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“So, you got the girl?” he starts. I can appreciate the no-bullshit rhetoric even though my entire insides are on fire. It’s weird being on this side. I wouldn’t suggest it. “Was that your plan all along? What do they call it? The Hero Syndrome?”
“What are you talking about?” I respond, maintaining a neutral tone and holding his gaze. When the Texas Rangers called me this morning, needing to ask me a few questions, I knew it was about her. They’re just doing their due diligence. However, when my captain joined us, I sensed this was more.
They know something.
I can feel it hanging over my head.
“C’mon,” he says. “You’re a cop. According to your record, a damn good one. So, you know this looks bad.”
I sit forward, resting my arms on the cold metal table, and lock eyes with him. “I never planned on having a relationship with Kali. It just happened. Internal Affairs didn’t find a problem with it, and last I checked, it’s not a crime. We didn’t even talk until a couple months after it happened.”
“You told the officer at the scene that was the first time you’d ever seen Kali.”
I nod, but a shiver runs down my back. I told my grams I’d deal with this when it happened…and it’s happening.
He sighs in disappointment, confirming my thoughts. Opening a folder, he pulls out a picture and slides it in front of me. I force my eyes to not look away, force my breathing to stay slow and steady.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
“That would be a picture of my Jeep,” I reply matter-of-factly. My insides twist as I notice where my Jeep is at. I was hoping this incident would’ve been forgotten, considering the officer had no reason to document our interaction. Especially after I showed him my badge. I was just parked in a parking lot.
“We also have a record of a phone call you received,” he adds.
I know what call he’s referring to. It was from the chief, wanting an update on the case. In hindsight, I wouldn’t have answered it.
“When you were in the same restaurant where Kali worked.”
My jaw clenches.
“Funny thing about small towns, people see everything. You can’t wipe your ass without someone knowing you took a shit. You visited that town more than once. At least two other times. And you don’t have an alibi for the night Kali disappeared.”
He pulls out another photo and taps his finger against it. A sharp pain pinches in my chest. I haven’t seen that picture in years, and I would be happy if I never saw it again.
He continues. “I could understand if you wanted revenge.”
I swallow the lump in my throat, staring at the photo. He has no idea what I want.
“What I don’t understand is what’s your plan now that you’re with her? Do you plan on finishing the job?”
What the actual fuck?
I shoot a hard stare at my boss, needing to get out of here and explain to Kali before she hears this from them and forms an opinion without knowing the other half of the story, if they haven’t already. “Are you arresting me?”
Martinez replies, “Not yet. But we have a warrant to search your properties. I suggest you don’t leave town.”
“Paxton,” my boss pleads. “I know you didn’t do it. Help us help you.”
What the hell is this cliché bullshit? I realize this looks bad, so I’m not saying anything. Not without my attorney.
When I don’t respond, he follows up with a resigned sigh. “We’re going to need your badge and gun while the investigation is ongoing.”
“I didn’t do it,” I blurt out when I realize I’m up shit’s creek. “There is no way I could’ve made it from my ranch and been to work by five thirty if Kali was buried around four in the morning. And I didn’t lie. When the officer asked me, I didn’t recognize her. It wasn’t until I visited the hospital that I figured out who she was.”
Total lie.
“Why didn’t you say something?”
I throw my hands up. “’Cause of this, right here.”
