Page 36 of Stilettos & Whiskey
“That bitch put them there because Roger dumped her ass.”
“I’ve never dated Roger. He’s not my type. I’m not his type.”
Lucas put his arm around my shoulders. “I’m her type.”
I wanted to punch him in the gut again. Instead, I gave him my best Debbie Sunshine smile. “Lucas is the love of my life.”
“And Julie is the other half of my soul.” Lucas said and brushed his lips over mine.
The guys hooted and hollered.
When I got Lucas alone, I was gonna kick his ass.
“You’re lying. You’re lying. I’ve seen the videos of you pleading with my son to take you back,” Elvira cried.
Sheriff Maxwell interjected, “The videos are AI-generated, and poorly done. The woman looks nothing like Deputy Garza.”
I cringed. How many people had seen the videos?
“No,” Elvira pleaded. “Look on my phone. I have pictures of them together.”
Frank opened her purse and took out her cellphone. He scrolled through the pictures. “These are AI-generated too. On this one the fake Deputy Garza has six fingers.” He held her phone up and pointed at the woman’s hand. “See what I mean? And this one? Her arm is way too long. Plus, the woman is twenty pounds heavier than Julie and there is no tattoo.”
“I don’t understand. I don’t understand.”
I couldn’t feel any empathy for her. “We have evidence that your son is a serial killer. Tell us where he is before he hurts anyone else.”
“No! That’s not true. He’s a good cop, a good man. Roger said… He said you were about to get fired for dereliction of duty,” Elvira cried.
I stared at her in disbelief. “That’s not true.”
“Roger was put on a two-week probation, not Deputy Garza” Sergeant Bergman inserted. “He was falsifying his reports and using excessive force.”
“I don’t believe you.”
Rolling his eyes, Frank started the Miranda Warning, “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you…”
“Stop! You can’t arrest me.”
Sergeant Bergman growled, “Yes, we can. If you don’t want Roger to end up in a body bag, you’ll tell us where he is.”
“Do you know who my husband is?”
Sheriff Maxwell’s mouth tightened. “Yes, ma’am, we do. He’s also under arrest.
“What? That’s not possible. He’s a commander in the Wickenburg Police Department.”
Mom smiled without any trace of humor. “Your husband and his militant buddies attacked our ranch.”
“Reggie said your family was dealing drugs and that he was getting a warrant to raid your compound.”
Dad countered, “His attack failed. Ours didn’t. The meth lab in your barn blew up and caught your house and outbuildings on fire.”
“Fire!” The color drained from Elvira’s face.
“We were able to save the livestock, but the house and outbuildings were a total loss,” Sheriff Maxwell added.
Elvira’s eyes rolled back in her head and down she went.
