I pressed my back against the brick wall, holding my breath.

For a second, I thought his eyes lingered on the dark archway where I stood.

There was no sign of recognition in his face, only a hard, focused intensity.

Then the officer pressed his hand to Alexander’s back and forced him into the vehicle.

The heavy door slammed shut with a dull, final thud.

Marcus watched the cruiser pull away from the curb, its tires splashing rainwater onto the sidewalk.

He turned to Victoria and offered his arm.

She took it, and together they walked back inside the warm, brightly lit lobby of the building.

The remaining police cars turned off their sirens but kept their lights flashing as they prepared to leave.

I stood in the darkness, the cold sinking deep into my bones.

The man who had promised to help me clear my father’s name was gone.

He was in the back of a police car, heading toward a holding cell on charges Marcus had spent months preparing.

I was completely on my own.

I turned back into the alley, my wet flats slipping slightly on the slick stones.