The Prison-Made Queen novel Chapter 814

Could it really be that much of a coincidence?

Ethan mulled it over for a second, then walked back to his office and dialed Leilani's number.

She picked up almost immediately, sounding a little surprised. "Hey, Ethan?"

"Leilani," Ethan started, getting straight to the point. "Do you happen to have a roommate named Yvonne Sherwood?"

He figured that given Leilani's fiercely loyal personality, anyone she chose to live with was far more than just a casual friend. And if this girl was Leilani's friend, she was his friend, too.

Since the information had essentially dropped right into his lap, it wouldn't hurt to ask.

"Why do you ask?" Leilani sounded even more surprised now.

"The victim of the assault in Mirage Alley last night—Milford Sherwood. The sister who called it in was Yvonne. Is she your friend? I overheard some of my detectives talking about the case and caught the name. I remembered you mentioning a roommate with that name, so I figured I'd call and check."

There was a brief silence on the other end. Leilani clearly hadn't expected him to be calling about this.

"Yes," she finally said. "The girl your colleagues mentioned is my friend. The guy who got beaten half to death last night is her brother."

Ethan nodded to himself, glad he had trusted his gut. "Director Cheney actually passed this case down to our unit yesterday. If you need me to, I can personally take lead on it."

Leilani hadn't realized Callahan's connections extended directly into Ethan's precinct. Still, having witnessed Ethan's investigative skills firsthand, she knew that with him in charge, the case would be resolved rapidly.

She was genuinely impressed by Ethan's lightning-fast efficiency. She also knew that if he hadn't personally taken the reins, the bureaucracy alone would have dragged Milford's case out for months.

Knowing what she owed him, Leilani immediately gave him a call.

He picked up on the second ring. "Leilani?"

"Ethan," she said, her voice full of genuine gratitude. "Yvonne just told me you closed the case and locked them all up. Seriously... thank you. I can't believe how fast you got it done."

He chuckled softly. "Just doing my job. That crew already had a rap sheet a mile long. With the evidence we pulled this time, there's no way they're seeing the light of day anytime soon."

Ethan paused, his tone shifting into something more measured. "I ran the case entirely by the book. Mr. Langley definitely made a call, but the evidence was rock solid anyway. Whoever was leaning on the scales, the result would have been exactly the same."