“No.” He didn’t so much as twitch.
“All right. You’re a smart guy, Christian. I can tell that much about you. Who do you think killed Hank?”
Christian still didn’t move. “I don’t.”
She paused. “You don’t…what?”
“I don’t think about who shot Hank,” he said, his voice smoother but just as deep as Brock’s. “I remember the good times.”
She let her instincts take over with the interview. “Do you believe in justice?”
“Yes.”
“Vengeance?”
“Definitely.” Christian studied her right back, his gaze intense.
She kept her composure, acutely aware of the animal at his feet looking tamer than him. “Don’t you want either justice or vengeance for Hank?”
“No.”
She waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t say another word. As an interviewer, she recognized somebody with training. He wouldn’t fall for any of her usual tactics, so she needed to head in another direction. “Do you think Brock killed Hank?”
“Do you?” Christian asked, surprising her.
She forced a smile. “I’m asking the questions. Would you please answer mine?”
“Brock didn’t kill Hank. It’s okay for you to date him during this long and no doubt very cold winter,” Christian said. “Are we done?”
Heat climbed up her face, but she didn’t look away. “Do you think Ace killed Hank?”
“Nope.” Christian reached down to pet the animal’s head.
All right. “How about Amka?” Ophelia leaned forward. “She’s a woman keeping secrets.” Yeah, it was a shot in the dark, but she went with it.
Christian smiled, looking suddenly a lot more like Brock. “Amka wouldn’t hurt a spider. True story. I’ve seen her put a moth on a piece of paper to take outside the bar and let free.”
Interesting. “Do you spend a lot of time watching Amka?”
“No.” The smile diminished, but no anxiety showed on Christian’s angled face. It was impossible to read him.
“Does she know you have feelings for her?” Ophelia went with her gut.
Christian stopped petting the wolf-dog. “Agent Spilazi, I stopped having feelings a while ago. Any feelings.”
She leaned toward him. “Now, Christian, that’s a bald-faced lie. Are you just lying to me, or are you lying to yourself?”
No reaction. Then, a slow tilt of his head. “Interesting question. I wouldn’t have thought I was lying to either of us, but if I were, then how would I know?” The man actually sounded curious and thoughtful.
Was he just nuts?
“Okay, let’s start with this. Is there any reason somebody would want Hank dead?” she asked, trying for a different angle.
Christian shook his head, and a little snow fell from his black hair to his shoulder. “The world was a much better place with Hank in it. Nobody wanted him dead.”
Man, he looked honest. He had quite the skill set.
“Who killed Hank?” she said, more forcefully than before.
