I glance over his shoulder at Rafe who's standing near the Christmas tree with his hands in his pockets. Detective Hargrove is beside him, still questioning him but watching both of us with sharp eyes that miss nothing. The two uniformed officers are wandering through the safehouse, examining everything even though there's no point, but the main detective has gone now, left her card and handed over responsibility to the uniforms.
"I need to pack first," I say to my father. "And Rafe's coming with me. I want you to meet him properly."
My father's jaw tightens, and I see the conflict playing out on his face. He doesn't want Rafe anywhere near me, but he also doesn't want to fight with me when we've just been reunited.
"Riley, I'd like to talk to you for a minute." Detective Hargrove steps forward, his notebook in hand.
My father releases my shoulders reluctantly and steps back. Detective Hargrove gestures toward the couch, and I sit down. He takes the chair across from me, and one of the uniformed officers positions himself near the doorway. Rafe moves to stand behind the couch, close enough that I can feel his presence but far enough that it doesn't look like he's hovering.
"Miss Maddox," Detective Hargrove begins, "I want to make sure I understand the timeline correctly. You left for Buffalo approximately nearly six weeks ago, correct?"
"Yes, a few days before Thanksgiving."
"And your car broke down on the highway."
"Yes. The engine just died. I pulled over and tried to restart it, but nothing happened." Now I'm really nervous. They haven't mentioned a spare tire, though Rafe said they burned it too, so maybe that didn't show up?
"And Mr. Ferretti happened to be driving behind you."
"Well, yes. He stopped to help."
Detective Hargrove writes something in his notebook. "How did you two meet prior to that?"
"At a coffee shop in the city, about a week before my car broke down. We got to talking, exchanged numbers, and started seeing each other."
"And he just happened to be on the same highway at the same time as you going to Buffalo for your family Thanksgiving?" He narrows his eyes at me and I glance up at my dad, who's staring now.
Biting my lip nervously, I glance at him and then say, "Well, I was going to introduce Rafe to my parents. He was following me home for that purpose…"
Hargrove looks at me like he's not buying any of this but doesn't ask me to clarify. This is none of his fucking business. "And when your car broke down, he offered to bring you here?"
"Yes. I was stressed about the holidays and my sister's wedding, and he suggested we go somewhere quiet for a few days. It turned into a few weeks because I was enjoying myself so much."
"You didn't think to contact your family during that time."
"Well, I did send an email from my computer, because my phone was dead. It died the first day, and I didn't have a charger. At first I thought I'd just deal with it when we got back, but then the days kept passing and it felt so good to be disconnected that I just let it go. I know that was stupid. I know I should've found a way to call them. But I wasn't thinking clearly."
I feel like I'm just repeating myself over and over, and I try not to make every story identical because it's the hallmark of a fake story.
Detective Hargrove leans forward slightly. "Miss Maddox, I need to ask you this directly. Did Mr. Ferretti coerce you in any way?Did he threaten you or your family? Did he prevent you from leaving or contacting anyone?"
"You've already asked me this and I answered you honestly. This was my choice. I asked him to take me away. I wanted the break." I could really use Rafe beside me now, holding my hands.
Lying about this cover-up sucks. I don't want to keep lying to them, but the alternative is probably a prison sentence for both me and Rafe.
"And you're aware that his company is currently under federal investigation?"
I blink at him, letting confusion cross my face. "What? What investigation?"
"The pharmaceutical company Mr. Ferretti is associated with has been flagged by the FBI for potential ties to organized crime. Drug smuggling. Arms dealing. You're telling me you had no knowledge of this?"
I shake my head, and I let a little bit of anger creep into my voice. "No. I had no idea. And frankly, I'm offended that you're implying Rafe is some kind of criminal. He's been nothing but kind to me."
Detective Hargrove studies my face for a long moment, and I hold his gaze without flinching. I can feel Rafe's tension behind me, but I don't turn around.
"If you discover anything about Mr. Ferretti that concerns you," Detective Hargrove says slowly, "I want you to contact me immediately."
He pulls a business card from his pocket and hands it to me. I take it and nod.
