Fine, he mumbled. He suddenly became aware of his sweaty, bedraggled state. Beth was her usual fresh-as-a-daisy self in her sleeveless, summery dress, and he probably looked awful and smelled worse. Can I take a shower first?
If you want, but I dont mind you this way.
For half an instant, Mitch read innuendo into her words. His traitorous mind visualized her leaning in and licking the sweat off his neck, like the fight groupies, who hung out at the gym, sometimes offered.
Then he gave himself a mental smack to the head. This was Beth, his friend, his work buddy, who liked sharing a pizza and watching true crime shows with him so they could make bets on who the real culprit would turn out to be. She was just being considerate. How many times did he have to remind himself she was Off-Limits, in capital letters?
Ill be out in five minutes. Go sit down. He grabbed himself a protein bar on his way out of the kitchen. He was famished. Burning five hundred calories in one forty-five-minute workout could do that to a guy, and he didnt want to drop any more weight. He was already lighter than most of his light-heavyweight-class opponents.
When he returned to the living room a few minutes later in jeans and a clean T-shirt, he found Beth sitting stiff-backed on the edge of a chair, looking anything but comfortable.
Man, this thing with Dwayne and Robby had gotten her all tied into knots. She must be convinced it was some kind of big deal. His heart felt a small twinge for causing her to worry. She didnt deserve that.
Mitch sprawled onto the sofa, feeling a little better after his brutal workout, a stinging shower and ingesting a few calories. All right, Bethy, lay it on me. Say what you have to say.
First, Mitch, Daniel wants you to know that he doesntthat no one at work thinks you killed anyone. The notion is preposterous.
As hard as he was trying to remain detached, his coworkers faith in him touched something soft inside him. Thank you. That means a lot.
That said, are you out of your mind?
Mitch sat up, startled by her vehemence. Excuse me? Hed been expecting a much gentler approach from Beth. Some sympathy, maybe.
You practically told a law enforcement officer to go to hell. I dont care if hes related to you. He was acting in his official capacity.
Mitch shook his head. It might have looked that way to you, but it was personal. He was doing his level best to embarrass me.
Why? Beth asked. Why would he do that?
He looked at her, an angry retort on the tip of his tongue, then squelched whatever hed been about to say. She was asking out of genuine concern, not prurient interest.
A long and ugly family history, he finally said. Dwayne doesnt have my best interest at heart.
So why dont you stand up to him? Accept his challenge, prove him wrong.
Look, I appreciate your concern. But the police couldnt possibly have any evidence against me. I didnt kill Robby, and I dont know anything about how he died. He was my buddy.
Mitch. Beth stood and began pacing. Who do you work for?
Is this a trick question?
You work for Project Justice, she said, in a hurry to make her point. And what is Project Justices mission statement?
His gaze lingered on her trim calves and thighs. To free those unjustly imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. Every employee was required to memorize that statement and be able to quote it backward and forward.
And how many people in this country are sitting in prison, right now, for crimes they didnt commit?
Youre sounding a lot like Raleigh. And he didnt mean that as a compliment.
Just answer.
The answer is unknown.
True. But its in the hundreds, possibly the thousands. How many people has Project Justice exonerated?
The total was always posted in the lobby, but he hadnt looked at it lately. Sixty-three?
Seventy-two, she corrected him.
Look, he said sensibly. The police are on a fishing expedition. They couldnt possibly have any evidence against me.
Suddenly Beth sat down next to him, her face inches from his. Mitch, listen to yourself. Do you have any idea how many of our clients were convicted on really bad evidence? Circumstantial evidence? Or no evidence? Ill answer for you. A lot. And do you know what a lot of them say?
Mitch could only shake his head. Hed never seen Beth grandstand like this. She could speak eloquently when called for, if it was about DNA or fibers or soil samples. But she never made impassioned speeches. Not around him, anyway.
Impatient, she answered the question for him. They say, If Id known this could happen, I would have taken it more seriously. She skewered him so effectively with those big baby-blue eyes that he was afraid shed soon push him out onto the patio and pop him onto his gas grill. They say, I would have hired a lawyer from the very beginning. Do you want to be one of those people? Do you want to hide your head in the sand until the cops show up with a warrant and handcuffs?
The room went deathly quiet. Not even the air-conditioning fan whirred to break the silence. He couldnt hear a bird outside or a passing car. Just the sound of his heart pounding in his ears.
Beth, all rosy-cheeked with her passion, was the sexiest thing hed ever seen.
Clearly she was waiting for him to say something.
You think I should go to Coots Bayou and answer their questions?
Beth seemed to remember herself. She scooted a few inches away from him, looked down and cleared her throat. Yes.
And you think I need to hire a lawyer?
Beth, looking a bit shell-shocked by her own outburst, squeaked out an answer. Dont you dare let the police question you without one. Raleigh will go. Eventually you might have to hire someone from the area who knows the local justice system, but she said she can handle the preliminary questioning.
Wont hiring a lawyer just make it look like I have something to hide? He couldnt believe he was actually considering taking Beths advice. But she had made several good points.
You know what cops do when a suspect agrees to be questioned without a lawyer, right? They stand up and cheer. You used to work for a police department.
Just computer stuff, he said with a shrug. I wasnt anywhere near where they questioned suspects.
Well, know this. A good interrogator can trip you up six ways to Sunday, and every word you say can come back to haunt you during a trial. Let Raleigh be there for you.
Raleigh has her own cases to manage, he argued, even though arguing was the first step toward defeat. He should have refused to even discuss this with Beth. But he couldnt bring himself to fling any more harsh words at her. Traveling to Louisiana to answer ridiculous accusations flung at a coworker falls way outside her job description.
Daniel made it clear, Beth said quietly. You are hiseveryonespriority right now.
I appreciate this unnecessary outpouring of concern, he tried again. But as Ive said before
Hes going to fire you, Mitch! Beth said suddenly.
What?
Or suspend you or put you on paid leave or something, she amended. But he said he cant have a murder suspect working at Project Justice. It could jeopardize everything hes worked for.
Ah. So the concern isnt really for me.
Youre being deliberately obtuse. Would you please just get your ass over to Louisiana to answer the damn charges?
Do I have a choice? He was getting pissed off all over again, though he knew Beth was only the messenger. A suddenly sexy messenger. Every time her passion rose, so did his. Sure, hed thought about what it would be like to go to bed with her. She was more than average pretty with a curvy little body that begged for a mans most lavish attention. But hed always dismissed the notion as ridiculousfirst because they were coworkers, second because they were friends, and thirdwell, third, she needed a nice boyfriend. Shed gone to a private Catholic girls school, for cryin out loud. And he was a Cajun street punk. He didnt know the first thing about how to treat a sweet, classy woman like Beth.
Just give the word, she said, unaware of where his thoughts had skipped, and Raleigh will arrange for a meeting tomorrow morning. The two of you will drive down first thing.
Dammit all to hell. This wasnt going to go away. Fine. Ill go. But I want you there, too.
M-me? Why?
Because you know physical evidence better than anybody. If they have anythinganything at allI want your take on it. Because if they claim they found something, its bogus. He didnt add that he wanted a friendly face in the room while those asses in Coots Bayou grilled him. Raleigh was a formidable ally, but she was not exactly warm and fuzzy.
Ill clear it with Daniel, Beth said.
Then Ill go. But only so I can prove yall wrong. It galled Mitch to give in to his brothers manipulations. But if that was what it took to make this problem go away, hed do it.
And ditch the attitude.
Yes, maam.
This isnt funny!
He actually smiled. Im not used to seeing you all bossy. Its kind of a turn-on.
She didnt respond to his flirting. Not at all. Instead she stood stiffly and grabbed her purse. Well meet at the office at eight tomorrow morning. And would it hurt you to maybe wear something besides holey jeans and a T-shirt? With that parting shot, she whooshed out of his living room, out the front door, leaving Mitch to stare at the little hitch in her hips, completely flummoxed.
Hed thought he had a pretty good handle on Beth McClelland, but her behavior was odd to say the least. Well, what could he expect? Before today, she hadnt known anything of his sordid past. Now she knew hed been a car thief. And that he had a half brother hed never mentioned.
He was afraid she would know a whole lot more about him that he didnt want her to know before this ordeal was finished. And their easy friendship might be over.
CHAPTER THREE
THE COOTS BAYOUpolice headquarters hadnt changed a bit in the past ten years. Oh, the interrogation room where they brought Mitch might have received a fresh coat of paint to cover graffiti left there by suspects, going from gray to a sickly green, but new graffiti had replaced the old. Likewise, the furniture was new, but the tables veneer was already peeling up, and the cheap metal chairs were bent out of shape, wobbling uncomfortably.
But the smella nauseating mixture of burned coffee, stale cigarettes, sweat and fearwas exactly the same.
Sitting here made Mitch feel seventeen years old again. But this time, they werent questioning him about a missing car.
At least they hadnt let his brother interrogate him. Mitch never would have been able to hold on to his temper if hed had to answer to that smug bastard.
Instead, the cop questioning himLieutenant Gary Addlesteinwas a fortyish man with the shape and overall charm of a fire hydrant, and he clearly thought Mitch was guilty. Every question he shot Mitchs way dripped with skepticism. Every answer Mitch gave resulted in the guy raising a suspicious eyebrow and staring, saying nothing, waiting for Mitch to fill the silence with some incriminating additions to his story.
Raleigh had warned him about that. Shed counseled Mitch to answer as briefly as possible, then resist adding or clarifying anything unless asked specifically.
Although Mitch had been the one to insist, he had second thoughts about the wisdom of including Beth. It wasnt that he doubted her abilities. She definitely knew her stuff. The very first thing shed done was request to see the security video from the grocery store where he and Robby had stolen the Monte Carlo.
Not that Mitch would attempt to deny it was him and Robby on the tape, and that they had, indeed, stolen a car. But she made note of the date and time on the video, the license plate of the car, the clothing each of them was wearingany of which might become crucial when it came down to establishing a time line for the evenings events.
So, let me get this straight, Raleigh said. This video footage is the sum total of the evidence you have against my client?
That, and his admission of guilt in the car theft.
The car theft has nothing to do with the murder. And I will move to bar any mention of that alleged crime during a trial, if it comes to that. The charges were dropped. Mitchs arrest record was expunged.
Yeah, that was a sweet little deal you worked out, courtesy of your billionaire boss, Detective Addlestein drawled. But the cops in this department have long memories.
Robby and Mitch spent lots of evenings together. They were friends, Raleigh continued. The fact they happened to be together the night Robby may have disappeared doesnt say much. You have no motive. You have no murder weapon, no trace evidence, no witnesses. My client has no history of violence.
No history of violence? Addlestein hooted. The kid was in a fight every other weekend.
Mitch tried not to cringe. This was exactly the subject he didnt want to discuss. He glanced over at Beth. Her face revealed nothing.
I dont see that any assault charges were ever filed.
No one bothers to file charges over street fighting, long as both parties are still breathing when its over. Doesnt mean your client wasnt prone to violence.
Throwing a punch now and then isnt the same as shooting someone with a gun. Its well established my client never owned a gun and didnt even like guns. Have you even talked to Mitchs mother?
Mitch nudged Raleigh with his foot. He did not want his mother dragged into this.
Raleigh ignored his hint. Mr. Delacroix maintains he was home in bed less than an hour after the surveillance video was taken, because he had to work the next day. His mother could corroborate this.
Or she could throw him to the wolves. Mitch wasnt close to his mom and had no way of knowing whether she would try to help him, or hammer nails into his coffin by making him look like a liar.
An hour isnt much time to joyride, Raleigh continued, have an argument, shoot someone, dispose of the body and the car, and arrive home to kiss your mother good-night.
The cop leaned back in his chair, as if bored by Raleighs arguments. Well, now, she was probably questioned after the car theft, if sonny-boy here tried to use her as an alibi. At the time, she might have said what time he came home. But all of that information is gone now. Expunged. Destroyed.