Page 72 of In The Trenches (Owens Protective Services)

I looked up at him sharply. “She told you that?”

“Not in so many words. Let’s just say I’ve seen it enough to know the signs. You’ve seen it too, which is why I’m wondering why the fuck you’re holding her like a damn prisoner.”

“Because she is a prisoner. There’s something you need to get through your head, Fox. She was at a suspected crime scene at the same time of a terrorist attack. Until she’s cleared, I’m not letting her go. This isn’t about a stolen purse or some Xboxes going missing.”

“Then let me talk to her, or have one of the other guys.”

“This is my job.”

“This is all of our jobs. We’re all qualified. Hell, I would go so far as to say Red has more experience in interrogation than you. It is sort of what he did.”

I hated when he was right. I really should have had Red in there from the start, not only because he’s a damn good interrogator, but because I was too close to this from the start.

“Fine, get him down there. I’ll be on the other side of the mirror.”

He grinned at me when he stood. “See? I knew you’d do the right thing.”

“Where is she anyway?”

“She passed out after the second time I made her watchOklahoma.”

“Fox,” I stopped him as he turned to go. “Just remember that she’s not your buddy. She’s a suspect, and you need to treat her that way.”

“I have my priorities in order. Maybe you need to check yours.”

As he walked out the door, I stared at Betty for a moment, then picked her up and put her in my pocket to remind myself not to go crazy on the witness in the interrogation room. I called Rae again, hoping she had some intel for me.

“Your ears must have been burning,” she answered immediately.

“That must mean you have something.”

“On your company? Yes, but not on the girl. Sorry, there’s nothing there.”

Putting that aside, I’d deal with the first problem since it was the most important. “Alright, what did you find out about the company?”

“Well, it was originally started by Adam Hayes and Evan Whitlock. Adam is currently the sole owner of the company.”

“Did he buy out Whitlock?”

“No, he was killed in a car accident five years ago. According to police reports, he fell asleep driving home after a late night of work. Hayes gave a bunch of money to the family, essentially buying out Whitlock’s half of the business.”

“That was generous of him.”

“Well, without doing that, Hayes would have always been under the thumb of someone else in the family.”

“What about the rest of Whitlock’s family? What are they doing now?”

“They moved to Texas to live near her parents. She’s remarried now with two more kids. Her husband is an investor.”

“How long after Whitlock died did she remarry?”

“Um…a year,” she said, almost surprised.

“She didn’t need the money. Why remarry so soon after losing her husband?”

“I would guess that she’s one of those women that doesn’t like to be alone. Based on her social media profiles, it doesn’t look like she’s ever been alone for long.”

I wasn’t sure why that was bothering me, but right now it didn’t matter. I’d dig into it later. “What about the company? How is it doing?”

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