Page 63 of Ghostlighted
“Ricky?” I whispered.
“What happened? Kamilla? What did I miss?” He stumbled forward, his fingers curling into fists. “What did Ido?”
“Who says you did anything?” I turned to Kamilla. “You know this is wrong. He’d never hurt Sofia.”
Kamilla pressed her lips into a flat line. “What I feel isn’t relevant, Maz. This is my job. Do you think you could let me do it? If Ricky comes alongquietly”—she glared meaningly at Ricky, and I realized she hadn’t Mirandized him yet—“it will help more in the long run.”
Ricky peered up at me from under his lashes. “It’s all right, Maz.” He held out his arms, his hands relaxed.
“Do… Do you have to cuff him?”
Kamilla didn’t answer, but as she snapped the handcuffs on Ricky’s wrists, she gave me an apologetic look. “I’m taking him to the sheriff’s office in Richdale for booking. In case you need to let anybody know.”
I stood on the porch, the door open behind me, watching as Kamilla took Ricky’s arm and led him to the waiting patrol car.
“This can’t be happening.” Then Kamilla’s words hit me: “In case you need to let anybody know.”
OfcourseRicky wouldn’t contact anybody, let alone a lawyer. For one thing, he was exhausted and not thinking clearly. For another, he’d flat out said it washis fault.
“For cripes’ sake, Ricky,” I muttered as I pulled out my phone and dialed Taryn, “keep your mouth shut.”
After three rings, Taryn answered. “Maz. This had better be good. Haley and I are in the middle of?—”
“Ricky was just arrested,” I blurted.
“What? Why?”
“For attempting to murder Sofia.”
“Oh, for the love of… Where are you?”
“I’m at my house, but Kamilla said she was taking him to the sheriff’s office in Richdale for booking.” I paced to the end of the porch and looked across the lawn at Sofia’s house. “Taryn, youknowhe would never do anything to hurt Sofia.”
“Of course I know that.”
“But he feels responsible for her, for everything that happens to her. I’m just afraid that if he doesn’t have somebody with him, he’ll say something hideously suspicious just because he feels like he should have somehow prevented her collapse. I mean, it’s not like any of his family or I can be with him while he’s questioned. Your dad is still out of town and he doesn’t practice anymore, anyway. You’re the only other lawyer I know. Will you do it, Taryn? Can you go be with him? Help him?”
She sighed audibly. “I’m not a criminal defense attorney, Maz.”
“But youarean attorney. I’m just a freaking ghostwriter. There’s… there’s nothing I can do for him.” I swallowed thickly and tried to laugh. Unsuccessfully. “Hell, the way Liam was tossing threats around, I’m surprised they didn’t arrestme.”
“Wait. Liam’s in town?”
“Yeah. Ricky said his mom must have called him, even though Sofia didn’t want tobotherhim.”
Taryn snorted. “Not likely. Mariaalwayscaves to Sofia about everything except how many peppers to add to the salsa.”
“Well, somebody did.”
There was a brief pause, where I heard another voice murmuring to her.Crap. Haley. I’d barged in on them again. “I’m sorry. I’ll?—”
“Don’t be. You did the right thing. I can head to the sheriff’s office now. With luck, he won’t have said anything incriminating yet.”
“Too late for that. He practically told Kamilla he was at fault.”
“Damn it, Ricky,” she muttered. “Fine. With luck, I can keep him from digging a deeper hole. I can at least be there to advise him, and even if I can’t represent him at trial, I know people who can. Don’t worry.”
“Can you… That is, attorney-client privilege and all that, but can you call me and tell mewhythey think he’s their suspect? And why they think it’s a murder charge?”
