Page 68 of State of Suspense

Sam scooted down the hallway to the interview room.

Freddie opened the door and let her go in ahead of him.

Both men gave her an odd look when she rolled the chair into the room.

“We heard you’re ready to talk.”

“That’s correct,” Conway said. “My client is willing to answer your questions in the hope that you might let the prosecutor know he was cooperative.”

“I’ll be sure to call her the second we’re done here.” Sam hoped they could hear the sarcasm in her tone. That son of a bitch Bryant was the reason she was injured—again. She wasn’t doing a goddamned thing to help him. “Detective Cruz, please record this conversation.”

Freddie turned on the recording and listed the people in the room as well as the time and date of the interview.

“Why’d you run from us?” Sam asked.

Judging by the way he glanced at the lawyer, Bryant hadn’t expected that to be her first question.

“I was scared.”

“Of what? You’ve already been charged with multiple capital felonies.”

“I don’t know. I freaked out. That’s allowed, right?”

“Sure, why not? Where would Rosemary have taken your son?”

He glanced at the lawyer and then at her. “What?”

“She promised us he’d turn himself in today, and they’ve gone missing. Where would they be?”

“I, uh, I don’t know. I’m not in touch with her now that the kids are adults.” He ran a trembling hand over his mostly bald head and leaned in to whisper to the lawyer.

Sam eyed the flame of his cheeks and nose, wondering if he was an alcoholic or if he had rosacea. Her ex-husband had suffered from the latter, and it’d made him miserable. Or more miserable, rather.

“Rosemary’s family has a cabin up north in Wisconsin. I’m not sure what town it’s in.”

“You’ve never been there?”

“Once, years ago. I don’t remember where it was.”

“Would your daughter know?”

“Yes, I suppose she would.”

“How can we get in touch with her?”

“I don’t have her number anymore. She stopped taking my calls years ago.”

“Didn’t that bother you?”

“Of course it did, but Rosemary was with them all the time while I was here. She poisoned them against me. I couldn’t fight that, so I stopped trying.”

“I would never stop trying to make things right with my kids.”

His face twisted into a mean sneer. “Wouldn’t we all like to be more like you?”

“I would,” Freddie said, earning him a smile from Sam. “We’d be lucky to be more like her.”

“Who would have your daughter’s number?”

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