Descending (The Rising Series) Read Online Free PDF Page B

Gretchen breathed.
    “Yes. Apparently, he took your advice. According to Jami, he slapped her after she spilled a glass of juice. Then he calmly walked to another room, pulled out a gun, and shot himself in the temple.”
    “But I… I…” Gretchen’s stomach soured.
    “Listen, I know you didn’t mean what you said. You were upset. But word has gotten back to the judge in this case, and now I’m in the hot seat. I am being asked to dismiss you or face a reprimand.”
    Gretchen could feel her heart crumble in her chest. She couldn’t think of anything to say or do to repair this. There was nothing she could do. She stood, her limbs trembling.
    “I’m sorry, Gretchen. I have to dismiss you. You can clean out your desk after you speak to Detective Baum.”
    “Detective Baum?”
    Ms. Gardner nodded. “He’s waiting in the conference room.”
    Gretchen breathed deeply as she stepped toward the door. She hesitated, turning back. “Ms. Gardner, is Jami…?”
    “She’s back with the same foster family. They’ve already started adoption proceedings.”
    Gretchen cracked a weak smile and left the room. The door to the conference room stood open. The detective had his back to her when she entered.
    “Hello, Ms. Winters,” he said, looking out a window.
    “Detective?” Her voice sounded steadier than she felt.
    He turned toward her. His face was round, he had a shadow of white whiskers sprinkled across his jaw, and his eyes pierced her. “I have a question that’s been plaguing my mind. How is it you tell a man if he hits his daughter again that he should put a bullet in his head, and low and behold, he hits her and does just what you told him to do?”
    “I don’t know, sir.”
    “This case doesn’t add up. This man was messed up, but he’d never shown any suicidal tendencies. And here I have a young, wannabe attorney who seems to be able to predict the future.”
    “Maybe I’m psychic, and I was doing my best to warn him.”
    “You’re not psychic.”
    She shrugged.
    He stomped forward until he towered over her. “Something smells in this. And that smell is you.”
    “Are you charging me with a crime, Detective?”
    He tightened his jaw so severely that she could almost hear his teeth grind.
    “I didn’t think so.”
    “I could hold you for forty-eight hours for questioning.”
    “But you’d have to show probable cause for holding me. My guess is you don’t have that, or you’d be bringing me in now. Detective Baum, I did not personally threaten Mr. Roberts. I’d never met him until that day in the courthouse, and I have not seen, nor spoken to him since. I cannot in anyway be found at fault for his death. Unless you think I have some magical power of suggestion, you have nothing on me. Now do you have any intelligent questions to ask me?”
    His blood seemed to literally boil beneath his skin, making his face all red and blotchy.
    “I didn’t think so.” She turned and strode through the door. Ms. Gardner stood leaning against her doorframe. She’d obviously heard every word. Giving a weak smile, she said, “I wish we could keep you on here. You’ll make a great attorney one day.” With that said, Ms. Gardner returned to her office and shut the door.
    Gretchen didn’t have much to pack: a picture of her parents and brother, a picture of her and Sara at a rugby game, and her lucky shark’s tooth necklace. Everything else in the office was provided by Ms. Gardner. Gretchen placed her few treasures in her purse and headed out.
    The walk was a short one. Her apartment was just a mile from the law offices. Her building was a tall, brick throwback to the eighties, but at least it was well maintained. She glanced up to her apartment from the sidewalk below. The curtains were pulled shut , but she was almost positive she’d opened them that morning. The only other person with a key was Sara. Hal had kept bugging her about giving one to him, but she’d made the mistake of moving too fast in