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“Lara,” I screamed as I started running. “Lara.”
Yellow crime scene tape stretched across the entire front yard of Casa di Rossi.
* * *
Josh
A shitloadof police cars were parked in front of Nicole’s house, and the street was blocked to traffic by a fire truck.
I pulled to the curb in front of her neighbor’s house.
Nicole was out and running before I’d even shifted the Escalade into park.
It wasn’t until I locked the car and made it to the sidewalk that I saw what had spooked her—yellow crime scene tape like on TV.
“But it’s my house,” she screamed at a cop holding her back.
I made it to them and wrapped my arms around her to keep her from getting fucking arrested for hitting the cop or whatever else my crazy girl would do in this state.
“Lara’s in there,” Nicole pleaded. “She’s my only cousin. I need to see her.”
The man in blue wasn’t impressed. “No one goes in—orders. Just stay back.” His nametag read Milton.
“I called this in,” I told him. “I’d like to talk to whoever is in charge.”
That got Milton’s attention. He spoke into his radio. “I need a detective at the sidewalk.” He listened, we listened, no response.
“If you don’t want a statement, that’s fine. We’ll leave,” I told him and dragged Nicole back a step.
“But—” she pleaded.
I clamped her to my side and whispered in her ear. “Trust me.”
I turned us toward the car. “Don’t worry, honey. They don’t even know our names. They’ll never find us.”
“Stop,” Officer Milton ordered.
I looked back. “Officer, you just told us to leave.”
Milton lifted the tape. “You need to come with me.”
Nicole’s eyes widened, and she laced her arm behind me before looking up and whispering. “Sneaky.”
I kept her close as we walked under the tape and followed the officer across the yard and up the steps. “I’m sure it’ll just take a second, Nickels.”
“11-98, detective to the front door, now,” Milton said angrily into his radio. “Wait here,” he told us as he went inside and closed the door.
“I need to see Lara,” Nicole said as she tried to follow him.
I held her in my grip. “Slow down.”
“But she needs me.”
“I got you past the tape, didn’t I? Hold on until we talk to somebody with some juice around here.”
The voice came from deeper inside the house. “Who called for a detective?”
“I’ve got someone you need to interview,” Milton replied. “He says he called it in.”
