“No!” She stood. “You don’t know. You don’t know what it’s like to have someone who you love willing to travel all over the damn country to get one last chance with a woman he hadn’t even talked to in years! Years!”
“Stop,” Harry said calmly.
“No! I’m not stopping. You need to know what she’s capable of doing. Hell, you know, don’t you? She has some kind of power over men. I don’t understand it. I mean it’s not her looks and definitely not her brains.” Her eyes widened. “Emily said she’s having issues. Well, she’s crazy if she thinks she can tell the world lies about me!”
“Amber, stop talking. Everything you say can be used against you—”
Her eyes narrowed. “Why, Harry? Are you going to tell them what I say?” She looked around, turning until she faced the window. “Or are they watching?” She walked to the darkened glass and turned back. “Are you in here as my brother or an agent?”
“I’m both, but I’m in here right now as your brother. I’m telling you to stop talking and get a lawyer.”
“I have lawyers,” she said smugly. “I have lawyers, assistants, accountants. I have a whole damn company at my disposal. The stupid bureau will never get any of this to stick. I’m innocent. Sure, I was pissed when I found out that Simon was going all over the damn country trying to get his wimpy nerve up to talk to that bitch. Wouldn’t you be upset? I mean, who goes to multiple events and then doesn’t even talk to her? Ha! I loved reading that stupid book. I hope that after Simon talked to her, Rawlings beat the sh—”
Harry stood. “Stop it! Now! Shut the fuck up and listen to yourself. Are you really that stupid? You’re in a damn interrogation room. Shut up! I’m getting Liz and getting one of your many attorneys over here. And I’ll call Mom and Mrs. Johnson. You don’t want either one of them hearing about this from some news report. In the meantime, shut up!”
Amber crossed her arms over her chest, pressed her lips together, and continued to glare as Harry walked from the room. Instead of heading out to Liz, Harry knocked on the door to the observation room. Williams opened it, and Harry entered, falling into one of the empty chairs. Williams sat next to him where they stayed—silent—for minutes upon minutes. Finally, Harry turned and said, “I need to get her that attorney.”
Williams nodded. “You gave her good advice, son. You can’t make her take it.” Williams handed Harry his vibrating phone.
Taking a deep breath he walked through the crowded hallways toward the waiting area, avoiding eye contact with everyone he passed. Once there, he stood and watched as Liz paced a small area near the corner of the room. She was holding her phone with one hand, willing it to ring, and had the other arm wrapped around her stomach. “Liz?” he asked.
Her anguish imploded as she ran towards Harry. Flinging herself against his hard chest, she sobbed. Finally, she asked, “What’s happening? I’m so glad you’re finally here.”
He wrapped her in his arms and whispered into her hair, “I’ve been here. I didn’t have my phone on me. I’m sorry I didn’t let you know.”
She looked up. “You’ve been here? Why? How long? What’s happening?”
“Amber needs an attorney—”
“No! That’s ridiculous.” Her indignation came forth with each word. “They can’t charge her with anything. She would never—”
“They already did,” Harry said, as Liz’s head shook back and forth. Taking her face in his hands, he closed the gap. “Liz, Amber needs you to be strong. Please, call SiJo. Get someone from legal over here right away. Call public relations and get them to run some kind of defensive maneuver. This won’t be good for SiJo.”
Liz lifted her phone, but looked back up. “SiJo? You’re worried about SiJo? What about Amber? You’re an FBI agent—do something to help her.”
“I am, and so are you. She needs legal representation before she says something that she can’t retract.”
Liz lifted one finger as she spoke into her phone. When she was done, she looked back at Harry. “They’re on their way. Can I see her? Have you seen her?”
“I’ve seen her, but you can’t.”
“You don’t want me to see her or I can’t?”
“Both. We can’t do any more here. Let’s go home.”
She planted her feet. “Home? I can’t leave her. She’s my best friend, and she’s my boss. I won’t just leave her.”
Harry forced a grin and placed a kiss on her forehead. “I love your stubborn streak, but now isn’t the time. Fine, we can wait until legal arrives, but then we’re leaving.”
“Harry, you know that Amber wouldn’t do what they’re saying…”
He placed his finger over her lips. “Stop talking about it. We’re in a police station. Both you and Amber need to just stop talking.”
As they sat in the plastic chairs and waited, exhaustion as Harry had never felt before filled his being. His temples throbbed at the thoughts going through his head. He needed to call his mother. He needed to call Simon’s mother. He needed to file a report about his non-interrogation. None of that, though, was what he wanted to do. Harry wanted to climb into his bed and not come out for days. He wanted to pretend that everything was all right. He wanted to go back in time to when Simon was alive… no, farther back than that, back to when Ilona told him she was pregnant.