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I open my lips to respond, but Regina crosses her arms. “Have you spoken to the detective who cracked the case?”
Officer Smith tilts her head. “We’ve spoken to the detective.”
Regina clicks her tongue. “And?”
Officer Jones tightens his jaw. “She was…uncooperative.”
This garners a smile from me, and the edges of Regina’s mouth quirk. Beth, however, doesn’t look impressed.
Officer Smith, after a few long seconds, directing her attention to her partner, says, “Her story seems to check out. If you’re lying, we will find out, and we will be back.”
Regina squares off with her, and I hold my breath. “You have all the answers you came for, then.”
Smith pauses for a moment. “Seems like it.” She hands me a card. “If anything jogs your memory about this man, please let us know. We appreciate your cooperation.”
“She’s told you everything she knows,” Regina snipes, and I’ve never appreciated her more in this moment.
The officers leave, and Regina follows. My parents and Regina argue in the kitchen, and my mom stomps to her room and slams the door, shaking the entire house. A few minutes later, Regina returns, and I’ve stepped up to the window watching the snowfall again.
“You lied to them,” I tell her without looking at her.
“I did not lie to them. That is the truth as it exists on paper.”
“Why are you helping me? You know what I am.”
She shakes her head and closes the door. “It’s my duty as your doctor to keep you safe, and my gut is telling me that Archer is the key to finding out what’s really going on.”
A few minutes later, a soft knock at the door breaks our conversation. Regina frowns and opens it. “I thought I told you to leave.” She steps back as Sarah Crawley enters. “Oh. It’s you. You better leave before Beth sees you.”
Sarah pushes herself in and another officer emerges behind her.. “I’ve got an arrest warrant, now get out of my way, Regina.”
Regina sucks in breath, and I lose my ability to breathe. “What’s happening, Sarah?”
“Gotta take her in.”
Regina shakes her head. “No. You can’t do this. She won’t survive in a jail cell. You’ve already released her to me for this. Let me make some calls.”
Sarah steps toward me, and I slump my shoulders as she makes contact. “That was before it became a murder. Second murder investigation in the matter of a week that’s connected to my suspect.”
Suspect…
“Beth can’t just make this go away. If there’s going to be any argument that she wasn’t criminally responsible, the court will need evidence, not just your opinion. It’s not up to you or me to decide.”
Detective Crawley’s words send my world spinning as she snaps cold metal handcuffs around my wrists. “I’m sorry, kid,” she whispers before her voice rings out. “Layla Ashby, you’re under arrest for the murder of Gabe Williams…” By the time she finishes her arrest, I can barely hear her words as my mind fades to black.
Chapter 33
Three days go by as I sit in a single jail cell, and now it’s only hours before I am brought before justice for my bail hearing. Given my celebrity status, they’ve kept me isolated, and because of Beth’s influence, I’m able to stay in Stormwood.
Most of the time, I’m lost in a trance, able to switch off my brain as easily as flipping a light switch. The guard plays music all night, which keeps me from completely breaking. One day, I worry I’ll get lost in my memories and never return.
The jailer jingles his keys, then calls for the doors to open. This gets my blood flowing. I had breakfast recently and wasn’t expecting anyone to meet with me until at least noon.
I lift my head from the steel bed, clad only in my orange jumpsuit. I tilt my head toward him, my expression unreadable. His gaze drifts down my slender frame before flicking away. Even the guard can’t meet my eyes; he, too, is afraid of what I’ve become.
“What is it?” I ask him.
He coughs nervously. “You have visitors, Ms. Ashby.”
