“I sound crazy.”Harmony sighed.
“No, you don’t.”Detective Murphy pushed his folder to the side and leaned forward to meet her gaze.“You sound like a smart woman, being cautious.You met my wife this morning.After what she went through, I’m never going to tell a woman she should be less careful.”
“You were laughing at me.”
Detective Murphy chuckled.“I was laughing, but only because Damien Joseph is one of the best men I know, and the thought of him being a con-artist or a villain is laughable to me.But when he’s a stranger to you, you have to be careful.”
“He’s really that good of a man?”
Detective Murphy nodded solemnly.“Yes.Without a doubt.Everyone who works for Rose Protection Agency is exceptional.I’d trust all of them with my life, or with my wife, who matters more to me than my own life.”
Harmony snickered.“That’s good to hear.”
“Okay, back to Ms.Mercer.She walked out of the bathroom before you.When did you speak to her next?”
Harmony shook her head.“I didn’t.I went to the table and told Damien I had to go and left.I never talked to her at my building.”
“Never?”
“No.”
Detective Murphy’s eyebrows drew together.“But Damien told you she was there?”
Harmony nodded.“He did, but I didn’t have another encounter with her.I rushed home and into my building.I have seen cars that looked like they were following me, and I wasn’t sure about Damien, so when I got home, I ran inside.I heard someone outside and thought I saw her in the parking lot, but I didn’t speak to her.”
Detective Murphy was quiet as he studied his notes in the folder.He scribbled a few things, then read through more, then looked up at Harmony.“Damien spent the night at your apartment, is that correct?”
“Yes, he slept on the couch.I was shaken up after being followed and then the police officers threatening to shoot Damien.Captain Patrick offered to let me stay at his wife’s shelter, but I didn’t want to take up a spot that someone else might have needed.Damien offered to stay with me, and I accepted his offer.”
“Even though you’d just worried about him being a con-artist?”
Harmony laughed at herself.“I can’t say it was rational, but Captain Patrick vouched for him and knew he was there.I figured worst-case scenario, he’d be the prime suspect if something happened to me.”
“I’m happy it didn’t come to that.”
Harmony snorted.“Same.”
“One more question.Did either of you leave the apartment during the night?”
“I didn’t.Damien was sleeping on my couch when I got up so I assume he didn’t.”
“But you can’t say for sure.”
Harmony wanted to argue, but she couldn’t.“No.”
Eleven
Harmony stared at Detective Murphy,watching as he made notes.“Damien didn’t kill anyone.He wouldn’t.”
Detective Murphy looked up at her with a smile.“All I am doing right now is gathering information.Both of you said you were in your apartment all night.Neither of you can prove the other was there the whole night.That’s not unexpected.We will be looking for security footage to support your stories.”He closed his folder.“If I’m being honest, I don’t think of either of you as suspects.But you both had an interaction with Ms.Mercer within a few hours of her death, so I have to ask these questions.”
“But my saying I can’t confirm Damien was there doesn’t mean he’s in trouble, right?”
“No more than he already was.And that’s not to say he’s in trouble,” Detective Murphy said when Harmony opened her mouth to argue.“We are looking into all the options right now.”
“Okay.”Harmony chewed on her lip.She hated doubting herself.Not knowing what was happening and what made sense.If Damien was dangerous, she wouldn’t have felt so safe with him at her apartment.Right?But she didn’t really know him well.Was there any chance he was responsible for this?
She shook her head.She really couldn’t imagine him murdering a woman.Self-defense?Sure.She knew he was in the military and assumed there were times he had to take a life then, too, but in cold blood without a cause?She couldn’t see that in Damien.
