"You know what I mean." Karishma gently rubs on her shoulder to cure the pain that is spreading all over her existence. "There are ways to go on with this without anyone going to jail. There are ways for both of us to keep our jobs and... go on with our lives."
Officer Maria signs and unwillingly accepts her loss in the debate which her opponent refuses to listen. Also, she doesn't have all the time in the world now. She is in the middle of her shift. "Just call me if you need anything."
"Thank you." Karishma gives Officer Maria a hug and feels the concerns through her skin.
Karishma nods at the officers in front of Brian's room whom one of them is more than familiar to Karishma. He was one of Brian's men who followed Brian like a duckling and did everything he was told like a puppy. Karishma pauses right by him and feels the fear that starts spilling out from him. He knows Brian is in deep troubles and he knows it means he is also.
"Officer." Karishma greets casually and whispery without looking at the man.
"Detective." He greets back with his raspy voice as if his throat is as dry as a desert.
Karishma smirks and walks past the men into the room. Inside, there are plenty of gifts and flowers with cards reading 'get well soon'. There are also a few drawings from Brian's son placing by the window and sticking by the bed. Brian is no longer hooked with any machines and he looks as healthy as a man can be. His injuries are mainly somewhere that cannot perceive by the eyes of others but by the eyes of the witness,his injuries are as clear as day.
"Hey." Brian greets first as Karishma stops by the bed; close enough to hear his low deep voice and far enough to avoid his reach. "I didn't expect you to be in Canada. Did you take the commercial airline with crying kids and shouting people?"
"Yeah." Karishma responds simply as she puts both of her hands in her dark jeans pockets. She thought she would not feel anything in front of him but she was wrong. She feels everything until she feels overwhelmed. Her system is flooded with disappointment and betrayal. She cannot bring herself to look at Brian the same way or anywhere close to it.
"Jo mentioned that she talked to you and you somehow agreed to help me?" Brian narrows his eyes although his lips are shaped into a smirk. "She has no idea?"
"I just told her that I'd see what I could do." Karishma sighs before looking at the man with her heavy heart. "I'll try to push all this mess to internal affairs' hands and... see where we're heading from there."
"Well." Brian shrugs and immediately sees right through Karishma's plan. She is not only saving both of them by adding more steps before criminal charges can be pressed but she is also preventing this whole thing to go out to the media. "I appreciate your assistance, Singh, but you do realize that your little girlfriend's lawyer is digging and man, he is digging hard like a skunk."
"You're afraid he will find something more?"
"If you'd done your homework, you'd have known that he is expensive for a good reason." Brian uses his calm voice and friendly expression to explain the matter that is a total opposite from his expression. "If you really want to help, you tell your girlfriend to back out of this."
"I can't tell her what to do." Karishma strokes her hair back and wishes she wasn't here. "She is an adult. She makes her own decisions."
Brian smiles with his eyes fixing on Karishma and as soon as Karishma's eyes catch that smile, she suddenly feels like the space around her is closing in; like the air around her is running out. Although it is eerie and it is uncomfortable, she manages to hide her true feelings under her shield and let her cockily courage come out and play. "Isn't she in Canada now and will be for a few days?"
Chapter 23
Start from the beginning
