Page 86 of For Dear Life

Now, no witches and no chance these men will believe me.

The two detectives inform me Oz admitted to killing Rory because he wouldn’t keep quiet about the three of us murdering Wesley. And that I should think myself lucky because Oz would’ve murdered me next. How can I say Kai’s the one under threat without sounding sus?

So, I repeat my denials, one eye on the clock that seems to never change time, positive the detectives will let me go when I’ve nothing to give them.

Until Wagner smugly plays his ace and shows me video footage from the night Wesley died. I stagger mentally further back from the world as I numbly watch his laptop screen. I’m in the woods with Rory and Wesley. There’s a scuffle between the pair, the camera barely picking out what happens in the dim, until the growing brawl becomes growls and slashing. There’re no voices, nor is there any sign of the witches from my memories, only thick trunks and branches obscuring the scene.

The camera pans around to me, standing a few meters away, silent, staring.

And when I rush forward, that’s all these detectives need. To the world watching, I’m joining in, not trying to stop the attack.

I wipe both hands down my face. “I didn’t do anything.”

“Oz’s phone footage says otherwise.” Wagner rests back in the chair, arms crossed over his chest, paunch straining against his beige shirt. The ‘nicer’ detective remains silent.

“I tried to help,” I say, keeping my voice stronger than I feel right now.

“Uh huh. So that’s why you immediately reported the crime after the fact?” he asks, then pretends to search through some papers spread on the desk. “Because I don’t have any record of a good Samaritan helping out a dying boy.”

“I couldn’t remember, that’s why!”

Wagner exchanges a look with an impassive Harding. “If you couldn’t remember, how do you remember now?”

“No. I couldn’t remember until—” Violet “—recently.”

“And whose idea was it to deflect attention by drawing a Blackwood rune?” asks Wagner.

Harding tuts. “And then befriending Violet Blackwood and leading her on a wild goose chase. Or was she involved too?” I look back at the clock. “Do yourself a favor, Leif. Tell us everything.”

“I’m not even friends with shifters!” I protest, then drag a hand through my hair.

Wagner leans forward. “The shifters want to deal with this ‘in house’, as it were—for us to release Oz to their custody. But since one of the victims and a suspect is human, we’re staying involved.”

“And the supernatural council?” I ask and straighten. They’ll know what Oz is—see his empty mind.

“No involvement at this point. Mr. Blackwood’s so insistent that his daughter isn’t involved. We’ve no witch or vampire suspects in custody, nor was one of his own murdered, therefore, he can keep his nose out.”

My mind whirls. “But witches could look into my mind. Into Oz’s mind. They’ll see the truth.”

Harding looks at me as he taps the phone in a plastic bag beside the laptop. “I believe we have the truth here, Leif.”

How? How has this footage only just come to light? Where’d Oz’s phone come from?

But I know the answer—the witches filmed the death and chose their moment to ‘anonymously’ handover the phone evidence to the authorities.

“I’ve no reason to murder Wesley.”

“You thought he was Kai. Oz told us.”

“I had no reason to murder him either! This is insane. I didn’t do anything.” I jab a finger at the laptop displaying the footage. “I was helping.”

“The rune, Leif. Was that the Blackwood girl? Because if so, we could involve the supernatural council. We’d be obliged to,” says Harding slyly.

I sink back again. “Where’s my attorney? You can’t do all this without one. I have rights!”

“Like Wesley’s right to stay alive?” asks Wagner.

“Who was next on the list, Leif?” pushes Harding.

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