Page 67 of All Yours

“Is this really necessary?” Jonah asked, taking two steps forward.

“Sir, do not come any closer,” the other suit said.

“This is ridiculous,” Jonah complained, but didn’t move. “Keith.”

“Look, Sloane, can you just tell us what happened in Chattanooga?” the Sheriff asked.

“Lawyer,” I said. I wasn’t saying a word about Chattanooga without my attorney.

“Oh my god, Sloane say something. This is all Eden’s fault,” Jonah yelled.

“Shut up, Jonah,” I called.

“We’re going to talk at the station,” the Sheriff said with a sigh.

Jeremy Hoffman strolled through the door of the plain white walled interrogation room clad in a well-tailored navy-blue suit with a crisp white button-down shirt and slate tie. He gripped a coffee in one hand, and with a leather satchel hanging off his left shoulder, he looked every bit the part of an expensive attorney. I hadn’t seen him since I put him on retainer three years prior.

“I’d always wondered why you retained me when you moved to town,” he said, pulling out the chair across from me. “Sorry for the wait. They didn’t try to question you, did they?”

“No, I immediately asked for a lawyer, and they left me alone.”

“Smart move. Before we get started, I have to disclose that I’m Jonah’s cousin.”

Of course, he was. “Everyone in this town is connected.”

“And since you’re in a relationship—”

“Let me stop you right there,” I said, staring past him at the white wall. “We’ve broken up.”

“I’m sorry to hear that. Do you still want me for your attorney?”

“That’s not a problem.”

He stared at me for a moment over his steepled fingers. “Very well, let’s get started. They want to know what happened in Chattanooga.”

“I didn’t know he was a cop. We thought he was a creep trying to grab Eden in a parking lot. All I knew was a man was chasing her across the lot, and she was afraid. I reacted.”

“Alright, start at the beginning,” he said, pulling a yellow legal pad and pen from the satchel. “Tell me why you were there.”

For the first time since it happened, I told Jeremy the whole story about following Eden to return the car she’d borrowed to the owner. He nodded and scribbled notes while listening. And when I’d finished the story, he sat back and rubbed a hand over his chin while reading over his notes.

“Is Eden still in town?” he asked.

“She moved to the apartments and still works at Lou’s,” I said. “Is she in trouble?”

“I’m not sure what the FBI wants with her.”

I bolted upright. “Feds? Who said Feds? I thought it was some local detective that had questions.”

“Whatever she was involved with has moved up. You should worry about yourself.”

“Me? I didn’t do anything but help a friend and end up fearing for our safety.”

He opened his mouth, but the door flew open before he could speak. An older man with thinning gray hair, brown leather jacket, and tan pants barged in, followed by a younger guy in a black Armani suit with perfectly coifed hair that wouldn’t move in a hurricane. And on their heels was Jonah. He stopped and stared at Jeremy.

“Dad?” It’d been close to five years since I’d laid eyes on the man, and he’d gotten old. Then, my gaze fell to Jonah. “What are you guys doing here?”

“Saving your disaster of an ass,” my dad said. “I don’t know how you always cause so much trouble, but you do. So once again, I’m bailing you out. I brought you a lawyer to get the mess settled.”

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