyebrows. "It's Detective Dayton. And you might be surprised. Your husband is a man of many secrets. But yes, I was planning to let you know today that you could return. We removed the crime scene tape last night and you have permission to take residence again. But we'd appreciate it if we could return if we have any specific questions."

"I doubt my feelings on that will have any impact whatsoever on what you do, Detective, so like I said. Let's cut the bullshit. Do I have my home back?"

"Yes, you do."

"And did you find evidence that Tish was held there, or any other crime occurred?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you the details. What I can tell you is that we have some questions for your husband when he pops his head up. Have you heard from him?"

She shook her head, let her real feelings on that show on her face. "No."

"Well, I'll remind you that he is a person of interest in a criminal case. If you do hear from him, or see him, tell him to call me, please. It will go better for him if he comes voluntarily."

"I have no doubt that if Dane was free to come here and clear his name, he would. The fact that he hasn't shown up—and hasn't contacted me—is the biggest cause I have for concern right now."

"And you say he's with his father."

"Yes."

"Voluntarily."

Lila gave him a flat look. "He was coerced. And he cannot leave without dramatic consequences, so, no, Detective, I wouldn't say he's there voluntarily. I would say that he returned to his father under his own steam. If you had a conversation with Harry Quinn you'd know this, where is he?"

"Detective Quinn is working different aspects of this case and others we have that are associated. I'm sure he'll be in touch with you in due time."

"Great. Then… are we finished?"

"Not quite, Mrs. Daniels. I need to ask you about that video."

Her stomach twirled with nerves. "What about it?"

"Were you aware that your husband had been involved in these circles when he was younger."

"Yes." She would answer their questions, but she wouldn't offer an inch more than they asked for.

"So, you have reason to believe that the video is authentic?"

"I would dearly love to know the answer to that question, Detective. I assume you and your team are doing all that's needed to find that out?"

"We are. But part of that is learning about what evidence or testimony that exists that may either confirm or question the likelihood of that fact."

She sat and waited, and he raised his eyebrows. Lila sighed. "Did you have a question, Detective?"

His gaze flattened. "Did your husband ever tell you that he'd undertaken murder? Or serious assault? Anything of that nature? And if so, did he tell you when and where those things occurred?"

Oh, Dane…

…They were in the apartment, curled in each other's arms. "I'm so glad I married you," he whispered. Then he sighed and his face was tight and pained. "Now, we aren't done. There's some stuff I have to tell you."

There was a pause before she sighed too. "Okay, I'm ready. What's going on?"

He stroked her hair again. "I have to tell you exactly what my father's like. Exactly what he does. And… you have to understand some stuff. Just in case."

"In case of what, Dane?"

"Just in case."

"You mean in case he kills you," she said in a dark voice.

"I mean in case of any number of things," Dane said hoarsely. "I've told you what he's like, what lengths he'll go to… but I haven't told you what he does. We need to plan for the worst and hope for the best. I'm going to tell how it works when he's putting the screws on someone. And I'm going to tell you how to endure it… whether he does it to you, or to me."

She put a hand to her mouth and pulled him even closer. They clung to each other as Dane whispered the worst of what human beings could do to each other, the ways his father knew to move a person, to manipulate them. And what they were going to do about it if he tried…

Lila swallowed back bile and made herself focus on Detective Dayton, who was still waiting. "Dane has told me a great deal about his upbringing, and while I may not have known these particular details, I can say that it's my opinion you should be looking at his father even more deeply than you look at Dane for this. Because if that video is real and it wasn't something he was forced to, I need to know even more than you do. Because… because the man I saw on that screen isn't the man I believed I married. And if he's hidden this side of himself from me, I will make sure I'm not married to it a day longer than I have to be, so tell me, Detective, are you and your team working to find out if it's real and unaltered?"

"Yes, we are."

"And will you let me know what you find when you get to the end of those investigations?"

"Yes, we will."

She nodded. "Then I would like the keys you have to my home, please, because I find myself in need of a rest."

Detective Dayton stared at her a moment, his lips pursed, but in the end he just nodded and got up to get the keys and evidence papers for her.

And as she signed them and scanned the list of things they'd removed from Dane's property, she didn't even sigh.