Page 12 of Toy

“That’s not going to happen. I need to be there,” I repeated. “She’s too scared to talk about it without me there.”

Beck folded her arms and gave me a withering look. Then she turned to Jolie. “You’re perfectly safe here at the station,” she said gently. “Mason will be right outside the room, and you know I don’t bite. There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Jolie shook her head and pursed her lips before focusing her gaze on the carpeted floor.

“Detective, could I speak with you privately for a moment?” I asked.

Beck sighed and nodded. She led me into a small interview room and closed the door before turning the slats on the blinds so that we could still see Jolie. “What can I do for you, Mr. Ashwood?” she said in a cagey tone.

I held up my hands. “Firstly, I wanted to say that I know we got off on the wrong foot a few months ago.”

“Oh, really?” She crossed her arms, a cynical smile playing on her lips.

“It’s my fault, and I take full responsibility for it. I was extremely rude to you, and I made myself look suspicious. There’s no real excuse for my behavior, but if it helps you understand, I was very stressed about Jolie’s disappearance, among other things.”

“Hm. Okay.” She arched one brow, waiting for me to get to the point.

I turned and held a hand out toward the door, gesturing toward Jolie. “You might not believe me, but you should know: I’m here for her right now. Not myself. The cult might’ve done this to me…” I waved my hand at the scarred left side of my face. “Along with what they did to my family, but that’s not why I’m here. That’s not why I want to know about your investigation. I’m here because Jolie is the closest thing I’ve got to family these days, and I want to keep her safe. She’s absolutely petrified of the men from the cult. She barely sleeps, and when she does, she has terrible nightmares. So whatever it takes, I’m going to support her. If that means going everywhere with her to hold her hand, then that’s what I’ll do. I’m not trying to control her in any way. I’m just worried about her. I love her. That’s why I need to be there when she talks to you.”

Beck’s shoulders sagged slightly, and she let out a sigh. “Mr. Ashwood, that’s all very nice, and if it’s true, then I suppose I’m actually quite happy for the two of you,” she said, face softening. “But I still can’t let you in while I take her statement. There’s—”

“There’s a protocol. I know.” I nodded firmly.

“Then you understand why I have to interview her alone.”

I leaned in slightly closer. “That’s the other thing,” I said in a low voice. “She doesn’t want to be interviewed here at the station.”

Beck’s eyes widened. “What?”

“She told me earlier that she won’t do it. No chance of convincing her otherwise.”

Two lines appeared between her dark brows. “Why?”

“Because she’s worried about leaks in the police force.”

She scoffed. “What leaks?”

I sighed. “Look, her father was a very powerful man back in the day. Before he started the cult, he presented himself as a nice Christian man, but it was all a bullshit façade. He was actually a soulless piece of shit, as you know, and he had a finger in every pie you can imagine in this state. Shady connections with everyone. Cops, politicians, mafiosos… you name it. That’s how he got away with everything for so long once he started the cult. All those connections and all that money.”

“I understand that, but I trust my colleagues,” Beck said stiffly. “None of them would leak information to Chastain or any other remaining cult members, wherever they may be.”

“You might trust them, but Jolie doesn’t. She only trusts you,” I insisted. I tilted my chin to the side. “When we first met, you said you weren’t living here when the cult was around. So how long have you lived here?”

“Around six years. Before that, I was in Montana.”

“So we know for sure that we can trust you. There’s no way you could possibly have any connection with a man like Jacob Chastain.”

“Right.” Beck’s eyes narrowed again. “What exactly are you asking me to do here?”

“I’m asking you to speak to us outside the station. Off the record,” I said resolutely. “I have to be there for Jolie’s sake, because like I said before, she’s far too frightened to speak to you about it alone, and it has to be off the record just in case any of your colleagues happen to have any ties to the old cult. I know it’s been years, but you never know. There might be a leak somewhere.”

Beck wearily rubbed her temples, her eyes closing for a few seconds. “What if Jolie tells me something that my colleagues can use in their investigation, and they catch the cult guys because of it? How am I going to explain where I got the information when there’s no record of me taking her statement or anything of the sort?”

I shrugged. “You could just say you ran into Jolie at a grocery store one day, and she blurted out a bunch of stuff to you before you could stop her.”

“That’s a very thin excuse. It won’t fly with my superiors, or anyone else with half a brain.”

“I’m sure you’ll think of something,” I said. “Jolie isn’t talking unless you agree to do it her way.”

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