It was just the way Spencer looked at her with round, expressive eyes that she didn’t think she had much choice. “She’s dead. I’m sorry.”
Spencer cried out and wrapped his arms around her so tightly, it was as if he were holding on for dear life. She hugged him back, finding that she needed to buoy his weight, or he’d crumple to the ground. Only once she felt his legs steady beneath him did she draw back.
“Come on, let’s go inside,” she told him.
A police cruiser pulled up in front of the house, and Amanda cringed at its timing.
Spencer’s arms fell to his sides while his gaze traveled over her shoulder. “Amanda, what’s going on here?” His eyes met hers.
“It would be best if we spoke inside.” This time she used her firm cop tone. It made anything she said sound less like an option and more of an order.
Spencer turned and went into his home, and Amanda followed. Trent held a hand up to the officer behind the wheel to motion for him to stay put.
Amanda, Trent, and Spencer returned to the living room where they had been earlier that day and even claimed the same spots and sat.
Spencer rubbed his forehead. “Tell me what happened to her. Do you know who…”
“Christine was shot three times. Twice in the chest, once in the head.” Getting to the point might seem harsh, but it was kindness in disguise.
“Holy shit. So this…thisreally happened.” He swallowed roughly. “Someone killed her.”
“Yes. I’m sorry for your loss, Spencer.” Her heart was pounding as she debated her next words. How to put it to flesh and blood he was a murder suspect? She’d stick to some facts first. “She died around ten PM on Friday night.”
“I shouldn’t be surprised by any of this.” Spencer had the blank stare of shock. Even though adrenaline would be flooding his system and cushioning him from the full impact of this news. “I mean you had her car, her purse, her phone…”
“I need to ask where you were Friday night at that time.” There was nothing easy about making this request of her half-brother. But by putting it this way, it shifted some of the onus from her to the badge. At least she hoped he would see it that way.
“Are you being serious right now, Amanda? You think that I…that I…”
She went rigid. “Please, answer the question.”
“Here. And, no, no one can corroborate my alibi.”
She overlooked the snark in his voice, saddened by what this meant. His whereabouts couldn’t be verified and rule him out. “We spoke to Riley, Spencer. She told us you and Christine have been fighting.” She’d leave out the part that Riley said she didn’t think they had seen each other for two weeks. After all, by the young woman’s own admission, she couldn’t be certain.
“It was nothing. We would have gotten past it.”
“Her daughter seems to think Christine was going to end things with you,” Trent wedged in. “Did that happen?”
Amanda appreciated Trent handled the tough question with compassion, but Spencer seemed to miss it. He shot Trent a frosty glare.
“No. And I had no idea she was considering ending things either.”
“It hurts when you’re on the wrong side of a breakup,” Amanda empathized, but she was also trying to draw him out.
“Except we didn’t break up. Why aren’t you listening to me?”
“I guess you lost your temper after a bad shift, and Christine sent you home. It was an incident with some steaks and the barbecue…” She hated being in this position, but she only had herself to blame. She had told Malone she could handle things if Spencer became a serious suspect. It was just time to live up to her word.
“You never have a bad day?” he tossed back at her.
Today ranks high among them…“They happen, but most of us don’t lash out or toss steaks in the garbage.”
“Was that the extent of it, Spencer?” Trent asked without allowing time for Spencer to respond to Amanda’s comment.
“Of course it was. It was nothing.”
Amanda wanted to believe him but didn’t have the luxury of doing so. “You ever lose your temper before? Do something more violent?”
