Page 176 of Enigma: The Complete Collection
Although uneased, I tug his jacket in closer. I’m not just relishing in the unique scent seeping from his coat, I’m loving his body heat. It’s freezing in here.
Once his backside is reattached to the rock-hard bench seat, his gaze lifts from the notepad to me. “When did you last fire your gun?”
I give him a look, one that says it isn’t a standard question a detective would ask an everyday perp. Ryan tries to act innocent. It isn’t an act he can pull off. Although our interview jumped from the gates in the wrong manner, I’ll still answer his question because I have nothing to hide, so I have no reason to fear prosecution.
“Two days ago. I had a tail following me, so I took what I thought at the time was a necessary action to protect myself.” When Ryan’s brows rocket up his face, I slap his arm. “Not that type of action. I wanted them to stop following me. When I shot out their back tires, the chances of that happening greatly increased.” I lower my voice a few decibels, halving my conceitedness running rife in my tone. “I wasn’t aware Isaac had Hugo following me. If I did, I would have chosen a different set of actions.”
Ryan’s grin is so bright, I’m tempted to protect my eyes from its blinding rays. “Does Isaac know you fired at Hugo?”
“I didn’t fireatHugo. I fired at his tires. That’s different.”
When Ryan throws his head back and laughs, I’m two seconds away from adding additional charges to the long list I’m already facing. These charges will include assaulting an unarmed detective.
I’m saved from further prosecution when he settles his laughter by getting back to the task at hand. “Initial forensics on the pistol they recovered from your possession this afternoon indicated that it had recently been fired. This gives credit to the CSI findings.” After checking hand-scribbled notes in his notepad, he asks, “Can you explain how they discovered your fingerprints in Megan’s motel room?”
“I followed Megan after an incident at Isaac’s nightclub two weeks ago. It was before I was placed on suspension. I did a full write-up about my findings and issued my report to my superior officer the same day. It should all be in my record.”
Ryan appears surprised by my admission. I assume it’s because of my attempts to keep our conversation on a professional playing field, but he proves me wrong when he asks, “Why are you on suspension?”
I exhale a shaky breath, still peeved that Theresa’s unfounded evidence was enough to get me ousted. “IA is investigating me for colluding with Isaac. They’re scrutinizing my position on the belief that I gave him confidential documents in exchange for beneficial gain.”
Ryan shifts his position until his handsome face is a mere inch from mine. “Is the IA agent investigating you the same lady who came into the interrogation room after Isaac and I left?” His breaths flutter my cheeks when I nod. “Did Isaac tell you about hisinvolvementwith Theresa?” My sandwich threatens to resurface from the way he says ‘involvement.’
Unable to speak, I shake my head.
He shifts his eyes to the corridor to make sure we’re alone before scooting even closer to me—like there’s any bench left between us. “I’m only telling you this because I believe it’s a reason as to why you’re spending your night in a holding cell instead of in the comfort of your bed...or Isaac’s.” His last two words are barely whispered.
I nod, not only appreciating his honesty but respecting it. He could have kept me in the dark as every other officer has today. He didn’t. That awards him more than a few brownie points.
“Theresa Veneto was a detective at Ravenshoe PD before she joined the Bureau.” His eyes once again bounce around our surroundings. “It was never proven, but she was suspected of corruption on many occasions. Details are sketchy, but from what I gathered, Isaac’s lawyer had her removed from her position.”
“For corruption?” Nothing but suspicion is heard in my tone. I’m both shocked and intrigued.
Ryan shakes his head. “No. Her removal from her position had nothing to do with corruption. Personal matters were cited during her exit interview.”
“Do you believe Theresa is dragging me into her vendetta against Isaac?” I already know Ryan’s answer, but I’d rather him give me the basket of eggs in one go instead of scattering them around for me to gather.
Ryan shrugs. “I don’t know for sure. It’s just speculation.”
He tries to tuck away a flare of emotion that taints his face, but he isn’t quick enough for me to miss it. After lowering my legs from the bench, I swivel my torso until I’m facing him head-on. “Do you think I killed Megan?”
“No, Isabelle,” he replies without hesitation. “But the jurors won’t care about my opinion. All they’ll see is the evidence presented to them.”
“Evidence that makes it seem as if I am guilty of the charges I’ve been accused of?”
“Yes.” His bluntness amplifies the twisting of my stomach, but I’d rather him be honest than lie to me.
“What evidence could they possibly have against me? I haven’t done anything wrong.”
The high pitch of my voice adequately communicates my confusion. Theresa is many things, but not even she can summon evidence from thin air, but they must have something to remand me until my arraignment. I just have no clue what it is.
I wish I weren’t so damn inquisitive when Ryan eases my confusion in the most horrid way. “The bullet found in Megan’s motel room positively matched the weapon in your possession when you were arrested. The DNA recovered from the bullet matches Megan’s blood type. Even without a body, the amount of blood in her motel room means they plan to charge you with first-degree murder, Izzy.”
No longer capable of holding in the slosh at the bottom of my stomach, I rush to the stainless-steel toilet bowl. As I expel the three bites of sandwich I scoffed down earlier, I wish I could sidestep prosecution just as easily. I’m innocent, but there’s no such thing as being innocent until proven guilty when forensic evidence says otherwise.
CHAPTER6
ISABELLE
