Page 30 of Protecting the Newborn

“Gotta go,” Ruston told Noah. “Allie’s boyfriend just showed up.”

“Good. Let me know if he spills anything I can use,” Noah added right before he ended the call.

Gracelyn’s first impression of Devin was that he didn’t look the sort to spill anything that wouldn’t paint himself in a good light. But that left plenty of other areas where he might be helpful. First, though, she had to get past that initial feeling of disdain. This was a man who’d assaulted and stalked women. That made him slime in her book, but if she hadn’t known his history, she might not have seen the sliminess.

He was dressed like a rock star in his designer jeans with rips in all the trendy places. He’d paired them with a black tee that she was betting he hadn’t bought off the rack. Expensive boots and sunglasses completed the outfit.

Woodrow went to Devin, first checking his ID and then sending him through the metal detector. No alarms sounded, but then, Devin would have been a fool to come to a sheriff’s office armed.

“Gracelyn?” Devin questioned once he’d cleared security. When she nodded, he thrust out his hand for her to shake. She did that while keeping her gaze pinned to him.

“We can use interview room one,” Duncan said, and he introduced both himself and Ruston.

“We?”Devin challenged. “I thought it’d be just Gracelyn and me talking.”

“Then you thought wrong,” Duncan quickly replied.

Devin didn’t scowl at that remark. In fact, the little twist of his mouth seemed to convey that he’d expected this to be an official interview with the cops.

“Detective Noah Ryland from SAPD has been trying to get in touch with you,” Ruston said to Devin as they walked to the room.

“Really?” Devin said, and he checked his phone. “No messages from him. Oh,” he added as if something had just occurred to him. “I have a new number. Guess he’s probably been trying to reach me at the old one. Detective Ryland, you said?”

Ruston nodded. He, too, had a hard look in his eyes.

“All right, I’ll call Ryland when I’m done here,” Devin said once they were in the interview room. “I’m guessing he wants to talk to me about Allie,” he added. “Has she done something else I don’t know about?”

None of them answered, but Duncan launched right into reading Devin his rights. That finally erased some of Devin’s cockiness.

“Am I under arrest?” Devin asked.

“No. Reading you your rights is for your protection, so that you know what’s expected of you,” Duncan explained. “And so you’re aware you can have a lawyer. We can all wait here if you want to call one.”

“That won’t be necessary. I didn’t do anything wrong,” Devin insisted. “In fact, I’m trying to do what’s right by coming here.” He sat and looked at Gracelyn, who took the seat at the table across from him. Duncan sat next to her while Ruston opted to stand.

Gracelyn didn’t waste any time getting the questions started. “On the phone, you said you were afraid my sister had gotten into serious trouble. Explain that.”

Devin gathered his breath, and rearranged his expression by bunching up his forehead. “Allie’s been using drugs again. Two days ago, I caught her trying to make a deal with one of her old dealers. She didn’t even deny it. Didn’t deny either that she’d taken money from my wallet to buy the drugs.”

Gracelyn tried to ignore the initial emotional punch of that. It certainly wasn’t the first time she’d heard someone say Allie was using. In fact, Allie had been arrested twice for drug possession when she’d been a juvenile. Her pattern was to stay clean for about a year, and then she’d have a relapse. Thankfully, she’d been in the clean stage when she was pregnant with Abigail.

“Allie and I had a big argument,” Devin went on, “and I told her she had to leave. I’ve got a record.” He added a dry laugh. “But I’m positive you already know that.” He put his arms on the table and leaned in toward her. “I don’t want to do anything that could land me in jail. Not only would that cause my folks to disown me, but it’s not who I am now. New leaf and all that.”

Gracelyn figured she failed at totally suppressing a scowl over the way he’d flippantly thrown in that last part. But she was betting he was indeed concerned about being disowned. From everything she’d read about his parents, they fit more of the mold of upstanding citizens.

“Where did Allie go after you argued?” Gracelyn asked.

“I have no idea.” He paused, forehead bunching up again. “But she said if I didn’t give her the money that she’d get it from you. She figured by now you were attached to the baby and that you’d be willing to pay for the privilege of keeping her.”

Gracelyn felt sick to her stomach, and she wanted every word of that to be lies. But she couldn’t be sure. When Allie was using, she would resort to anything to get her hands on drugs.

“So, you know about the baby,” Ruston commented.

“Yeah, Allie told me about her.” Devin stopped, and his eyes widened. “Wait. Is the kid okay? Is she safe?” The concern in his voice appeared to be genuine.Appeared.

“She’s safe,” Gracelyn settled on saying. “What did Allie tell you about the baby?”

“That I’m her father,” Devin admitted without hesitation.

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