CRYPTO: Infidelity (Book 1)

CHAPTER 91: TROUBLE

"Wait here," I told Birdie as I walked to the front door. I looked through the peephole in case it was Rockie, but it was my partner and another officer who were standing there.

I opened the door. "Is something wrong, guys?"

"Yes," my partner said. "You're under arrest."

"What for?" I asked as the other officer put handcuffs on me.

My partner showed me a picture. "This look familiar?" It was a photo of the officer I had seen the night before, lying dead on the street. "His body cam caught you and the cougar who shot him. You didn't call it in. Is it a coincidence you called out of work today?"

I was speechless.

"What's going on?" Birdie asked.

"Who is she?" my partner asked me.

"Nobody. She was just leaving," I said.

"Mind if we ask you a few questions, miss?" he asked her.

"Um, I should get home," Birdie said.

"And where is home exactly?"

"She doesn't have to answer that," I said.

"Do you know this dog, miss?" he asked.

I shook my head.

"No," Birdie said. "Not really."

"Then what are you doing in his apartment?"

"She's just a property manager inspecting the place," I said.

"Yes," Birdie agreed. "But I'm all done and I gotta go now. No time for questions. I'm in a hurry."

"What's the hurry?" the officer asked.

"Uh, my uh, husband needs some help with the kids. It's their naptime and they need their mom."

"Okay then," the officer said. "You're free to go."

She hurried out the door and down the steps.

"I don't buy it," my partner said. "Let's follow her." He looked at me. "You make me sick. Come on." He and the other officer yanked me down the stairs and into their cop car.

"You're making a mistake," I told them. "I'm on your side!"

"Then why did you do nothing when those murderers killed Officer Laurier?"

I knew I was in a bad position and there was no use arguing. I couldn't think of a way out of this one.

They followed Birdie's car from a distance until she pulled into her driveway.

"We'll come back here later," my partner said as he drove past the driveway. "We gotta deal with this traitor first."

I was booked at the police station and used my phone call to call an attorney. I had enough money to pay him well. I knew I would need him to ever stand a chance in court. The last thing I wanted was to end up in prison. That was my worst nightmare.

I had to spend the night in jail, and the next day, I talked to my attorney who informed me that I had not committed a crime. The police wanted to convict me on being an accessory to murder but I hadn't assisted in the crime at all. I wasn't the driver and I didn't try to hide the weapon or criminal. They couldn't convict me for failure to report a crime because that only applied to child victims twelve years old or under in the state of Nevada. I could, however, be charged with obstruction of justice if I knowingly gave false information to the police so he advised that I didn't talk to the police at all.

Later, I had a talk with the detectives in the interrogation room. My partner, lawyer, and the officer who helped arrest me were present.

"Just come clean, Federici," Detective Clark said. "If you're really on our side, tell us why you were with this guy."

"My client has the right to remain silent," my lawyer said. "He didn't commit a crime, and you know it. If you want information from him, we're asking for full immunity."

"No way!" my partner said. "If he's innocent, I'm not a cop."

"We can handle it from here, officers," the detective said. "Thank you."

My partner stood up. "You could've stopped him, Crypto, but you didn't. You wanted him dead." He left the room and the other officer followed him out.

"We can't promise you'll be found innocent in court," Detective Clark told me, "but we can promise that anything you say in this room will not be used as evidence against you. You have full immunity."

"Is this conversation being recorded?" my attorney asked.

"Yes."

"Good."

"If I give you the information, can I get into a witness protection program?" I asked.

"Sure," the detective said.

"Okay. What do you want to know?" I asked.