Page 40 of Cinnamon Cider Whiskey
“Does that surprise you?” Belmont asked.
“It does. Especially after all this time.” Austin wondered if the question was meant to bait him into a certain reaction. His attorney had told him to answer questions without adding too much, be polite, and stop talking the second he felt as though he were under the microscope. “Did you find it?”
“We did.” Belmont leaned forward. “Most of the time, these tips lead us on a wild goose chase. If we do find something, it’s not what we expected. Or it doesn’t give us a clear picture of what could have happened. This time, we found the vehicle exactly where the tip said it would be.”
“Are you going to tell me where that was?” Austin sat up taller. His heart hit his throat. Poor Charity. Whatever happenedto her, she had to be terrified and that broke his heart into a million pieces. He’d failed her like he’d done so many other people in his life. Just because he didn’t love her or want to be with her anymore, didn’t mean he wished her harm.
“Five miles from the ranch. It was driven off a dirt road and hidden in a field.” Belmont held Austin’s gaze. “We’re going to take the car to our lab today.”
“When did you find it and how did we not know about it?” Austin made sure he kept his tone even. “Also, should I have my attorney present now?” He waved his cell. “Because if that’s the case, he’s ten minutes out and we’ll need to put this conversation on hold.” The one thing Austin had always been able to count on when it came to Belmont had been honesty about when Ted should be at his side.
This felt slightly different.
Belmont rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger, glancing at the sky. “I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place here. This case has been ice-cold for months. Every tip we get always points to you, yet it always comes up like I’m chasing my tail. This is the first time the anonymous caller’s information had any teeth. But I find the timing of it very suspicious.”
“What do you mean?”
“I didn’t show you this.” Belmont tapped his screen, holding it up for Austin to see. “This was sent the same day we got the tip, two days ago.”
Austin clenched his fists as he watched the interaction between him and Pete at Boone’s bar. It showed a little different story than what actually happened. The version that had been shared with Belmont portrayed Austin as the aggressor, not Pete.
Fucking artificial intelligence.
“You should know this was posted to social media as of this morning,” Belmont said. “My boss is hot for me to wrap this case up now that we have Charity’s car.”
“This was altered. I can produce many witnesses.”
“That’s not necessary. I took the time to do some digging before I came out here. I didn’t want to question you without a bigger picture, so I contacted some key witnesses and they painted a much different story.” Belmont held up his hand. “Right now, I don’t want you to answer any questions or tell me anything. Not without your lawyer and that’s not because I think you had anything to do with Charity’s disappearance. I’ve been doing this job a long time and some things have me sniffing in a different direction. But again, my boss is ready to pounce on you, so I have to play along a little bit. I also want to make sure the investigation is protected as well as you.”
“I appreciate your vote of confidence, especially since in the beginning I thought you believed I did something to her.”
“I’m not sure I ever thought that, but I had to consider the possibility.” Belmont leaned back. “I will have to go through the process. Ask you all the tough questions—with your lawyer present—and I need to interview Cinnamon Thompson.” He lifted his thumb and motioned to the house.
“First, she’s changing her name back to Whiskey the first chance she gets. Secondly, why? And finally, what makes you think she’s here?”
Belmont laughed. “I can’t tell you why now, so I need a little trust from you, and come on, man. She was in that video, which is in the forensics lab, so if it was doctored, we’ll figure that out. But she’s your ex-girlfriend and I’ve done my homework. She’s the love of your life and everyone in this town is rooting for the two of you to get back together. Hell, after hearing the stories, I’m even hoping it happens.”
“You’re not talking to her without a lawyer or me present.”
“Lawyer is fine, but you will not be there. Sorry. That would be mudding waters, and I can’t afford to do that.”
“Can you at least tell my why—outside of that video—you need to converse with Cinnamon?”
“Nope.”
“I might have an ounce of trust for you, but I don’t for your profession,” Austin said.
“Ouch.” Belmont tapped his chest. “I’m sure you don’t feel that way about your brother-in-law.”
“Oh, we’ve had our differences of opinion a time or two.” Austin understood how the legal system worked but didn’t often agree with it. “Here comes Ted.” Ted Rosen had worked as JW’s lawyer since his situation with his ex-fiancée a few years ago but had also done contract work as needed for Whiskey Ranch before that. He was a good man and Austin wished he didn’t need his services. “Shall we do all this now?”
“I’d rather get through as much as I can, but I will have more questions as we process the vehicle.”
Austin waved Ted up. They were way past formalities, considering Austin had to constantly call him last minute to come out and handle this situation with Belmont. “Thanks for coming out.”
“Sure thing.” Ted stretched out his hand and shook both men’s hands. “I drove past a crew of local police and Feds pulling out a vehicle from the deep off the side of the road. Is that why I’m here?”
This was one of the reasons Austin appreciated Ted. He got right down to business and he didn’t sugarcoat things.
