“You’re a criminal, too.”
“No, I’m not.”
“Lying to police officers is a criminal offense.So is aggravated assault.”
“He told me about you.”
Hendricks raised his brows.“Oh?What did he say?”
Deputy Slate returned to his desk with a cup of coffee.Meredith was relieved by the presence of the friendlier officer.She returned to the cold concrete bench and sat down.She would stay quiet and wait for Wade.
“Do you know why my deputy came back for you?”the sheriff asked.
She stared at the wall of the cell, feigning disinterest.
“He’s a bit of an amateur sleuth.Wants to be a detective someday, so he follows a bunch of folks with similar interests on the internet.YouTubers or some such.I don’t know what the hell it’s all about, but he does.Tell us, Slate, why this lovely creature caught your attention.Other than the obvious.”
Slate gave the sheriff a quelling look before turning to Meredith.“There was a feature on Websleuths this morning.Poison Rose.”
“Poison Rose,” Hendricks repeated.
“They ran a photograph and a bunch of speculation about the inspiration for the song, along with the mystery behind it.”
“What’s the mystery?”Hendricks asked.
“A college student posted on social media that her sister, Meredith Rose, had gone missing, and she was involved with Tripp Gilley before she disappeared.She took the post down after it went viral, but there are screenshots.”
“Screenshots,” Hendricks said, pointing at her.
Meredith crossed her arms over her chest.She was still soaked to the skin, and she couldn’t stop trembling.
“You’re Meredith Rose,” Slate said.“You have a prescription bottle with that name on it, and the photographs are a clear match.There’s even one with the dog.”
“Speaking of the dog,” Hendricks said.“If his shots aren’t up to date, we’re going to have put him down.It’s the only way to make sure he’s not rabid.”
Meredith jumped to her feet.Fear spiked through her.“Leave my dog alone.”
“Be glad to, as long as you cooperate.”
“What do you want me to say?”
“I don’t actually care what you say,” Hendricks admitted.“But Slate does.He wants to interview you for his YouTube channel.”
“It’s a podcast,” Slate said, sounding bashful.
Hendricks rolled his eyes.“I’ll be in my office.”
After the sheriff walked away, Slate approached the cell.“I doubt he’s going to write up an arrest report.He just wants to needle Wade.”
“Why?”
Slate shrugged.“Family squabble, I reckon.Anyway, I’m a huge fan of Tripp Gilley and web-sleuthing, so I’m thrilled to have you here.If you would grant an interview, I’ll ask the sheriff to go easy.”
“Bring me my dog,” Meredith said.
Slate nodded happily.He came back with Chico, who was small enough to pass through the bars.Meredith’s eyes filled with tears as she hugged the little dog to her chest.He covered her face with kisses.
“This is for a podcast?”
