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“You don’t know that, Charlotte,” Spike said gently. “Let’s just get through questioning Karl and then we can worry about the rest after.”
I began to open my mouth, but instead of arguing over a matter I was far more educated in, I just let them get to work, watching nervously as they entered the room and took their seats in front of Karl and Ben. I turned on the speaker and overheard Ben politely asking one of the detectives to uncuff Karl from the table.
“Tough shit,” Spike carelessly replied. “Given his track record, he stays cuffed to the table.”
“What the hell is this about?” Karl asked, seeming completely clueless as he gaped between Spike and Phoenix.
Phoenix opened the file he was holding and one by one, pulled out each gnarly photo of Delilah Fields and Amber Strickland, placing them neatly in rows atop of the table.
“What’s wrong, Karl?” Spike growled angrily when Karl cursed heavily and turned his head away, his throat bobbing. “Can’t stomach to look at your own handiwork?”
Karl’s eyes immediately locked with Spike’s, and my heart sank at the dark look flashing through them both.
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Their names are Delilah Fields and Amber Strickland,” said Phoenix, who surprisingly sounded much calmer than Spike. This was the first time I’d ever seen them in action with a suspect, so I could only assume Phoenix’s role had to be the good cop and well… Spike was just an honest asshole.
“You’re telling us you don’t know and have never met these girls?”
“That’s exactly what I’m saying,” was Karl’s stern response.
My guts twisted the longer and harder I studied Karl’s expression. How he was able to school his emotions and hold a straight face was utterly disgusting.
“Listen, Detectives,” said Ben. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing with my client, but this is clearly harass—”
“We have his DNA.”
Ben clamped his mouth shut, clearly stunned, and then glanced worriedly at Karl, whose skin was paling.
I took in another breath as Phoenix began explaining the situation between Delilah, Amber, and our DNA findings on Amber, just for my heart to painfully sputter behind my ribs when Karl leaned over toward Ben and began to whisper. Whatever was said, I hadn’t a clue, but Ben nodded and then together they turned to give the detectives their undivided attention.
“I do know Amber,” Karl muttered, the admission gutting me in half. “But the other girl, I swear I don’t know who she is. I’ve never met her.”
“We’ll start with Amber then,” said Phoenix. “How do you know her?”
“I met her in a grocery store about maybe two, almost three months ago. We exchanged numbers and yeah, we hooked up a few times, but it was nothing serious. Hell, I didn’t even know she was married. She wasn’t wearing a ring when I met her, or the two, maybe three times she was at my apartment.”
Karl cursed when he tried to move his hands and couldn’t.
“Look, I have no idea who did this, but I swear to you, it wasn’t me. I’m obviously being set up here.”
“What makes you say that?” Phoenix asked as Spike scoffed beside him, shaking his head.
“Because I haven’t seen or spoken to Amber in over a month. I have no clue how my DNA ended up on her body, but I fucking swear on my life that I haven’t been anywhere near her. I can prove it too. Just check the data on my ankle monitor.”
My lips parted, and it was at that moment when Spike and Phoenix exchanged weird looks that I knew they hadn’t considered it or hadn’t gotten around to it yet.
Then again, with the DNA results putting Karl at the scene, they probably thought they didn’t have to.
But still, I knew Karl, and I swear on my goddamn life that this was not me being the worried, remorseful ex-wife here. I could plainly tell just from the look on Karl’s face and how he kept worriedly gaping at Ben like he was his life vest that something wasn’t right. If Karl really was being truthful and was able to prove it…
Then how in the fuck did his DNA end up on Amber’s body?
“Excuse me for just a moment.” Phoenix got to his feet, leaning down long enough to whisper something in Spike’s ear.
Spike nodded, and all I could do was stare nervously at Phoenix as he entered the room I was in and closed the door behind him.
“We need to talk, and we have to make it fast before Spike decides to go rogue and gets physical.”
