I don’t need Dickson coming after me with some twisted claim that I’ve stolen the eight grand back from him.
And what if he tells the cops I came to visit and hit him with the lamp? Will I end up in jail?
“Miss Montoya?” The officer steps forward. “Are you alright?”
“I, uhm…” My hand moves over my chest. “I’m sorry. This is so much more than I was expecting. I thought I would just get my money back, but this is…”
“What’s the problem?” His eyes narrow. “Has something happened?”
“No, I just… uhm… can’t I just get the money back from the bank and forget the rest?”
“I was under the impression it was a substantial amount stolen from you.”
“It was, I mean it is, but I don’t uhm… I don’t want to pursue criminal proceedings.”
“You don’t?”
“No.” My pulse races faster and faster as Dickson’s phantom hand closes around my throat. “I’m sure it’s long gone. It doesn’t even matter.”
“Miss Montoya, do you understand that even if you choose not to take part, the bank can still pursue criminal proceedings? Againstanyonewho was involved.” His words drip with the implication that somehow, I’m involved, and if this reaches Dickson, then any credibility I have will go out the window.
My turning up at his door and attacking him will surely look like we’re working together and he tried to double-cross me.
“Uhm… That’s fine.” What else can I say?
Hot sweat prickles down my spine and soaks into my blouse.
It clings to my skin with every subtle movement and my next few breaths are hot and restricted.
“Hm.” The officer writes something down. “While I’m here, I had a couple of follow-up questions about what happened to your partner, Caleb.”
“My ex,” I correct as fast as a lash.
“Your ex. It was your car he was driving, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Did you give him the keys?”
“No… no, he stole them. He’d do that regularly. Once, I even found that he’d sent away for new keys so he could have his own set.” My hand slides up to my throat as if the contact can help remove the lump slowly forming.
“Have you been contacted by your insurance yet?”
I shake my head. “The last I heard was just after the crash. They said they couldn’t do anything until the car was released and Iwas toldthatcouldn’t happen until you all had closed your case. Wasn’t it an accident?”
“It is being ruled that way, but when there are large sums of money involved, we have to explore all avenues.”
“All avenues?” The walls of the room draw in closer. “What do you mean?”
“Can anyone corroborate your whereabouts that night?”
“I… no. I mean, Caleb locked me in and I had to climb out of my window the next morning, so maybe someone saw me, but… I’m sorry, do you think I had something to do with what happened to him? I thought the car slipped on the ice?”
“Like I said, all avenues.” His smile doesn’t reach his eyes.
I spend the next twenty minutes answering questions about my apartment, my relationship with Caleb, and the maintenance of my car.
While the conversation was short, by the time he leaves, I’m exhausted.
