Page 131 of My Best Bet

A younger cop with an athletic build and mustache who had to be about mid-twenties stopped right in front of me. “Mr. Conover?”

My mind stuttered to a stop. I stared at him for a second, shocked that he was talking to me. “Yes?”

“We’d like to ask you to come down to the station. We’ve got a few questions.”

My pulse pounded in my ears as my eyes drifted over them. “What’s this about?”

His partner, an older cop with tired eyes, shifted his weight, looking uncomfortable. “You’ve had two romantic partners with faulty brake lines. Why don’t you tell us, Mr. Conover?”

Shock rocked into me.

Brakes?

I replayed his words in my head as I struggled to breathe.

That’swhat caused her to crash? Her brakes didn’t work?

How the fuck…? What was the likelihood…? Stella…?I couldn't even form a full thought.

But as my eyes met theirs, the reality of the situation dawned on me: They thoughtIdid it.

The older cop gave me a stern nod. “As of this moment, you’re a suspect in the attempted murder of Meredith Bennett, and the murder of a Ms. Stella Thompson.”

My heart hammered so hard in my chest it could break a rib. “What the fuck? Why the fuck would I–”

“Mr. Conover, we need you to come with us,” the younger cop interjected.

I shook my head. All the anger and frustration built up inside of me over the last twenty-four hours erupted out of me. “I’m not leaving. This has to wait. I’m not leaving her here.”

Cheryl popped her head out of Mer’s room to see what was causing the commotion.

The cops made eye-contact, silently communicating with each other, then the younger one sighed.

“Sir, you’re wanted for questioning. You need to come with us now. If you resist, we will be forced to arrest you for obstruction.”

Dread filled my body. This couldnotbe happening. My head dropped back against the wall.

44.Colt - Tell Me Now

My mind reeled as I sat there with my forehead laid down on the cold interrogation room table.

How the fuck was this happening? Why couldn’t we just catch a fucking break?

I’m not sure how long I stayed there before the heavy door opened and Johnny, my lawyer, finally appeared. Wearing one of his signature pricey suits, clean-shaven, and with his dark hair gelled back, Johnny strode in with confidence. He and I had played hockey together for a year back in Ontario. He never made it to the pros himself, but he now represented a bunch of us that he played with in the past.

Unbuttoning his suit jacket, he pulled out the chair next to me and sat, then frowned. “You smell bad.”

I side-eyed him. “No shit.” I hadn’t seen a shower or bed since practice yesterday in Florida. “Can you just get me out of here? I need to get back to the hospital.”

When Mer woke up, she asked one thing of me, and I failed. I fucking hated that I was forced to leave her there. The fact that she was in the hospital, scared, hurt, and alone, and I was barred from seeing her felt all too fucking familiar. If I thought too much about it, I was going to break down like a baby.

Johnny opened his mouth to say something else, but the door popped open and two detectives dressed in smart black suits walked in the room.

“Stay silent,” Johnny ordered under his breath while he took a seat beside me. “Detectives,” he greeted them with a pleasant nod.

While they talked, I kept my mouth shut, barely listening. I just kept replaying the past couple days, trying to figure out how this could’ve happened.

My mind kept snagging on Andy.

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