Page 56 of Justice Delayed

Jared glared at her. “Woman, you are getting on my last nerve. How should I know that? It’s been nearly twenty years ago.”

“Surely you’ve thought about what your little brother was wearing the last time you saw him.” Brogan interjected to divert Jared’s attention from Melender.

“I haven’t a clue what the kid was wearing, okay?” Jared swept his arm toward the open door. “Leave. Now.”

Brogan moved to stand by Melender, who had gone stock still, her eyes focused not on Jared but on something past his shoulder. “Come on, let’s go.” He touched Melender’s arm, but she shook off his touch.

Pointing a finger at Jared, she said, “You were doing drugs that night.”

“What? No way.” Jared shook his head.

Melender didn’t give up. “You left the kids alone to meet Snake. He’d never come to the house. I heard you begging him to come once, but he was afraid of Quentin. So you used to meet him at the end of the driveway.”

“That’s old news.” Jared linked his hands on top of his head. “I’ve been clean for years.”

Brogan took a chance and asked the question building in his mind. “Then why were you meeting Snake the night he was killed?”

ChapterTwenty-Three

“Itold you to leave.” Jared pulled out his cell phone. “I’m calling the police if you don’t get out of my place in five seconds.”

Brogan gripped Melender’s arm. “We’re going.” He didn’t like the fear in Jared’s eyes. He hustled Melender down the stairs, ignoring her protests. They weren’t likely to get anything else of use from Jared anyway.

Outside the building, Melender wrenched her arm away and whirled on him. “Why did you drag me out of there? He didn’t answer your question about seeing Snake.”

“He wasn’t likely to.” He nodded toward the parking lot. “Let’s go to the car. No sense giving Jared and his neighbors a show.”

“Fine.” She stormed down the path, leaving him to catch up to her.

Once in his SUV with the AC running, he turned to her. “Listen, I’ll call the detectives investigating Snake’s murder and let them know about our conversation with Jared.”

“Do you think they’ll ask him if he saw Snake before the murder?” Melender clicked her seatbelt into place, some of the anger draining out of her voice.

“I don’t know.”

“Will you tell them Jared lied about the night Jesse disappeared?”

The hope in her voice touched him, but he couldn’t let her keep wishing for something that wasn’t likely to happen. “Jared’s story does differ from what he said eighteen years ago, but that doesn’t constitute new evidence in the case.”

“He lied.” Melender folded her arms, her voice regaining strength. “Jared probably killed Snake because the dealer could confirm Jared left the house to buy from him.”

“It doesn’t mean Jared had anything to do with Jesse’s—or Snake’s—death.”

“But it proves I was telling the truth about not being left in charge of the kids.”

“Look, I know you see this as a big step in proving your side of the story.” When she started to object, Brogan held up a hand. “I grant you it’s significant no one followed up on the inconsistencies of his and the nanny’s statements, but the fact remains a jury convicted you based on the evidence presented by the prosecutor. It will take more than a witness lying on the stand to officially re-open the case.”

Melender blew out a breath, tension radiating from every line of her taut form. “Jared knows something he’s not saying.” She whipped around to face him, her blue eyes intent on his face. “And it’s not that he slipped out to meet Snake. There’s something else.”

Brogan had also pegged Jared as hiding something. “What makes you think that?”

“He seemed very agitated about our asking about Jesse.”

“It could be a normal reaction.”

“Yeah, maybe.” She didn’t drop her gaze from his. “But the way he related those facts sounded rehearsed, like he practiced it. Besides, I noticed he had tiny beads of sweat on his upper lip and his micro-expressions showed fear.”

“That’s a lot of detail to notice.” Brogan didn’t bother to hide his amazement at her perception. Even he hadn’t pinpointed exactly what made him think Jared was withholding something. He relied more on his gut and experience of interviewing hundreds of people over the years than science.

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