Page 46 of Mine to Hold
Fuck.
What the hell was she hiding and why?
“What kind of trouble?” Rhett asked.
“Drugs. Stealing. You name it, he was into it,” Rumor said. “But I haven’t seen or heard from him in years.” She held Emmerson’s gaze and didn’t blink once.
Truth.
Good.
“What about Tom Hemming?” Miles asked.
“I don’t recognize the name.” Rumor folded her hands in her lap and stared at them.
“You’ve never heard of him?” Miles asked.
“I can’t say that I have.” She didn’t look up.
Lie.
Fucking A.
Emmerson gulped his beer. He wanted to stand and pace, but he needed to continue to gauge her response. He needed to have cop instincts, even if killed him. This next round of questions was going to be one hell of a conversation and Rumor was either going to lie or get up and leave. Or worse, kick him under the table. “Your last known address in California matches?—”
“Emmerson? Rhett? Miles?” his mother’s voice boomed across the Florida air like nails on a chalkboard. “Are you back here? Is Rumor with you?”
“She’s fucking early,” Miles whispered.
“Her timing always sucks,” Emmerson said. “Yeah, Ma. We’re here.” He stood.
His mother came barreling around the corner and his heart dropped to his toes.
“Tessa? Johnny? What are you doing here?” Emmerson asked.
Tessa walked with a limp and her arm was in a sling. “Jesus, Tessa. What the hell happened?” He raced to her side. He might have personal issues with the woman, but he did have a heart.
“Hit and run,” his mother said. “It could have been a lot worse. Thank God, Old Man McCurdy was there to push her out of the way.”
Emmerson ran his hand up and down Tessa’s good arm. “I’m so sorry and I’m glad you’re okay.” He stretched out his arm and shook Johnny’s hand. The only beef he had with the man was that he slept with a married woman. “Did we get a plate? A description of the driver?”
“No plate,” his mother said. “We got a description of the car, the driver, and a passenger, but it doesn’t add up.”
“Why not?” Emmerson asked.
“The car is the same make, model, and color of Rumor’s vehicle,” his mother said.
“But I haven’t used my car all day.” Rumor jumped to her feet.
His mother raised her hand. “I know that, dear.”
“What else am I not going to like about this?” Emmerson clenched his fists.
“I’ll answer that,” Tessa said. “I want to state that when we called the police, I made it abundantly clear that I knew without a shadow of a doubt it was not Rumor driving that car, but someone trying to pose as her.”
Emmerson glanced over his shoulder.
Rumor stood there with her jaw tight and her eyes wide.
