Prodigal Son

Chapter 25

Despite their willingness to drive down to the Starling City Police Department headquarters, the detectives insisted that Tommy and Felicity ride with them into the station in the backs of squad cars. They even insisted on separate squads. Oliver had Roy and Thea drive him directly to the station and then sent them back to the mansion.

From the moment Felicity's confused eyes darted to meet his after the officer's "request," Oliver had been trying to get ahold of his mother, but she wasn't answering. Hopefully, Thea could track her down. Whatever conflicted relationship existed between him and his mother, Moira would help Felicity. He may not trust her about other things, but he trusted her protective feelings toward Felicity and he wasn't going to let Felicity stay at SCPD and be treated as a criminal one second longer than necessary.

The police must have found something. Something even they weren't expecting. Something that made them unwilling to let Felicity out of their sights for even a minute. Detective Elroy and Jones in Homicide were the ones planning on handling her interview so it wasn't related to their Applied Science excursion last night. It had to be about George Patel's murder. Being in the dark about how or why lodged a ball of fear in his gut. He wanted her out of there, but when he arrived at the station, they wouldn't give him even the most basic of information about her or Tommy.

He called Thea for an update. She didn't waste time giving him the news.

"Mom can't help. She took a sleeping pill and went to straight to bed. I tried waking her, but she's groggy as hell and makes no sense."

"Ok, I'll make some calls."

"Roy and I are about to head over to you."

"No. Stay there," he ordered. "So far the press doesn't know. They'd follow you right to the station."

He disconnected and dialed Diggle. Day off or not, he answered on the first ring.

"What's wrong? A bit late to meet for a work out."

"The police brought Felicity in for questioning about Patel's murder. Tommy too," he said as an afterthought.

"Questioning, but no arrests?"

"Not yet, but I have a bad feeling about where this is going."

"You're mom—"

Oliver interrupted.

"Took a sleeping pill and is of no help. I've been away too long. I don't even know the name of the firm Queen Consolidated keeps on retainer."

"I can get that to you, but you have more friends than you know and one of them is about to have the best defense attorney in the city as his mother-in-law."

"Ray Palmer. Got it." He thanked Diggle and pulled up the directory on his phone. He hadn't kept Palmer's personal cell number after they'd concluded the land sale, hadn't even kept that phone, but Felicity had taken his new phone and, along with security protocols, downloaded a slew of contacts, Palmer's included. He'd only kept it because he'd refused to waste the time it would have taken to delete it.

Ray's too chipper voice answered.

"Oliver Queen! I was just thinking about you guys. It's been nothing but bad luck what with the attack at the gala and then you and Felicity's place getting trashed and then a body! I mean, seriously? And then your dad's videos? Wow, what a weekend! How are you doing? Did you want to talk? How about I—"

"Felicity's in trouble," Oliver interrupted, not sure the man would ever stop otherwise. "The police dragged her in for questioning about Patel's murder."