“She was drunk and doesn’t remember but that still doesn’t make it right.”
“Huh.” I glance at the drapes moving in the bay window and shift my body language to be less threatening.
“Better lose that, too,” Danni points at my face.
“What? My nose?”
“No. Jeesh. Ditch the seriously-pissed-off, if-looks-could-kill expression.” She crosses her arms like she’s the injured party.
Are you kidding me?I shoot her a saccharine smile. “How’s this?”
“Not much better.” She raps the door knocker. “Hi, Ari. It’s me again. Deputy Abbott, here, would like to ask you a few questions.”
“Tell him to go away.” Her baby cries and I feel bad but there’s a murder to solve and she may know something.
“He’s trying to help. He’s on our side.”
“Then why does he look like he wants to arrest me?” The curtains open, revealing an angry young woman with an infant in her arms.
Danni waves. “I slept with him. He’s mad at me, not you.”
The door opens, Arianna takes me in from head to toe, and smiles. “No way. Is it true?”
“Yeah, you could say that.” My teeth grind as I hold back a grimace.
“Can you promise you’re going to arrest Mr. Kincaid?” Jiggling her fussy baby, she allows us entrance.
“Why, is he the father?”
Her eyes tear and she swallows hard. “Yes, but he refuses to have a paternity test and no one will force him. He swears Isaiah isn’t his but he is the only man I’ve had sex with. He’ll be sorry. I’m taking online classes to become a lawyer. I’m going to sue his stupid ass for all he’s worth.”
While I admire her determination, her baby-daddy may be serving a life sentence by the time she gets him in front of a judge. Regardless, her righteousness will take her far. With a degree, she’ll earn a good living and the deadbeat father won’t matter.
She relinquishes the now calm baby to Danni, sitting cross-legged on the floor. The little guy reaches for a stuffed bear, she dances it in front of him, then glances over at the young mother.
“Tell the deputy what you told me.”
Arianna purses her lips, no doubt deciding if I’m worthy of her trust. “Whatever. But, if you use this against me, I will sue your ass, too.”
“Fair enough.” I try not to smile. This girl will make an incredible lawyer someday.
“Fine. Jeff is a bully. He’s rough.”
“Did he hit you?”
“No, but often he’d squeeze my arm until it hurt. And there was this one time, when we were about to break up. He scared me. We were taking a hike on the Appalachian Trail and stopped on an overlook. He was kidding around but it wasn’t funny. He said, ‘I could just push you and no one would ever find you.’”
“Later, he found out I was pregnant and wanted me to get rid of my little boy but I said no. I left school and he refused to help. He said I had to get some other sucker to pay. Can you believe that asshole?” She slips her hands under the fussy baby’s armpits and puts him to her hip.
“Have you been to Vermont, since?” I can’t imagine she’s a suspect, but need to ask.
She grabs a bottle from the kitchen counter, places it in the baby’s mouth and he quiets. “Do you know how many diapers you can buy for the cost of one plane ticket?”
That doesn’t answer my question but I won’t press. It’s easy enough to check flight records. However, if her ex ends up with a case of a missing dick, she’ll be my primary suspect.
“Thanks for talking to us.” I hand her my card. “If you think of anything else, text me.”
Arianna leans in so close, the baby pulls my hair. “Be careful. Underneath his shiny veneer, Professor Kincaid is fucking crazy. Check with Alisha? His graduate assistant? She’ll back me up.”
