“Don’t get up,” Kayana ordered. “I’ll see who it is.”
At any other time, Cherie would have resented someone usurping her in her own home, but this situation was different because she realized her friends were being overly protective. Her last protector had been her older brother, Jamal. He’d told guys in their neighborhood not to mess with his sister or they would have to answer to him, and she wondered if his edict, not that he’d been sleeping with another boy’s girlfriend, had been responsible for his murder.
Chapter 10
Reese stood on the porch, waiting for Cherie to answer the door. When he’d driven up, he noticed the late-model Audi belonging to Leah Kent. But when the door opened, he was slightly taken aback to find Kayana standing there.
“You’re not working.” Her question was a statement.
“Not right now,” Reese admitted. He only wore his uniform when on duty; pullover sweaters, jeans, and boots were his customary off-duty attire. “I’d like to talk to Cherie. Is she all right?” The query was pregnant with concern.
Kayana closed the door and pulled him aside. “She appears okay. But something tells me she’s putting on a brave face, so try not to come on too strong when you question her.”
“What makes you believe that?”
“As a former psychiatric social worker, I’ve had clients who tended to mask their trauma and pretend they were okay. Leah and I came here to keep her mind off what went down yesterday. I’m telling you this because Cherie’s our friend and we really care about her.”
Reese wanted to ask Kayana if she was experiencing some guilt and responsibility because the man had been a customer at her restaurant, and he’d attacked Cherie on her property. And he also resented Kayana cautioning him on how to do his job.
“I’ll make certain not to upset her.”
Kayana expelled a sigh. “Thank you, Reese.”
He waited for her to open the door, and he walked in; Kayana closed and locked it behind them. Reese wanted to get his interview with Cherie over quickly and then go home and sleep. The midnight-to-8:00 shift always screwed up his circadian rhythms, and he much preferred the 8:00 a.m.-to-4: 00 p.m. or even the 4:00 p.m.-to-midnight schedules.
Reese came to an abrupt stop, his gaze meeting and fusing with Cherie’s. He detected a glimmer of fear in the hazel eyes before she lowered her lids, shuttering her innermost feelings. Within seconds, he realized what Kayana had warned him about. He didn’t know what she had exhibited when interacting with her friends, but it was obvious that his appearance was a blatant reminder of what she’d experienced less than twenty-four hours ago. Leah inched closer to Cherie, a motion signaling an intention to protect her.
He nodded to the café’s baker. “Good morning.”
“Good morning.
Leah had given him what he interpreted as a death stare before she’d acknowledged his greeting. The two women were like lionesses protecting a cub from an approaching predator. However, he hadn’t come to harm Cherie. He just needed information from her that he could give to the chief to process the transfer of the prisoner to the county jail.
“Cherie, do you have time to talk to me?”
She smiled, the gesture not reaching her eyes. “Yes.”
Kayana gathered the flutes. “Leah and I are going upstairs.”
Reese waited for the two women to climb the staircase and motioned for Cherie to sit on the love-seat portion of the sectional; he dropped down next to her. The scent of flowers clinging to her hair wafted to his nostrils.
“Do you mind if I record our interview?”
“No.”
Reaching into the front pocket of his jeans, he removed a department-issued, handheld tape recorder. “Before I begin taping, I need to know if you’re willing to testify against the man who attacked you.” Reese knew interviewing her would be pointless if she didn’t want to testify.
“I want to testify and put that piece of shit in jail, where he won’t be able hurt anyone else.”
That’s my girl, Reese thought. She had no intention of letting her attacker go free. He switched on the recorder. “I’m going to ask you a few questions about yourself. Then you can tell me everything you remember about the man who attacked you.”
Cherie folded her hands together in her lap. “What do you want to know about me?”
“Where did you live before moving to Coates Island?”
“Cos Cob, Connecticut.”
“Where is that in relation to the state capital?”
