Page 90 of Sweet Sin

“We think we can prove that it was.”

I stiffen. “This is outrageous.”

“Falcon…” Lola nudges me.

“Are you kidding me? This derelict comes onto my property, holds me at gunpoint, threatens my friend and my dog, and—”

“Falcon!” This time she’s harsh.

I shut up.

“We’re going to go through all that, Mr. Bellamy,” Mulvaney says. “But at this time, we believe we can prove that the blow to the head that you’ve already admitted to was the cause of Mr. Josephs’s death. That doesn’t mean you’re under arrest or even will be under arrest.”

“You may address me, Gina.” Lola shoots darts at Mulvaney with her eyes. “I’m speaking for my client until I tell him otherwise.”

Say what?

Whatever. Lola’s good. I’ll go with it.

“Have you forgotten that if you succeed in proving the cause of death—which I highly doubt you will—you must also prove that Mr. Bellamy was not acting in self-defense or in defense of another?” Lola’s tone is acerbic.

“I know the law, Lola.”

“Do you?”

“Your client is a confessed killer.”

“For which he paid his debt to society. That cannot be held against him in court.”

“He’s admitted to pistol-whipping the victim.”

Lola doesn’t miss a beat. “The trespasser was on his property, held him at gunpoint, and threatened his guest. I don’t know what you think you need to prove here. What happened to routine questioning?”

Detective Ericson interjects then, speaking for the first time. “Chill, Mulvaney.”

That’s all he says.

Mulvaney doesn’t look happy.

The dynamics here are odd. Mulvaney’s clearly the senior detective, but she went right for my throat.

I’ve never met the woman before in my life. What gives?

“You need to recuse yourself,” Lola says.

“I will not.”

Lola pushes a document toward her. “You will.”

“Excuse me,” I say, “but what’s going on here?”

“Detective Mulvaney is Jaden Perez’s aunt, his mother’s sister.”

Ah. Now I get it. That explains Lola’s raised eyebrows when Mulvaney entered. The detective’s got an axe to grind, and she’d like to bury it in my head.

Not happening.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t put two and two together?”

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