Reluctant Suspicion

by Finn, Scarlett

  She failed to access the phone, but did manage to turn it off. Then she put it away in a kitchen cupboard. ‘Let’s go through to the living room and have a proper drink.’

  ‘Are you going to give me my phone back?’ Blake asked. ‘I’m in the middle of an important case.’

  ‘They’re all important,’ Lucy said. ‘Brand, will you tell him?’

  ‘She’s right,’ Brandon said, taking the lead of his lover and herding his brother into the living room. ‘There are actually other cops out there, you know, and some of them have even solved a case or two. We haven’t seen you for weeks.’

  ‘Two,’ Blake said. ‘It was your choice to go up to Mom’s. Most couples take romantic trips to the Caribbean; why would you choose to go to some country bumpkin bar?’

  ‘It’s not the bar we visit, it’s family,’ Lucy said.

  Their home was full of details that made it feel completely different to his—there was art on the walls and soft furnishings on the couch. This was a home; all his place could claim to be was bricks and mortar to him. Molly had a connection to her home. While he understood family, and what it was to support those you care about, and have their support in return, Molly understood what it was to belong in a place and feel like that place needed you as much as you needed it.

  ‘Your mother misses you, and we all worry about you,’ Lucy said, sitting beside him on the couch. When Brandon sat on his other side, he felt hemmed in and he didn’t like it.

  ‘What are you two doing?’ Blake asked. ‘Did Mom pay you to freak me out because I haven’t spoken to her recently? Is there a quota of pissing me off that the family has to fill somewhere?’

  ‘If one of us had a problem you’d be the first person to help us,’ Lucy said. ‘Why have you been avoiding everyone recently?’

  ‘Because I’m on a case, an important case,’ Blake said. ‘It’s not a personal thing. This is a big one.’

  ‘They’re all—‘

  ‘Not like this,’ Blake said, cutting off his brother. ‘This one is on my shoulders. Keane and I are struggling to put this one together. We sent all the details to the FBI field office. I have no idea how long it’s going to take them to process it, but right now we need all the help we can get.’

  ‘It’s not like you to admit that you’re stuck,’ Brandon said. ‘You don’t have a suspect?’

  They did, but from the conversation he’d had with the FBI that day they were convinced that Molly was their gal and praised the way that he and Keane had handled the operation so far. They had a contact, whom they were supposed to keep updated, but Blake felt he was as interested in this case as he would be in watching paint dry.

  ‘How about just for tonight we all forget about work, vow not to talk about it, and instead talk about the good times? We’ll get some beer and some take-out, and we’ll tell you all about the pond your father wants to dig? Hmm?’

  If Lucy could be relied on for one thing, it was remaining chipper through everything. Blake could see that she was beautiful and he loved her as a sister, but he’d probably find her rosy outlook grating if he had to live with it full time like Brandon did. But it was nice of her to try, and to care about him, so not wanting to hurt her feelings, Blake nodded. For this night he’d switch off, and maybe if he stopped thinking about Choker for long enough the answer would come to him when he least expected it.

  When the pounding woke her, she was still in a ball on the floor of the bar. Rolling onto her back, Molly groaned at the stiffness that afflicted her. The pounding came again and she tried to stretch her aching muscles while she pulled herself to her feet.

  The thumping continued, and then there was a shout. But when she glimpsed the clock, on the wall behind the bar, she noted that it was only ten AM, so there shouldn’t be any patrons in need of serving yet. Managing to struggle to her feet, Molly staggered across the floor while rubbing her eyes. Belatedly, she realised that her makeup would be smudged on her face.

  The pounding persisted. She wiped the smudges away using the mirror behind the bar to check her reflection. A bath was required, and she’d love to soak in it for a few hours before she thought about a change of clothes, and possibly a change of life.

  Following the sound of the pounding, she realised it was coming from her residential door, so she fumbled her way through to the hall. The left side of her body was beginning to tingle, awakening from the numbness caused by sleeping on the floor of the bar. Molly vowed to herself never to do that again.

  On unlocking the door, she opened it with a yawn, and blinked into the light of day. ‘Molly Ashton,’ Officer Banks said.

  ‘God! You idiots again,’ she grumbled, when she was faced with the two officers from last night. There was another person a few feet behind them, but she didn’t recognise him.

  ‘Molly Ashton, you are being charged with the murders of Andrew Forsyth, Patrick Carmichael, Steven North and Alexander Thomas.’ Banks came at her. ‘Please turn around.’

  ‘What?’ Molly shrieked. ‘Are you high? Is this a joke?’

  ‘You are under arrest, and we are taking you into custody,’ Banks said. ‘Please put your hands behind your back.’

  Molly could barely decipher his words, let alone his meaning, but she did as she was told and felt the cold metal of handcuffs snap around her wrists.

  ‘You have the right to remain silent—’Her rights were read, but they became white noise until a third voice came from nowhere.

  ‘All right, boys, she gets it,’ the third voice said. Someone took her arm and turned her around, and she saw it was the third man whom she hadn’t recognised. ‘Hey, Molly,’ he said. ‘Detective Keane… we need to talk.’

  Chapter Twelve

  Molly had been in a daze as she was checked into her new accommodations. It had been a flurry of questions; she had been asked her name, address, and date of birth more times than she could remember. Every man she had passed glared at her, and she was sure they wanted to spit. They had fingerprinted her and taken a swab from her mouth. If she didn’t like the cops before, she hated them now.

  Now she sat alone in a room, staring at the painted grey walls around her. The Formica-covered table at which she sat dug into her ribs and the plastic chair was numbing her butt. Her shoulders were starting to ache from her wrists being locked in the cuffs, which were bolted onto the table. It was obvious that no one cared very much for her wellbeing. The lack of movement sent tingles up through her arms.

  She surveyed the recording device at the top of the table, and it drew her eye up to the one-way reflective glass that covered half of one wall. It was unsettling to know that there was no way to know who was back there. That was the point, she got that. But what had happened to innocent until proven guilty? Her sinuses stung when she thought about Alex. She hadn’t even known he was dead, and she wanted to know how it happened. Chrissy, his girlfriend, would be beside herself. Alex had been a friend for a long time, and he was a good man. She couldn’t believe that he deserved to die.

  A click at the entrance put her on alert, bringing her shoulders further back. The door swung open and Detective Keane entered with a file in one hand and a doughnut in the other. Molly shook her head at the ridiculous stereotype. He read the folded-open file and kicked the door shut with his heel. When he reached the table, he flicked a switch on the recording device with his knuckle.

  ‘Detective Keane,’ he started, and repeated the date, time, and all of her personal details before he took another bite of his donut. ‘All correct so far?’ Keane glanced at her and then to the file.

  ‘Can you tell me what this is about?’ Molly asked.

  Detective Keane dropped into the chair opposite her. The file fell deliberately from his hands onto the table between them with a thump. He licked his fingers, wiped them on his thigh, and then began to leaf through the file.

  ‘You’ve got quite the portfolio here.’

  ‘I’m lost,’ Molly said. ‘Tell me what it is you want to know. If
this is about the robbery the other night—‘

  He exhaled a laugh. ‘You think we go through this crap for a woman who won’t help herself? Course now we know why you didn’t want the police around.’

  ‘So what is it about?’ Molly asked, and leaned toward him. ‘Is it true about Alex?’

  One side of his mouth tipped upward. ‘Oh, you’re good.’

  ‘Good at what?’ Molly huffed.

  ‘Where’s Blake?’

  Molly frowned and sucked her lips, though moisture was rapidly leaving her. ‘I’m sorry?’

  ‘Where is he, Molly?’

  ‘Do you think I buried him in the park…? How the hell should I know?’

  ‘Where is he?’ Keane asked with increased volume.

  The door opened and Keane glanced over his shoulder at the new man who had entered. The pale complexion and panicked expression on the new entrant’s face shook Molly to her already unstable core. He rushed over to Keane and lowered his head to whisper in the detective’s ear, except there wasn’t time to utter a word.

  ‘Move!’ a voice bellowed from somewhere outside this room. ‘Have you ever been shot...? You want to try it...? Get the fuck out of my way!’

  Molly swallowed down the bitter fear in her throat; that man out there wasn’t one to be reckoned with. Her feet tingled with the adrenaline that pumped through every atom in her body.

  ‘Scratch that last question,’ Keane said to Molly, and waved away the terrified man hanging over him. Keane was the only one who appeared unfazed by any of this.

  Keane stood up with his doughnut in hand. Molly didn’t know what to do or where to look. Then he appeared in the doorway. Her eyes widened, but it took her a good six seconds to recognise him, because she wasn’t used to seeing him anywhere except in her world, and this place was no part of her world.

  ‘Out,’ Blake grumbled from the back of his throat.

  Molly had never been scared of him, but the deep vibration in his voice shivered across her skin.

  ‘Carson—‘Keane started.

  ‘Out!’ Blake hollered.

  Keane held up his hands in surrender and moved around Blake, touching his palm as they passed each other. Blake snatched the key from Keane.

  ‘I warned you,’ Keane mumbled, before he disappeared.

  Blake marched in and slammed the door behind him, enclosing them alone. He came straight to her and crouched at her side without ever meeting her eye. His face was solid with anger.

  ‘Why didn’t you call me?’

  ‘What?’ Molly stuttered.

  Blake unlocked the cuffs from her and dropped them down on the table. He stormed around to switch off the recording device, then he crossed to pull down a blind over the one-way window. Molly could barely keep up with his lightening movements when he proceeded to traverse to the opposite corner. He knew exactly what he was doing and was methodical about it. Reaching for the security camera in the corner, Blake pushed it up to point at the ceiling and pulled a cord from the back to disconnect it.

  ‘Williams is going to be here in two minutes; he was travelling from our station in the city. I had to floor it to get here before him, so we don’t have much time,’ he said.

  He grabbed the chair Keane had used and pulled it round to her side of the table. Spinning it around, he straddled the seat, supporting his chest on the backrest.

  ‘Look at me, Mol,’ he said.

  Molly could only mouth and blink at her surroundings. Whatever nightmare she had been in before, she had a feeling that it was about to get a lot worse.

  ‘I—‘

  He snapped his fingers and brought her drifting attention to his. ‘I need you to look at me, Sugar,’ he said, his stare probing her with overwhelming intensity. She’d always shrunk under his scrutiny, but his focus was so intent that she thought she might be absorbed by him. ‘I need you to tell me. There are things that I can do, but we’re on a clock. I need you to look at me and tell me… Did you do it?’

  Molly’s chest stopped. The crushing sensation within her brought her trembling body to a complete halt. Heat ran down her cheeks, but she couldn’t move.

  ‘Babe,’ he said. His palm touched her cheek, and his thumb smudged the moisture on her face. ‘I know it’s tough. But I need you to get over the shock of this. I need you to snap out of it. You have to tell me, Mol. You have to tell me now. It’s just me. No cameras, no recordings… all I need is a yes or a no.’

  Molly gasped in a breath and managed to splutter back to reality. ‘Who are you? He called you Carson.’

  ‘It’s my last name,’ Blake said.

  ‘I didn’t know that,’ Molly said and lifted one shaking hand to her face. ‘I can’t do this. I can’t.’ She slowly began to move her head from side to side, as fresh tears clouded her vision.

  ‘Please,’ Blake murmured. ‘You have to tell me now, because we won’t get the chance to do this again.’

  ‘Do what?’

  ‘They might let me question you, but we can’t be alone.’

  ‘What happened, Blake? I don’t understand.’

  ‘I wasn’t here,’ he said. ‘I didn’t go home last night. My brother came home, so I went to his place… I had no idea they had picked you up until I got back home this morning. Why didn’t you call me last night?’

  ‘I threw everyone out,’ she said, examining him. ‘I was tired.’

  The ball of his hand went to his forehead and he scratched his head before he got out of his chair and began to pace away. ‘That’s not going to help your case; you don’t have an alibi. If you had just called me—‘

  ‘I don’t understand,’ she said. ‘Who called you? Are you a lawyer?’

  He froze and peered around at her. ‘No one’s told you?’

  Molly shook her head, it was erratic, but as much as she could muster. ‘I don’t understand.’

  ‘Shit,’ he exhaled, and came back to the table. Until he pulled his badge off his belt, she hadn’t noticed it. He tossed it to the table.

  She scrutinized the lump of metal. ‘This is… this is a police badge.’ Drawing her focus up to his, she awaited an explanation.

  ‘I’m a detective. I’ve been on the Choker case with Keane… he’s my partner.’

  Molly didn’t move, she just let her gaze wander in dizzy patterns around the room. ‘I don’t understand you’re… a cop?’ Again her focus found his, and he nodded. In an automatic gesture, her hands rose to cover her mouth as she absorbed this new reality. ‘You… Oh my God,’ she mumbled.

  ‘Whatever happened between us, Sugar…’ he said. Sinking into the chair still at her side, he reached for her hand, but she snatched it away.

  ‘Don’t Sugar me! You’re a cop! You let me go on and on and all the time… you were a cop!’

  ‘Yes,’ he said.

  ‘Oh my God!’ she said, and gripped her hair at her temples. ‘You’ve seen me naked.’

  He rolled his lips into his mouth and squinted at her. ‘Yes… but, Mol, you—‘

  ‘No! Get away from me! What the hell was that?’

  ‘I had to get close to you. We had to know if you were capable of this.’

  ‘I was your job? You kissed me and touched me and… I was your job?’

  ‘It wasn’t like that… it started like that, but I—‘

  ‘Nice work if you can get it, huh?’ she said, and tried to stand, but her rubbery legs wouldn’t support her weight. She tried and failed again.

  ‘Take your time,’ he said. ‘This is a shock.’

  ‘A shock?’ she exclaimed. ‘Shock is when you drop a glass or when you accidentally run over your next door neighbour’s cat! Shock is when you realise your boyfriend has put naked pictures of you on the internet! But this! Finding out you have been the subject of humiliation and mockery around a place full of people you despise—‘

  ‘No,’ Blake said. ‘It wasn’t like that. I didn’t talk to them about—‘

  ‘Sure... uh huh. You expect me to trust you
now?’ The shock and grief subsided to the burning anger that made her heart rate kick up.

  ‘You have to trust someone,’ he said. ‘This will get very messy, very quickly.’

  ‘Wait a minute,’ Molly said, and growled at him. ‘You asked me if I did it… Do you really think I am capable of murder? Is that what you told them?’

  ‘I told you that I had nothing to do with this. I didn’t know Alex had been killed until I picked up my messages. I haven’t even been to the crime scene yet. I read the initial findings, but—‘

  ‘He’s really dead?’ she mumbled.

  Blake’s features eased into sympathy. ‘Yes. I’m sorry.’

  ‘I saw him just a few nights ago,’ she sighed.

  ‘I know. I was there.’

  ‘Chrissy was giving him hell. Something about him staying out late. He told me he’d been working every night last week, but it didn’t seem right to me… Do you think he was having an affair with her?’

  When he didn’t respond, she had to seek him out. The subdued grin that he wore spun fury around her heart. ‘How can you smile?’ she snapped. ‘How can you sit there and grin? A man is dead! A man who didn’t deserve to die!’

  ‘Do you have any idea how long I spent talking to them… and telling them that you couldn’t do this?’

  ‘What?’ Molly barked. ‘Two seconds ago you were asking me if I did it? Now you’re convinced that I didn’t do it?’

  ‘You wouldn’t ask me if they were having an affair if you already knew,’ he said. ‘If you did this, then you would know exactly how it happened.’

  ‘Maybe I’m lying,’ she snarled at him, not appreciating the familiarity with which he spoke to her.

  ‘Maybe,’ he said with half a shrug. ‘Maybe not.’

  ‘Maybe your partner is right, maybe I really am that good.’

  Blake’s jaw clenched. ‘He said that to you?’

  ‘I don’t blame him,’ Molly said. ‘I am often confused for a crazed serial killer.’

  ‘What else did he say to you?’

  ‘Oh, give it up! Like you give a shit! He could have come in here, told me to strip naked and dry ride him for an hour and he wouldn’t be far off where you are!’