Page 56 of State of the Union (First Family 3)

His head shot up, and his shock multiplied. “You think I killed her?”

“I’m only asking where you were.”

“I was still at work when she texted me that she was leaving. We have a huge project due early next week, and we worked most of the weekend.”

“What time was that?”

He checked his phone, seeming to realize he was looking at the last text he’d ever receive from Audrey. “Four.”

“And where do you work?”

“On M Street, for a political action committee. We lobby Congress on behalf of the natural gas industry.”

“What time did you leave the office?”

“Not until about five thirty.”

“Are there coworkers who can corroborate that you were there until then?”

“Yes,” he said through gritted teeth.

Sam pushed her notebook across the table. “If you’ll write down their names and numbers, we can contact them.”

“I didn’t kill Audrey. I loved her more than anyone.”

“I believe you, Wes, but by confirming your alibi, we can eliminate you as a suspect, which is our goal.”

That seemed to appease him somewhat. He took the pen she offered and used his phone to get the numbers she’d requested.

“Thank you. Do you know the passcode on her phone?”

“It’s zero-two-two-zero. My birthday.”

Sam wrote down the numbers as Freddie stepped into the room with a paper he handed to her and a bottle of water he put in front of Wes, who didn’t seem to notice it.

A Patrol officer came to the door with a tearful young man. “He’s here for Wes Hambly.”

Sam nodded and gestured for Wes’s brother to come into the room. Like Wes, his brother had dark hair and eyes.

Wes shot out of his chair and met his brother with a sobbing hug.

“This can’t be happening,” his brother said.

“I saw her. It’s real. I can’t…”

Sam gave them five minutes before she cleared her throat. “I’m so sorry to have to do this right now, but as I said to Wes, the early hours of a homicide investigation are critical.”

Chapter Eleven

The two men released each other and wiped their faces.

“Your name?” Sam asked the brother.

He sat next to his brother. “Brecken Hambly.”

“And you’re in college?”

“Yes, I followed my brother to American.”

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