phone rang behind her. She automatically turned to grab it. “I wanted to give you a heads up,” Kathy’s voice said hurriedly. “The police are on the way back to see you.” The line went dead in her ear.
Police. Mac was here. A surge of pleasure went through her. Life was not totally bad. She smiled and turned. Her smile faded and she started to rethink her last thought when she caught the grim look on his face and the sternness on his partner’s.
“Miss Williams…” It was his partner that spoke first. Mac sent him a glare but let him continue. “We’d like to ask you some questions.”
“Laken, is there somewhere we can speak privately?” Mac added quietly.
She turned her attention fully to him, trying to see the man with whom she’d spent the weekend at the library, ball game, and zoo. A cold exterior covered him like a shield. This was the man who handled the darker side of life. Unable to get words out, she nodded, leading them down the hall to the conference room. Fortunately, it was empty.
“What is it?” Laken couldn’t keep back the question any longer. Fear flooded over her. “Did he kill again?”
“No,” Mac said gently. “We need you to go over everything you told us the other day again.”
“Okay.” Her discomfort rose at the tone in his voice.
“We’d like to record it if you don’t mind.” Detective Jones stepped forward, pulling a tape recorder from his pocket, putting it on the table then motioning her to the chair in front of it. Her legs trembled as she stepped to the chair, and dropped into it.
“You don’t have to do this, Laken.” Mac spoke from where he stood just inside the door. She looked back at him and he continued. “You can also have an attorney present if you’d like.”
“Am I in trouble?”
“No, ma’am,” Jones answered, but she didn’t look at him.
“Mac?”
“No,” he let out, but she could tell he didn’t like his answer. She didn’t think he was lying though.
“Okay.” She waited while they got settled and Detective Jones said the date and her name into the recorder then announced that she declined wanting an attorney present. Then he asked her to repeat what she had told them on Friday and went over several things repeatedly. The whole time Mac sat stoically to the side.
Finally, after going through it again, Laken couldn’t take it anymore. “That’s enough. You don’t believe me. Why are you doing this?” She turned on Mac. “Say something, Mac.”
He raised his head when she cried out his name and reached out to turn off the recorder. “It’s better I don’t.”
“Why?”
He glanced toward the other man and glared. “Because it could compromise the case.”
“I don’t understand. How could it affect the case? I’m not—” She froze. “—but, you said I wasn’t a suspect, that I was too short for the angle of the knife.”
He grimaced at her comment.
“You believe.” Laken felt tears pool in her eyes but refused to let them fall. “You think I killed her.”
He stood so fast the chair fell over behind him. “No.”
Using all the control she had, she rose, head held high. “No, you just believe I’m a liar.” She turned to Detective Jones. “You think I’m guilty. You just can’t figure out how to pin it on me. We’re done here. I need to get back to work.”
“Laken.” Mac reached to take her hand.
She jerked back, pain crushing down on her. “No, don’t come near me again.” She swung away from the table.
“Laken, I don’t believe you’re lying.”
She paused with her hand on the door handle. “Funny, I believe you are. Good-bye, Mac.” She left the men in the room. Instead of going back to her cubby to work, she kept going down the hall to the ladies’ room. Since she and Kathy were the only females on that floor she had it to herself, and she let the tears flow.
****
Mac watched her go, aching to follow her as he yearned to hold her for the last hour.
“Mac.”
He
Police. Mac was here. A surge of pleasure went through her. Life was not totally bad. She smiled and turned. Her smile faded and she started to rethink her last thought when she caught the grim look on his face and the sternness on his partner’s.
“Miss Williams…” It was his partner that spoke first. Mac sent him a glare but let him continue. “We’d like to ask you some questions.”
“Laken, is there somewhere we can speak privately?” Mac added quietly.
She turned her attention fully to him, trying to see the man with whom she’d spent the weekend at the library, ball game, and zoo. A cold exterior covered him like a shield. This was the man who handled the darker side of life. Unable to get words out, she nodded, leading them down the hall to the conference room. Fortunately, it was empty.
“What is it?” Laken couldn’t keep back the question any longer. Fear flooded over her. “Did he kill again?”
“No,” Mac said gently. “We need you to go over everything you told us the other day again.”
“Okay.” Her discomfort rose at the tone in his voice.
“We’d like to record it if you don’t mind.” Detective Jones stepped forward, pulling a tape recorder from his pocket, putting it on the table then motioning her to the chair in front of it. Her legs trembled as she stepped to the chair, and dropped into it.
“You don’t have to do this, Laken.” Mac spoke from where he stood just inside the door. She looked back at him and he continued. “You can also have an attorney present if you’d like.”
“Am I in trouble?”
“No, ma’am,” Jones answered, but she didn’t look at him.
“Mac?”
“No,” he let out, but she could tell he didn’t like his answer. She didn’t think he was lying though.
“Okay.” She waited while they got settled and Detective Jones said the date and her name into the recorder then announced that she declined wanting an attorney present. Then he asked her to repeat what she had told them on Friday and went over several things repeatedly. The whole time Mac sat stoically to the side.
Finally, after going through it again, Laken couldn’t take it anymore. “That’s enough. You don’t believe me. Why are you doing this?” She turned on Mac. “Say something, Mac.”
He raised his head when she cried out his name and reached out to turn off the recorder. “It’s better I don’t.”
“Why?”
He glanced toward the other man and glared. “Because it could compromise the case.”
“I don’t understand. How could it affect the case? I’m not—” She froze. “—but, you said I wasn’t a suspect, that I was too short for the angle of the knife.”
He grimaced at her comment.
“You believe.” Laken felt tears pool in her eyes but refused to let them fall. “You think I killed her.”
He stood so fast the chair fell over behind him. “No.”
Using all the control she had, she rose, head held high. “No, you just believe I’m a liar.” She turned to Detective Jones. “You think I’m guilty. You just can’t figure out how to pin it on me. We’re done here. I need to get back to work.”
“Laken.” Mac reached to take her hand.
She jerked back, pain crushing down on her. “No, don’t come near me again.” She swung away from the table.
“Laken, I don’t believe you’re lying.”
She paused with her hand on the door handle. “Funny, I believe you are. Good-bye, Mac.” She left the men in the room. Instead of going back to her cubby to work, she kept going down the hall to the ladies’ room. Since she and Kathy were the only females on that floor she had it to herself, and she let the tears flow.
****
Mac watched her go, aching to follow her as he yearned to hold her for the last hour.
“Mac.”
He
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