Page 23 of Sweet Sin

He looks up from his tablet. “You got something to hide?”

“Nope. I’m just not sure I want to say anything more without an attorney. You know, since I’m an ex-con and all.”

He sighs. “Just tell us what went on, Mr. Bellamy.”

I blink. “I’m the one who stabbed him.”

“You think you can help her by lying?”

“Christ.”

He’s right. What am I doing? I spent eight years of my life locked up because I lied about something I didn’t do. I just hope to God Carlo pulls through. Savannah can’t have a death on her conscience.

I pour out the rest of the story.

“How many times did she stab him?”

“Three. Twice in the chest, and once in the neck.”

“And was he incapacitated by the time she stabbed him the third time?”

“I don’t know. I didn’t see all of it. I was busy dealing with the other asshole. Once all the commotion started, he tried to get away from me. I didn’t want to kill him, so I pistol-whipped him and knocked him unconscious.”

“All right. So how can you be sure she only stabbed him three times?”

“Because there were three open wounds.”

Bandy make some notes. “Okay. Then what did you do?”

“She was wearing a robe because she had been in the changing room in the pool house. I told her to take off the robe, and I used it to try to stop the bleeding from his neck. The other two wounds on his chest seemed shallow, and they were starting to clot. I was really worried about the one on his neck because I thought she might have pierced his carotid. But thankfully it finally started to clot up. I hope he makes it.”

Bandy raises an eyebrow. “Do you?”

“What the hell? She was defending herself and me. Those two were trespassing and holding us at gunpoint. But yeah, I hope he pulls through. You think I want her to go through that? Knowing she caused a person’s death? She didn’t break any of your goddamned laws, but I don’t want her to deal with having inadvertently taken a life, even if the son of a bitch fucking deserved it.”

The officer tries to stare me down. “You of all people should know what it feels like to take a life.”

I stare right back at him, silently daring him to push this. “We’ve been through this, sir. As a matter of fact, I don’t know what it feels like to take a life. I’m innocent of that crime.”

“Yet you pleaded guilty.”

“Right. And I’m sure that’s the first time that’s ever happened.”

Bandy narrows his gaze. “Who are you protecting?”

“Doesn’t matter. That case is cold and closed, and it’s not what you’re here to investigate.”

“Yet your first instinct was to protect your girlfriend today.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“But you were in the hot tub together?”

“What we were doing—what two consenting adults were doing—before those two shitheads trespassed on my property and held us at gunpoint is not anyone’s business.”

The officer draws in a breath. “Good enough. Anything else you need to tell me?”

“I did the best I could to stop his bleeding. I hope it was enough.”

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