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He backed away.
I dialed Steven Covington’s old friend Mike Salois. His office was close.
Mike picked up right away. “Hi, Josh. If you’re calling about the Habitat weekend—”
I stopped him. “Mike, it’s not that. I need help.”
“One sec. Let me close the door… Okay, what’s up?”
“A friend of mine, actually a family, needs your help, and right now if you can get here fast.”
Noises came from the other end of the line. “Emily, I’m going out for a while,” Mike said. “I’ll call.”
If Emily objected, I didn’t hear it. I waited for him to speak.
“Okay, I’m headed to the car now. Where are you, and what’s the situation?”
“It looks like there’s been a murder,” I began.
* * *
Nicole
I twistedthe glass of water in my hand as the officer escorted Josh out the front door.
“Where is your cousin?” Detective Beal asked again.
Closing my eyes, I willed myself to be calm and mentally counted to three before answering. “She’s not here?”
He let out an exasperated breath. “No. Now, where is she?”
I told him the truth. “I thought she was here.”
Beal’s face became redder. “I want to talk to her. Now tell me where she is.”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“We have her phone. I know she called you just before the 9-1-1 call came in. What did she say? Did she say why she attacked him?”
I fell back into the couch. “I feel faint. I think I’m going to need oxygen.” I needed to slow this down and think.
“Don’t pull that crap. What did she say?”
I closed my eyes. “Can I get some oxygen?”
He gave in and called to get the paramedics.
After five minutes on the oxygen mask, the paramedic checked my blood pressure, pulse, and oxygen saturation again. He declared me ready and able to talk.
I would not let Beal intimidate me. I had the power here.
He shifted closer again and repeated the same question. “Where is your cousin?”
A policeman walked in from the kitchen. “What do we do with the dog?”
Beal turned. “Take him in.”
“Hey,” I protested. “You can’t take my dog.”
