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“Thank you, by the way, for calling in and reporting what Vanessa had failed to tell us,” he says, pulling up an app on his iPad. “Does she know the name of the caller?”
“I don’t think so. She just heard one side of the conversation, but she said that it got heated almost immediately.” I reach back and rub my neck, which is getting sore from sitting too much lately.
“Do you know who it was?” he asks pointedly.
“How would I know?” I ask, completely confused by the officer’s question.
“Well, I was just on the phone with Detective Kelly and you are still under investigation for your father’s death and now your brother is nearly taken out,” he replies with steely eyes. “With your brother gone, you would be the sole heir to the entire fortune.”
“Whoa,” I reply. My mind instantly begins to whirl. “I don’t care what I would inherit. There is no way I would ever kill anyone, especially my father and brother!” I take a step back, reeling in shock from his accusation.
“Well, most crimes like this end up being domestics that are motivated by greed,” the officer continues to talk, but my mind is already going a million different directions. “I don’t see any motive for Vanessa to act alone, since they are only engaged,” he concludes and now silence fills the space between us.
“Vanessa said that he was arguing with the caller about Tommy Fowler. It had nothing to do with me!” I counter after my thoughts begin to clear. That seems like an obvious glitch in his disturbing theory.
“That’s what she says.” He gives me a disturbing glare. “Is there any history between you and Vanessa?”
His question nearly makes my already queasy stomach repel its limited contents. In fact, I feel the harsh grip of acid as it surges up into my throat. I stare at him for a moment in complete disbelief of the question. Is he really thinking that this could be some type of conspiracy between Vanessa and me?
“No!” I blurt out. “I mean, we are old friends from growing up together, but she has been with Tyler for years.” I reach out and allow myself to collapse back into the chair.
“Are you okay?” he asks, giving me a look of concern.
“Yeah, I have just had one hell of a day and now I’m being accused of trying to kill my brother.” I run my hand over my face and beads of sweat fall onto my lap.
“You seem more than a little stressed out,” he says, witnessing the sweat dripping from my face. “Are you sure you are okay?”
“I suffer from anxiety and I’ve had the most stressful two weeks anyone could possibly imagine. On top of that, hospitals make me feel claustrophobic. So no, I’m probably not okay.” I reach to the side for a paper towel and wipe the sweat from my face and brow. “I just can’t believe all of this shit.”
“I’m sorry, Trey but we need to evaluate whether or not you are a threat to your brother’s safety,” he adds, making me suddenly realize that they are concerned by the fact that I am alone with him in the room.
“Seriously?” I gasp, closing my eyes and throwing my head back against the wall. “I had nothing to do with this. I can’t believe you guys would even think that?”
“Well, for one thing, Vanessa didn’t seem all that upset when we interviewed her earlier. That’s normally a huge red flag,” he explains.
“I agree,” I reply. “I was thinking the same thing. Mom was a wreck tonight and Vanessa seemed to be a little unfazed by everything.”
“Then when I talked to Detective Kelly, he mentioned that you brought a girl to your father’s funeral that looked an awful lot like Vanessa,” he adds, sending another stabbing pain into my stomach. “He said that several people who attended had commented on it, so it must have been a pretty strong resemblance.”
He pauses, obviously searching for clues in my reaction to his statement. “I’m not going to say another word without consulting my attorney.” I move past him and out the door into the hallway trying to catch my breath.
“Your father was about to restructure his will and he ends up dead. Your brother was about to marry a woman who you have always loved and someone tries to take him out,” he speculates out loud as he follows me out of the room. “In the end, you and Vanessa get together and share the entire fortune.” He stares intently at me as I spin on my heel resulting in a stare down. “I can’t let you stay here tonight without supervision,” he adds after several seconds.
