Page 35 of Kiss of Deceit
“Then maybe you should start lining up the interns to question since all this happened in the last three weeks when newbies arrived.”
“You don’t think his death was an accident?”
“I don’t know. But we know someone stole those knives.”
“And you think it was one of the interns?” Her voice was soft and inviting. It matched the warmth in her eyes that I never witnessed before. “Why?”
I let out a gruff laugh. “You’re good.”
“Good at what?”
I tilted my head. “Is this what you did before you came here? Sat in interrogations and tried to figure out the person sitting across from you?”
“I’m not trying to do anything,” she replied, drumming her fingers lightly on the table. “Harry just wanted to tell you what was going on. I was just curious if you knew why this place is so secretive when it comes to crime.”
I stared at the woman in front of me, wondering where the hell she came from. Gone was the closed-off, untrusting person I lived with, and in its place was a friendly, smiling stranger who looked like she’d take all my secrets to the grave.
I shook my head, blowing out a chuckle. “It’s too bad I can see right through the show you’re putting on since you’ve never spoken this nicely to me before. But I’m sure whoever is in this room next will open up and give you all the answers you want.”
“Since Harry thinks Lucas’s death was an accident, I shouldn’t have to question anyone.” Her lips tipped up in a grin.“And maybe this isn’t a show. Maybe I’m just reacting to the company at home. You’re not exactly nice to me, are you?”
“Oh, Dani,” I murmured, letting my eyes trail down her body as she stood up. “I already told you how I felt. You want me to be nice? Then I’ll be crossing the line as a roommate. All you need to do is say yes.”
The slight pink appearing on her cheeks made me wish I could read her mind. I never knew what she was thinking, and the fact I’d admitted that I wanted her without knowing if she felt the same was fucking driving me crazy.
The door opened again, and Natalie stuck her head inside, making Dani jump slightly in surprise. I nodded in greeting when she looked at me, and she muttered a hello before turning her attention to Dani.
“Until we get the official cause of death, it’s back to normal business,” she said briskly. “We have stacks of files that need to be uploaded.”
This small town was years behind the rest of the world when it came to technology, and this was the first year the sheriff’s office decided to move all paper files to digital. I was sure it was tedious work.
“Of course,” Dani muttered. “I did one this morning and I’m halfway done with another. I’ll get it done before I leave today.”
She followed Natalie out of the room. After a moment, I got up and made my way to the front of the police station. Before I got to the door, I caught sight of Tristin sitting at the desk. He was staring at the wall, a frown on his face.
“Sorry about your friend,” I said, making him look at me.
“I don’t need your fucking pity,” he ground out. “You didn’t like Lucas.”
“It doesn’t mean I’m glad he’s dead.”
“Someone killed him,” Tristin exploded, his hands curling into fists. “I told Harry, and he just brushed me off.”
I strode closer to the desk. “Why do you think that?”
“Because Lucas isn’t stupid enough to fall off a damn cliff.” He scoffed. “And the guy was terrified of heights. He would never get close enough to the edge to fall.”
“Maybe he was drunk. You know how he liked his tequila?—”
“No,” he interrupted me sharply. “I’m telling you he didn’t fall.”
“Okay, calm down.” I rested my palms on the tall desk, leaning over to talk to him. “We won’t know the truth until the investigation is over. And I’m sure Harry already told you not to run your mouth about it. Keep this to yourself.”
He glared at me. “Why? I can say what I fucking want. And when I find out who killed him, I’ll make sure that person pays for it.”
“Careful, Tristin,” I warned him in a low voice. “You might work here but that can quickly change if you don’t follow the rules. Keep this to your fucking self or consider yourself banned from my bar.”
A muscle in his jaw ticked, but he didn’t respond. I might not work at the police station, but I had sway in this town. Even though Harry did the bare minimum, he wanted to keep this quiet. If Tristin didn’t listen, there would be problems.
