"...when you love someone, even the biggest sacrifices

are small if it means saving them..."

I'm freezing!

I'm still barefooted with muddy feet. My hair is beginning to dry, my clothes not so much and I'm freezing!

I haven't said a word since he arrested me. I haven't said a word. I know better than to talk and risk getting emotional. But deep inside, I'm in turmoil! I'm falling apart! For the last several hours, they have left me unattended. No one has come in to ask me anything! I know that Detective Rowland is stalling. He wants to fluster me so that I spill my guts! I'm nervous. I am sleepy but every time I close my eyes, they shoot wide open with panic!

I stared at the door that opened and a woman in a pinstripe suit walked in. She looks like a lawyer. I want her to be a lawyer even if I have not gotten a chance to ask for one. Detective Rowland is purposely avoiding me to make sure I don't ask for legal representation.

"Keira Ballard, right?" She asked me.

"Y-yes!" I'm trembling from the cold. "Are y-you a lawyer?"

"Yes. I'm a lawyer. My name is Rose Anderson." She tilted her head. "Dear, you're trembling."

"I'm cold." I answered.

She took off her jacket. "Get out of that sweater!"

She realized I'm cuffed. She looked at the blinking camera. I haven't looked at once. "Really? Hand cuffs? Is she going to break out of your concrete wall? Grow up Rowland!"

A few seconds after her soliloquy with the camera, an officer came in and uncuffed me.

"Why is she barefooted and soaked? We're you waterboarding her?"

"We don't torture people!" The officer answered.

"I'll bring this up in court. Get out." She helped me remove my sweater. I only have q bra underneath. It's wet too. She held her coat spread out so that I can take it off. I put on her coat with her standing in front of me. "I'll get you dry clothes."

"Thank you." I offered her a small smile. "I didn't ask for you."

"Theo Sinclair hired me an hour ago." Bless Theo! He's so thoughtful! "He saw the news and he called me and asked that I come here and represent you."

"I'm on the news?"

"Yes. It's not looking good. The affair already earned you a bad public opinion. This doesn't help your reputation."

"You know about the affair!"

"I'm sorry to say this but who in New York doesn't? Nickolas Bale is a billionaire. That's a big deal. Did you get a chance to ask for a lawyer?"

"They arrested me and left me here for hours." My voice is hoarse from the cold.

"Phone call?"

"None. They haven't spoken to me."

"I'm sorry. The system is broken. Sometimes these detectives play god when they think that they will win. I have known Rowland for years and I know this is jow he plays. He lets those he has arrested confess from frustration. That is not going to happen to you. Keira, you need to be honest with me about everything. I mean absolutely everything. Whatever you say to me is private. I won't repeat it even to Theo Sinclair. So tell me. Did you kill Jason Burke?"

I looked at the camera. "Can they hear us?"

"No. They are not allowed to listen in."

"When I was a little girl, about six years old, I found a bird that had been attacked by a cat. It was my cat. She still had some feathers in her mouth. I took the bird to my daddy. It wasn't dead. But it didn't look so good. I was crying so much. So he called the vet to make me feel better. The vet repeated what he said. He told me the bird wasn't going to make it and by not killing it we are simply prolonging it's suffering. I couldn't kill it and I did not watch when my father did. I was sad that whole week. I didn't even want to see my cat. I have never owned a car after that. If I could not stomach the death of a bird, how can I take the life of a man?" I asked her with terms spilling down my cheeks. "Jason was my husband. He was a brutal man. He beat me up. He assaulted me repeatedly. He insulted me. He threatened me. Eventually he almost killed me but not once did I ever put my hands on him in retaliation. I did not wish him dead. I did not do this Miss Anderson. I promise."

"I believe you. But it doesn't change anything because the question is, who did it? Who killed Jason?"

"I don't know."

"How did he end up on your family land?"

"I don't know."

"Keira, this affair with Nickolas Bale makes you look guilty or at least an accomplice. Nickolas has motive. Dis he do this? Are you covering for him?"

"Nick couldn't have done it. I don't think he... he has a temper but he wouldn't..."

"You don't sound sure. Nickolas is not my client and what happens to him is not my concern. I'm not asking you to implicate him in anything. I'm asking you if you know who dis this so that it is not you who ends up in a murder trial."

"My father shot Jason." I told her. "Five nights ago, I was asleep when I heard gunshots. I woke up and I went to check. My mother informed me that Jason had come looking for me and my father lost it and shot him."

"Did you see Jason's body?"

"No. He got away. He did not die that night, at least not in our compound."

"Where is your father?"

"On vacation in Amalfi."

"So your father shot your husband and then went on vacation?"

"I can't begin to explain how his mind works. But I promise you, he did not kill Jason. He left that night and I saw them leave. He did not bury Jason on his land. That is stupid. Someone else is doing these things!"

"Clearly. Someone who wants you to look bad. Do you have any idea who would want to pin this on you?"

"No." I dint want to point fingers.

"Margaux Deveraux? Nick's wife. She's not a victim. I know she's not as nice as she makes herself out to be."

"Maybe. Does it help if I tell you she tried to kill me in Greece?"

"Yes! Big time!"

"But the problem is that I didn't see her. Someone pushed me off a cliff. I drowned. But I was saved by Theo. He was swimming in the sea when it happened. Nick later told me it could have been Margaux because he found her at the house."

"That's hard to prove but motive enough for her to do this. Keira, no matter how many theories we come up with, there are two suspects here. You and Nick. My job is to make sure it's not you. I don't care about anything else. Where is the riffle that was used to shoot Jason?"

"I hid it."

"Where?"

"I can't say."

"Keira, if they can't find the weapon, this is not a solid case."

"I hid it-"

The door bust open. "Excuse you!" She stood up. "I'm in the middle of a private conversation with my client!"

Detective Rowland placed the riffle in front of me. "The missing gun. I wanted you to see it. It gets better. These clothes..." He placed a clear bag on the table. "Were recovered and tested positive for gun powder. They are your clothes. I'm this close to nailing you. This close. I can't wait."

He carried the evidence out and they closed the door.

Rose Anderson doesn't look happy.

"Keira. Truth please."

The truth is that I have thrown myself under the bus to save my father. I will sacrifice my freedom for his. If his gun killed Jason then I made sure it will not lead to him but to me.

"When they check the gun for prints, they will not find my father's prints. He cleans the guns after he is done. Like he really cleans them. He left in a hurry that night. He didn't clean the gun. I did. And it crossed my mind that if he gets arrested, my mother will die from q broken heart. So I fired the gun that night. I kept the clothes on purpose. My prints are on that gun. If anyone is going away for murder, it's me. Not my father."

And the plot thickens.

The angel shot Jason Burke. I have the evidence. I have it! The gun powder residue on her clothes, the riffle has been recovered and most importantly she has motive. It's a done deal.

"The coroner is ready." Fitz called me. I entered the morgue. Jason Burke is on the table.

"What killed him?"

"It was not this." She pointed to the gun shot wound on his shoulder. It was this." She pointed to three different gun shot wounds lodged into his chest. These wounds, were not inflicted by the same gun that did this." She pointed to the shoulder. "The owner of the riffle did not kill this man. The owner of the gun that did this..." she pointed to the chest. "...killed this man."

"Damn it!" I stomped my foot. "What about the other guns we found? Do any match this?"

"We ran ballistics on all those guns." Fitz has a grim face. "None if them were used. I don't think Keira Ballard did this."

"She definitely shot him. We can use that." I can't believe I have hit a brick wall! Now I'm back to group zero! "I need a search warrant."

"I think you have used all your favors with the judge."

The judge owes me. I caught him drunk driving and I let him off. He was grateful.

"I have to get a search warrant for Nickolas Bale's house. Maybe he is the shooter."

"And who hurried him in the Ballard compound?"

"One step a time. We find the gun in Nick's possession, we nail him for murder. The rest will follow."

My friends came over as soon as they heard about it. They trickled in one by one. Even Cole Michael is here and we all share the same concern.

"She didn't do it. No way." Ferrer sighed.

"She's just too nice a person." Bruce added.

"Well, even good people do bad things." Cole shrugged. I know exactly where he's coming from with this. Cole is not a saint. He looks like one but he has his own skeletons in the closet.

"I don't care who did it. I care that it's dragging you into it!" Tony expressed his obvious dislike for Kei. "I told you to stay away from her but you just didn't listen!"

"Talking about it now doesn't change anything!" I shouted at him. "I love Keira! Would I do this for her? In a heartbeat! I'm happy Jason is dead!"

"Nick don't say shit like that. It's self incriminating." Bruce warned me.

"Did you so it Nick?" Ferrer asked me.

"No one would find his body if I did. This whole thing is messed up! It's obviously staged! Someone wants to hurt her!"

"Or someone wants to get to you." Bruce noted. "Margaux?"

I can't out murder past her. She's evil. Evil enough to want to watch Keira burning and in turn to revel in my suffering! Her willingness to leave is also questionable. She did something!

"Excuse me." I left the guys go answer my phone. "What do you want Russo?"

"I'm just calling to pass my apologies or maybe even my condolences."

"What are you talking about?"

"A woman with a face like that won't last in prison. You know that, right?"

"You guys did this." I whispered.

"What are you taking about? I'm just a concerned acquaintance. You know what to ask me, right?"

"What do you want?"

"Confess to murder. Confess that you murdered Jason Burke and we will provide proof that Keira did not shoot Jason that night. Your confession is her freedom."

I pressed my eyes shut. "I didn't do it. They have no proof that it is me so how will she walk?

"We will worry about the proof. Just confess. Get your affairs in order. You have 24 hours." He hanged up.