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“Don’t answer that,” Everly said.
Officer Stafford shrugged, regaining some of his composure. He pulled out another photograph and slid it across the table. “How about her?”
In the photo, Sarah looked straight ahead. With her face scrubbed clean of makeup, she looked much younger than she had on Sunday. Far too young to get a tattoo without her parents.
“Her name is Angela Lacosta. Does that ring a bell?” Officer Stafford asked.
The A was her initial, not Aries’s. I leaned into Everly to tell her about the ID, but she shook her head.
“Do you have Ms. Lacosta’s statement?” Everly asked.
Officer Stafford pulled out another piece of paper and started reading. “Miss Lacosta’s parents discovered the tattoo this morning. When they questioned their daughter, she told them she received it on Sunday at Marked in Peace Falls from a tattoo artist named Theo.”
“Have you questioned Ms. Lacosta?” Everly asked.
“No,” Officer Stafford said, sliding the paper back into the folder. “Miss Lacosta’s parents made the statement and filed charges. They supplied both photographs as well.”
Everly nodded. “So, all your evidence is based on a second-hand statement and images brought to the station?”
“We’ll be taking Miss Lacosta’s statement this afternoon and official photos. She had a chemistry test today, and her parents wanted to wait until after school to bring her to the station. Miss Lacosta also informed her parents that another employee at Marked named Aries could corroborate her story. I’ll be taking his statement this afternoon as well.”
“So, you arrested my client at his place of employment before you obtained statements from the alleged victim or the first-hand witness?”
“As I said before, Mr. Markis is a convicted felon.”
“I’m well aware,” Everly said, leaning back in her chair. “I’m also aware that standard practice is to issue a summons and release for non-violent class-one misdemeanors, which maybe you didn’t know since you’re still in your probationary period.”
“How would you—” he started but stopped.
“I suggest you release Mr. Markis before I file a complaint on his behalf.”
“What about Max?” I asked.
Everly’s answering smile looked a little scary. “I’m happy to represent him as well, but I wanted to give Officer Stafford the opportunity to reconsider issuing a citation before I called Chief Fitzwilliam to let him know his brother-in-law is being detained at the station. Assuming Peggy hasn’t already.”
Officer Stafford kept his face emotionless but paled slightly.
“Theo,” Everly said, turning to me. “Isn’t Chief Fitzwilliam’s father a student in the art class you volunteer to teach at the community center?”
I nodded.
“Got to love a small town,” Everly said with a genuine smile.
“He’ll need to sign the summons,” Officer Stafford said, shuffling the papers again.
“Of course.” Everly uncapped a pen that probably cost more than my rent. “I suggest you uncuff him first.”
I rubbed my wrists after Officer Stafford removed the cuffs. My hands shook as I signed my name on the bottom of the summons and returned Everly’s pen.
“We’ll appear in court at the requested time. I’d also like a copy of the statement from Ms. Lacosta’s parents and any you obtain prior to the court date. My email address and fax are here,” she said sliding her card across the table to Officer Stafford and tapping it with her red fingernail.
Officer Stafford nodded. “I’ll get the parents’ statement for you now.”
After he copied the statement and collected Max from the holding cell, Officer Stafford walked us to the crowded waiting room. Aiden, Cal, who was still in his scrubs, Rowan, and Poppy rushed toward us.
“What the hell happened?” Cal asked as Poppy wrapped me in a hug.
I pulled her close and everything inside me calmed enough I could draw my first deep breath in an hour.