Page 29 of Devoted

He wipes his brow. "I appreciate your cooperation, Angie. It seems we got off to a rocky start. This doesn't have to be aggravating or hard. Just trying to get to the facts so we can help bring downFreestone."

His new conciliatory tone, like we're buddies now, is grating. I just need to get through a few more hours withhim.

"So after the women showered?" heasks.

"We were led into a room set up for a party, music, great food, even somedecorations."

"How manywomen?"

"Maybethirty."

"All from the streets andshelters?"

"Far as I know,yes."

"And how many were taken to Lace Underground withyou?"

I shook my head. "Justme."

His eyes widen. "Just you? I don't understand. Out of all the women at the party, Freestone choseyou?"

A laugh shoots from my mouth. "Why, that is hardly insulting at all. Maybe you could add just a touch more disbelief to yourtone."

His face darkens but it's not anger. "Of course, I didn't mean it that way. You're a very attractive—" He stops, apparently deciding he's stepping into weird territory. "It's just that there were so many women but Freestone only took one with him." He wisely moves on to another line of questions. One that I would prefer to avoid. "Were the women given any drugs or alcohol at theparty?"

"There was champagne," I say lightly. He's waiting for more. "It contained some of the drug, a small dose. I had no idea and drank a glass of champagne. The effects hit me prettyhard."

He opens the folder. "Is that the drug the women callnectar?"

I nod and he reminds me of the tape recorder. "Yes, it was a small dose ofnectar."

"We'll talk more about nectar in future sessions. Let's get to your first meeting with Freestone. So what happened as the other women left theparty?"

"Rowan, the guy who picked the women from shelters and tent cities told me to come with him. He led me to a room filled with security equipment, computers, the visible side of the mirrors. Then he went to get Mr. Freestone." My purposeful attempt at leaving out details doesn't escape hisnotice.

"You were left on your own in the room? Did you check out any of the security footage or snoop through their computer data? You were, after all, on an undercoverassignment."

I have no choice but to add in details. Otherwise, I look pretty fucking incompetent. "My hands were tied behind my back and I was wearing a blindfold. I was alone only for a few minutes, then someone entered. Freestoneentered."

"What happenednext?"

I glance at the heavy curtains over the window. They are shut. Sunlight is trying its hardest to get past them. "He asked me to drink morechampagne."

"And didyou?"

"I said no at first. He was going to send me out with the other girls. I knew that meant I would never get into Lace Underground. My assignment would be an epic fail so I took somesips."

"And thenwhat?"

I'd been so resolute about not telling intimate or embarrassing details but something tells me Winter will know when I'm lying or when I'm withholding. This time I avoid any eye contact with the prim Dr. Renfrew. "He undressed me." The moment I say it, I think about how erotic those few moments were in the security room. It was the champagne I tell myself. But I'm convinced some of my reaction was natural. Freestone knew what he was doing. He seemed to know exactly what I wanted, what I fantasized about. For those months underground, he worked hard to fulfill thosefantasies.

My succinct answer seems to bother Winter. He closes the folder on his lap. "Detective Tennyson, can I befrank?"

"Jeez, more frank than you havebeen?"

"First, I'm not pleased with these motel room arrangements and it's hot as hell. We've got a lot of territory to cover in the comingweeks."

The words 'coming weeks' lodge in my throat. I don't bother to say them out loud. "This could get old quick,eh?"

---