Page 101 of Can You Take It?

I watch her face, and her shock is almost tangible. No matter how hard someone tries to escape their past, genuine shock like this can’t be faked.

I reach for my phone, and open the memorial page of Angie Swayer,the one Emily had dug up earlier. I show her a picture – a snapshot of her engagement ceremony with Liam.

Her eyes widen, yet, in a blink, she masks it, and I know another lie is about to roll off her tongue. Every time she opens that mouth to lie, I think about all the other ways I could keep it occupied.

“I wanted to forget him, you know,” she mutters. “They say if you keep saying it, you might just believe it.”

I scoff at her feeble attempt to downplay the significance of the photograph.

“Forget? Or conveniently pretend it never happened?”

She avoids my gaze, and I press on. “You don’t just forget an engagement, Izel. What are you hiding?”

“I was drunk, or maybe it was a joke. It doesn’t mean anything.”

I lean in, our faces inches apart. “I’ve seen lies. This isn’t just a drunken mistake. You can’t erase an engagement like it’s a bad night out.”

She glares at me. “Believe what you want. I don’t owe you an explanation.”

“Oh, you do,” I retort, the weight of her lies pressing on my patience.

“Why?” she challenges, a scoff in her tone. “Because we fucked?”

Her casual dismissal stings, as if our encounter meant nothing. But I don’t let it show. Instead, I hit her with the truth.

“No, baby, because Liam was found dead in his bedroom right after you decided to walk away from the front door after breaking and entering,” I shoot back.

All color drains from her face, and in that moment, I catch genuine shock in her eyes. Her carefully constructed walls crumble, and it confirms what I suspected – she didn’t murder Liam. She stammers, searching for words, “I didn’t, I don’t know...”

“So, here’s the deal,” I say, leaning in. “My team hasn’t reported the murder of Liam yet. If you don’t start talking, I’ll be forced to put you down as the prime suspect this time.”

She gulps, and I can see the realization sinking in. I ask again, “Did you see anything?”

She shakes her head, and I press further, “Why were you there?”

“I told you,” Izel responds with a hint of frustration in her voice. “I was looking for a USB drive.”

“And what’s on this USB drive that’s so important?”

Izel hesitates, her eyes darting away. “It’s just some work files, okay? Nothing major.”

“Work files?” I raise an eyebrow. “You expect me to believe you risked everything for some work files? Come on, Izel, give me something real.”

She nibbles her lip, and it’s impossible not to notice. The way her hair falls messily around her face, the flush on her cheeks. For a second, all I want to do is forget this case, forget everything, and just lose myself in her.

I lean back, shaking off the distraction to refocus on business.

“I’m telling you the truth, Richard. That’s all I was there for.”

“Who do you think would want to hurt Liam?” I ask, steering the conversation back on track.

She thinks for a moment, then shakes her head. “I don’t know.”

“Who else knows about the USB drive?” I ask, changing tactics. “Did you tell anyone you were looking for it?”

She hesitates again, and I know I’ve hit a nerve. “No. I didn’t tell anyone.”

Yeah, right. There’s no fucking way she didn’t talk to someone.

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