Page 32 of Locked In Ice

Shay’s gaze dropped.Raked over him.

“What the hell is happening?”Lane demanded.

Shay’s gaze rose.Swept back to Ophelia.“You two had separate rooms.”

“Certainly looks that way.”Both she and Lane had asked what was happening—why hadn’t Shay told them yet?Oh, I have such a bad feeling.One that is getting worse by the second.

“So you don’t know where he was last night?”Shay motioned to Lane.“And he doesn’t know where you were?”

Oh, yes, this was bad.

“We were in bed,” Lane said, his voice flat and hard.

Ophelia didn’t blush.She’d never been the blushing type.Besides, he hadn’t said they were in bedtogether.Just in bed.“It’s awful early for an interrogation.Usually, I prefer to save all of my interrogations untilafterI’ve had at least two cups of coffee.”A flippant response when she felt anything but flippant.Alarm bells were raging in Ophelia’s mind.She’s trying to get our alibis.

Shay’s head bobbed.“I needed to stop you from leaving town.I came straight over.”

“How—exactly—did you even know we were here?”Ophelia hadn’t given the detective that info.

Shay pointed to Lane.“He gave the front desk officer this location at the station.In case there were follow-up questions.”A hard pause.“I have follow-up questions.”

“Fine.”Ophelia moved to stand in front of Lane.She had the weirdest feeling that she needed to protect him.

Weird?Nope.Maybe it was just serious foreshadowing.She knew suspicion when she saw it, and suspicion was all over Shay’s face.And the detective had said she wanted to stop them before they left town.Oh, so bad.Because you stoppedguiltypeople from leaving.You didn’t care what innocent people did.“Lane and I should get dressed.Then we can talk.Why don’t you go wait in the lobby, detective?”

“Neither of you have alibis, do you?After you left the police station and came here, you each went in your rooms.You have no alibis.”

Ophelia drove her hands into the deep pockets of her robe.“Why would we need an alibi?”

“Because…” Shay watched her carefully.No doubt, looking for a tell or a slip up as the detective dramatically announced, “Thomas Bass was murdered in his cell.Right around four a.m.this morning.”

Ophelia glanced back over her shoulder at Lane.And in that instant, she could hear his words running through her mind.As clear as day.

I told him that I had already broken out of one prison.I could easily break into another one.He would never be safe from me unless he confessed.I would find him, and what he’d done to his victims would pale in comparison to what I’d do to him.

Lane’s eyes widened.His face—his mask locked down even harder than normal.He opened his mouth—

Her right hand flew out and pressed to his chest.“Isn’t that just horrible?”Ophelia injected shock in her voice.Murder is always horrible, so I’m not really faking anything.

A little furrow appeared between Lane’s dark brows.

She looked back at Shay but kept her hand on Lane’s chest.“I’m sure the holding cells were equipped with video cameras.”

Shay blinked.“Not in the rear section.Not where we had Thomas.That was an older part of the facility.Cameras are up front.No one can get back there without clearance.”

“So you’re saying a cop killed Thomas?”

“No, dammit, that’s not what I’m saying!I’m—no one should have gotten back there without clearance.But someone did.The cameras up front caught sight of a male, tall, dark hair, wearing a cop’s uniform and flashing a badge.He entered the facility shortly after 4 a.m.Left fifteen minutes later.And during those fifteen minutes, this individual killed Thomas Bass.”As she’d described the person on camera, Shay’s gaze had jumped to Lane.

Male.

Tall.

Dark hair.

“Not this shit again,” Lane growled.

Not this shit.Not the accusation of being a killer.

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