Page 19 of Royal
I opened the folder in front of me, took out a picture from the crime scene, and slid it across to him. “That’s how we found Beth.”
One glance at the picture, and he looked like he was going to be sick.
“I heard rumors of how she died, but seeing it?” His eyes widened, and he shook his head. “It pisses me off even more that you’re sitting here questioningmeinstead of finding the bastard who really did it. I couldneverdo that. No matter how much I didn’t like someone.”
“Did you see what was under her arm?”
Reluctantly, he returned his gaze to the photo. His face paled even more.
“A white flower,” he whispered.
“When we were informed that Beth thought you were sending her white flowers, alarms went off. That’s a detail not released to the public.”
“I can’t prove I went home after I left the hotel because I live alone.” He massaged his temples with both hands and closed his eyes. “This feels a lot like guilty until proven innocent, instead of vice versa. As of right now, I’m looking good for the damn murder. And since I just admitted she was harassing me, you guys are going to think that’s motive for me to kill her.” His eyes met mine. He looked desperate. “How fucked am I, Gray?”
My chest ached. I didn’t know what to tell him.
We’d checked out other leads, and the trails had all run cold. No finger prints, hair follicles, or any other particles of DNA had been recovered from the scene, other than a part of a shoe print. But it hadn’t been enough to tell what kind of shoe or how big the foot was. If so, he could’ve been tested and then dismissed when the match came back negative.
Royal was the prime suspect in a murder I knew he couldn’t have committed. My history with him wasn’t enough to convince anyone of his innocence. Not when I knew him from eight years ago. I could only defend him so far, and then it would be out of my hands.
If it came to that.
“Honestly, I don’t know,” I answered, wishing I had better news for him. “There’s no solid evidence that ties you to the crime. It’s circumstantial at best. But if I were you, I’d line up a good defense lawyer. Just in case. The next time we come knocking on your door…it might be with an arrest warrant.”
Royal ran a shaking hand through his black hair. “Am I free to leave?”
“You’re not under arrest,” I said, standing up.Not yet, anyway.“So yes, you’re free to go.”
He nodded and walked with me to the door. I opened it, and he left the room, not looking back. I stared athim, though, watching him walk away from me.
“You really think he’s innocent?” Ruby asked.
“I do.”
“Is he an old flame of yours?”
“I guess you can say that,” I answered, not taking my eyes off Royal until he disappeared down the hall. “I don’t believe there’s one evil bone in his body. There’s no way he could’ve done this, Ruby.”
“Okay,” she said, leaning against the wall and crossing her arms. “You’re lead detective, Riley. If you think we should keep looking for suspects, then we will. I only hope you aren’t letting your history with this guy cloud your judgement. Sometimes it’s the people we least suspect who do heinous acts.”
“I don’t need a fucking lecture,” I snapped. And then I felt bad for letting my anger get the best of me. “Sorry. But I know Royal. He refused to dissect a frog in high school because, even though it was dead, the thought of cutting into something made him physically ill. The real killer is still out there.”
***
The next day, I stopped by my aunt Abby’s house. She lived on the outskirts of Addersfield, surrounded by trees and with a gorgeous view of the mountain. Her closest neighbor was nearly a mile away. It was peaceful. So much was on my mind, and the silence as I drove through the country worked wonders.
As I pulled up to the quirky house, memories from when I first came to live with her returned to me.
I’d been an angry teenager. Before I moved to Addersfield to live with her, I’d gotten into fights at school and had been suspended countless times. Dad had used me as his personal punching bag, and I guess it’d made me feel better to be the powerful one, for a change. The kids I’d bullied still haunted me some nights when I couldn’t sleep.
All of that changed when I moved to Addersfield.
My aunt had helped me control my temper, and even though I’d lashed out at her a few times—not physically, but words could hurt just as much—she’d never given up on me. Then, I’d met Royal.
I still remembered the first time I’d talked to him. It was a miracle he hadn’t turned me away.
“Hey,” someone said.
