You Looked Down on Me Once Now You Look Up (Patricia and Oliver) novel Chapter 714

Brandon had a bit of a reputation in the detective squad. He was young, single, no family to worry about, and everyone knew he was the type to throw himself into work. Still, even the toughest guys needed a break, and tonight he was finally heading home. Of course, Ruby had picked this exact night to wait for him at his doorstep.

It wasn’t the first time she’d done this. He should have been used to it by now, but every time he saw her, something inside him twisted. There was no real reason for it. They hadn’t had any kind of falling out. They were almost strangers, really. Still, being around Ruby always left him on edge, in a way that never happened with Patricia. Patricia was complicated, always scheming, but there was something honest about her, something solid that made you trust her deep down.

Ruby, on the other hand, was the total opposite.

His apartment complex had been around for years. It was one of the oldest buildings near the station, the kind where the elevators were added long after people moved in. But the management was decent, the streets were clean, and the neighbors—mostly elderly—were friendly and looked out for each other.

When he walked through the gate, someone always called out, “Hey, Officer Lantz, looks like another young lady’s waiting for you!”

Brandon just kept walking.

A grandma would pipe up, “Is it the same one as last time? Did you break her heart or something?”

“Please, don’t say that,” Brandon said, shaking his head. “Her family’s in trouble with the law. She keeps coming to me for help, but everyone knows what’s done is done. There’s nothing I can do, and honestly, it just makes things harder.”

Once he explained, the teasing usually stopped. Instead, someone would remind him, all serious, “You have to stick to the law, Officer. That’s your job.”

“Of course. I know,” he’d reply.

Brandon took his takeout and headed inside. When he got to his floor, he found Ruby sitting by his door, hugging her knees. Her designer Chanel suit looked out of place against the faded, dark red door that had definitely seen better days.

“You’re not helping me because you’ve already taken Patricia’s side, right? I’ve thought about it a lot. No matter if it’s the Newtons or the Martins, you’re always there in the middle of everything. You’re like Patricia’s personal executioner. Whoever she wants gone, you make it happen. Kelly, my mother, all of them ended up behind bars because of you. And you keep saying you’re just following the law.”

Ruby’s eyes were wide and shining with anger and humiliation as she stepped closer. “But whose law are you following? Patricia’s, or this country’s?”

“If people like you, who are supposed to protect everyone, can be bought or controlled, then what’s the law even for?”

Brandon looked at Ruby, watching the way her face twisted with emotion. He didn’t flinch or get angry. Instead, he just hooked his takeout bag on the doorknob.

“Ms. Martin, you’ve got it all wrong. The only reason those people ended up in jail is because they broke the law. Kelly was a murderer. Your parents are murderers. That’s what matters. As for Patricia, you brought her into this, but she’s the victim here. She’s been one for over a decade. And she’s your sister. But instead of feeling sorry or even thinking about what she’s been through, you’re here, blaming me.”