Page 48 of Off the Hook

“We need to talk, Coulter,” Faith said softly.

Oscar had a mean look in his eyes. “We can do it here, or down at the station, your choice.”

“Why Detective, you’re so sweet, pretending I have a choice in the matter,” I sneered. “Just ask your questions so I can get on with my life.”

“Shall we sit?” he asked, but was already heading toward the table under the tiki hut a few yards away.

“Sure, but don’t get too comfortable.” I said, begrudgingly following them. I didn’t want them there, but I sure as shit wasn’t going to an interrogation room with that asshole to talk about the night Kylie got trashed and started a fight.

I sat on the opposite side of the picnic table, facing them. Faith didn’t even look at me while her partner handed me a manila folder. I flipped it open, expecting to see the report of that awful night. Instead, I saw color prints of still frames of my truck, time stamped December 22, 23, and 24.Oh shit.

“Care to explain why you were caught on camera on Kylie’s street in the days before she died? You conveniently forgot to mention that when we questioned you,” Detective Ramirez sneered.

His tone sent an angry wave through me. “Yeah, I drove by her house. I was trying to talk to her in person, like I told you before. But her car was never there, so I just turned around at the end of the street and went home.”

Ramirez narrowed his eyes. “Why didn’t you mention that before?”

“Because I didn't see her. I didn’t talk to her. I didn’t even stop. It didn’t seem relevant.”

Faith responded calmly. “Not telling us that you’d been there multiple times looks suspicious.”

Her partner hurried to add, “It could be argued that it appears that you were stalking her.”

My mouth dropped open and I glared at Faith. “I wasn’t stalking her. Just like I said the million times you’ve asked… I wanted to talk to her in person and see with my own eyes that she was okay. I kept driving by, hoping to see her car, but she was never home.”

“She was home for this one.” Oscar tapped on the photo from Christmas Eve. “In fact, this was taken right around the time of her death.”

My throat closed around a big lump that formed there. I swallowed it down and snapped at him. “There is no point in trying to defend myself. You’re not going to believe me no matter what I say.” I tried to sound confident, but the thought that I might have been able to save Kylie if I’d stopped, made me break out in a cold sweat.

“Looks to me like you were casing the joint, planning the crime. And then you finally got the nerve, and did it.” Oscar tapped the Christmas Eve image again.

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “All I did was drive by. If you want to look at cameras, why don’t you try to find some others near the entrance of the neighborhood, so you’ll see I didn’t stay there long enough to kill anyone? Oh wait…I know why. You’re not interested in the truth.” I closed the folder and stood up, slapping the weathered wooden table top. “If you two are going to keep trying to pin a murder on me that I didn’t commit, I need a lawyer before I talk to you again.”

Faith wouldn’t meet my eyes as she stood. Ramirez let out a grunt. “We’ll be in touch,” he said, taking back the folder and turning to leave.

“And another thing,” I called after them. “Don’t you dare show up and treat me like a murderer at my place of business, ever again,” I snapped, my anger boiling over. Faith finally looked at me. I shook my head, glaring. “I thought you were different.”

Faith flinched, but didn’t say anything. They both walked away, leaving me fuming on the dock.

CHAPTER 25

FAITH

Finally home from work, and away from Oscar, I stared at my phone for a long time before dialing Coulter’s number. My heart pounded as it rang. I felt super guilty for bombarding him at the marina. The bitterness in his voice and the hurt in his eyes made me think he’d never forgive me.

“What now?” Coulter answered, gruff and obviously pissed off.

“Hey,” I began, my voice trembling. “I’m sorry about blindsiding you at work.”

“Faith, I don’t need your apologies,” he snapped. “What I need is for you to stop playing games. You run hot and cold and I can’t keep up.” His voice vibrated in anger. “You wish I had told you about driving up and down the street? Maybe I wish you trusted me a little bit more, so I might feel safe enough to tell you that.”

“I do trust you,” I insisted, “But Oscar doesn’t. And unfortunately evidence keeps popping up that fuels his suspicions.”

“Evidence?” he scoffed. “What about thedefinitive evidencethat showed someone else actually committed the crime? Those were your words, Faith. But your words don’t mean anything, just like the DNA that should have let me off the hook.” Coulter’s voice shook, and hurt my heart. “Or that night and day we spent together.”

Ouch.I felt terrible for giving him false hope, but it’s what I believed at the time. Otherwise I’d never have slept with him. “Coulter, I know you’re frustrated. But you have to understand that withholding evidence just makes it harder on yourself.”

“Well, it’s all out in the open now,” he said with an angry tone.

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