Page 103 of Begin Again
DAVIS:(clears throat) Yeah, they knew him. No one talks about him much around there.
TURNER:And could you point him out? (slight pause) In a lineup, I mean.
DAVIS:Yes.
WILSON:This still isn’t much to go on. It’s about as useful as your wife’s disappearing mystery men.
WARREN:(sighs) It’s not much but it’s a start.
TURNER:It’s more than we’ve had.
WARREN:I want to get ahold of Mr. Blackwood. Find out what he knows.
WILSON:You? This ismyjurisdiction!
WARREN:And you haven’t been able to keep up with things happening inyourjurisdiction.
WILSON:James—
WARREN:You want to help, Rhett? Stay out of the way. (To Davis) Thank you for your time, Mr. Davis. I’ll be in touch very soon. (To Turner) Beau, you can end the recording.
END OF TRANSCRIPT.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
Nina
“YOU CAN’T TAKE ME off this case!” Sheriff Wilson yells. I’m almost certain he’s been holding that in since the interview began. Through most of the interrogation, Wilson kept his eyes glued to the floor, arms crossed tightly over his chest, listening to Nick. He analyzed every word Nick said, looking for anything he could use against him, instead of anything that might help the case.
I stared past my husband directly at the sheriff, watching for any confirmation of what Nick said earlier. I wondered if he really could be involved. Beau had questioned things about him before, but how do you accuse a fellow officer when you have no concrete evidence? All we had was a gut feeling, which now seemed spot on.
The final time Wilson looked up was when Nick mentioned the name “Red.” He glared at the back of Nick’s head before his eyes met mine. There was so much anger and fear in those cold blue eyes. It was at that moment, I knew he was involved. How involved? I don’t know, but he knows something. I’m sure of it.
“I’m the one who brought you in. I’m—”
“Actually,” Sergeant Warren interrupts him. “Beau brought me in. While you were pussyfootin’ around, he was the one whorecognized this was going to take more manpower than you could offer.”
Sheriff Wilson’s next argument falls short. When he looks around the room, he meets the gaze of everyone except my husband. Nick doesn’t look up from his hands. Wilson scoffs. “This is ridiculous.”
“You know this Joseph Blackwood?” Warren asks him. “You don’t live far from Bezer, right? That’s a pretty small community. You’ve probably run into him up there.”
“Just because I live around there doesn’t mean—”
“Yes or no, Rhett?” the sergeant demands, but Wilson doesn’t reply. “You can either answer me right here or from the other side of an interrogation table. Your choice, Wilson.”
“Excuse me?” Sheriff Wilson hisses.
“You heard me.”
I look between the two men, then at Beau, whose eyes are locked on Wilson. I still feel like I’ve missed something. There has been a silent conversation between Beau and Warren this entire interrogation, one that I wish I had been included in.
Wilson chuckles humorlessly. “You’ve got to be kidding me, Sarge. What has your panties in a wad, huh?”
Nick tenses when Wilson steps off the wall, closer to him. I reach over, taking his hand, but he doesn’t notice. His fist is clenched so tight that I’m sure his nails will leave indents in his skin. Slowly, I work his fingers away from the meat of his palm and lace mine through his, breaking whatever spell he’s under. Nick looks at our hands, and I offer him a brief smile when he looks at me.
Warren looks up from his phone with a smile in the corner of his mouth and nods to Max. When Max opens the door, two men stand on the other side with badges draped around their necks. They look a lot like other detectives I’ve seen around thesergeant. The taller of the two says, “Rhett Wilson, you’re under arrest.”
Nick squeezes my hand.
