Burn Me Once Burn With Me (Ruby Grayson) novel Chapter 23

Ruby clutched Mira tightly in her arms, her eyes brimming with tears as she stepped forward. "A few days ago, someone falsely accused me of stealing a gold necklace and refusing to return it. But I swear, I was framed—I've never even seen such a necklace. Since you're already investigating what's happened on this street, could you help clear my name too?"

The two officers exchanged a glance.

Five minutes later, they had Ruby write a statement explaining her side of the story.

"We've received your report," one of the officers assured her. "We'll look into this carefully. If what you say is true, you'll be exonerated. Any disciplinary action your workplace took against you will be revoked—we'll see to it."

Fiona stared at Ruby in shock.

Desperate, she blurted out, "Ruby, what are you talking about? So it was you! I only docked your pay by four hundred dollars and you're still holding a grudge? Let me tell you, if you want to know who's behind this, it wasn't me, it was—"

"Who was it?" Ruby pressed, her voice trembling with urgency.

But Fiona clamped her mouth shut at the last moment, her face turning pale as if she'd almost let slip a secret she was desperate to keep.

Seeing this, Ruby knew there was no point pushing further.

Taking a shaky breath, she corrected her former supervisor, "Director Hart, you said you ‘only' took four hundred dollars from me, but do you realize—that wasn't just money. That was what Mira and I needed to survive. Every cent was hard-earned from hours of sweeping the streets. You stooped so low as to steal from a street cleaner—if you can do that, what else are you capable of? What's happening to you now isn't because of me. It's because your own greed finally caught up with you."

Fiona stared at her, stunned into silence.

She was led away to the waiting police car, and within moments, the siren echoed down the street as she was taken away.

"You don't need to call her Director Hart anymore, Miss Grayson," the elderly lady said kindly, approaching Ruby and gently patting her on the shoulder. "Fiona's finished. She made her choices, and she'll have to answer for them. She won't be coming back."

"Well done, Ruby." Several of the other women gave her a thumbs-up or a squeeze of the hand.

But Ruby didn't feel triumphant—only a lingering unease. She knew none of this would have been possible without the old lady's help.

All she wanted was a chance to build a quiet, honest life with Mira in Quinborough.

Before leaving, the old lady turned to her with gratitude. "You've done me a great favor, dear. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

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