Page 46 of Into the Light

Someone cleared their throat. I pulled back, but caught Raf mouthing “it’s okay” to me, before I turned to face the others again.

“Will someone explain what the hell is going on? I get a call from Gus about some murder, and Raf being taken away in handcuffs from some motel.” Sam said. My chest tightened. A motel?

“Christ almighty, this town.” Theo shook his head.

“Who was murdered? And why was Raf arrested?”

“He wasn’t arrested.”

I looked at Raf. I didn’t know what was going on and I felt my anxiety rise with each passing moment. He took a deep breath and led me to one of the chairs in front of Theo’s desk.

“Annie was murdered.”

My mouth dropped open, and my stomach sank. I didn’t know what to think, but I knew this had to be painful for Raf. I reached for his hand.

“Who the hell is Annie?”

“My friend,” Raf answered Sam with a bite to his voice. “An old friend, anyway.”

“We really shouldn’t be talking about all this right now.”

“Spare me the police bullshit, Sheriff. We’re all family in this room. You can’t possibly think Raf had anything to do with this?”

“Come on, Sam, give me a break. I have to keep this investigation moving properly. I have to dot all the i’s and cross all the t’s and make sure that no one can say anything about impropriety, or else another agency will take over. And then how will that help Raf?”

“Well what does this have anything to do with Raf in the first place? I mean, okay, he knew her, but that doesn’t mean anything,” I said. “What about the guy who attacked me?”

“I really can’t talk about it, but obviously, we’re looking at all the angles.”

“I can talk about it. I have nothing to hide,” Raf said, turning to me. “I didn’t kill her, I think that should go without saying. But I was supposed to meet up with Annie today.” He turned to me then. “I’m sorry, I should have told you earlier.” My heart beat faster, and I couldn’t deny that I felt sick from all of this. But I trusted him, and I trusted him to tell me more when we were alone.

I ignored the questioning look Sam had on his face and turned to Theo.

“When was she killed? I mean, obviously we know Raf didn’t do it, but he needs an alibi, right? Isn’t that how this works?”

“Not that I can even talk about it with you, Eleanor, but I won’t know for sure till I hear back from the medical examiner.”

“Well he was with me all morning.” I avoided Sam’s eyes and took Raf’s hand. “And all night.”

Theo’s eyebrows shot up into his hairline, and he looked at Raf, who gave a quick nod.

Then came what I’d been afraid of, but not surprised to see happen.

“The fuck you were. What do you mean ‘all night and all morning?’ And why are you holding hands?” Sam’s voice raised with each word, but I was no stranger to his overprotective theatrics. Raf, on the other hand, winced. He stood up and looked at Sam.

“Ellie spent the night at my place.”

Silence shrouded the room for a solid minute.

“Like, she came over as a friend and passed out there, right?”

“Come on, Sam, don’t be dense,” I chimed in. Which was probably a mistake.

Sam lunged at Raf, grabbing him by the collar and throwing him up against the wall. Raf didn’t try to fight back.

I screamed, and Theo rushed around his desk to try to break it up, but he wasn’t fast enough. Sam threw a right hook that connected with Raf’s jaw. Theo grabbed him from behind at the same time a deputy burst through the door.

“We’re okay!” Theo shouted at the deputy to diffuse a potential gun-drawing scenario. It was utter chaos.

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