He sighed and dropped his head.When he lifted his eyes again, he wore a pleading expression.“Look, I got into trouble a few years ago, and I did some time.A two-spot at the Colony.”
“The George Beto Unit in Tennessee Colony about two hours south of here,” the male officer explained.
“Oh,” Faith said, raising an eyebrow.“What was that for?”
Trevor shifted his feet.“Armed assault.”
“Aggravated assault with a deadly weapon,” the female officer corrected.“Plead down from attempted murder.”
Faith whistled.“That’s pretty serious.”
“It’s pretty bullshit is what it is,” Trevor said.“I didn’t try to kill the guy, I tried to scare him.”
“You shot him through the femoral artery,” the male officer replied.
“Yeah, on accident!How was I supposed to know shooting someone in the leg would kill them?”
“Let’s just acknowledge that you have a violent history,” Faith said.“You got into an altercation with at least one of our victims.We’ll set aside the question of whether your violent history resurfaced in your encounter with Sarah Garrett.Talk to me about Matthew Brooks.What’s your relationship with him?”
“Nonexistent.Who is he?”
“The man who died outside of the Dallas Doghouse less than two hours ago,” Faith said.
“What?”His eyes widened.“Oh, shit.The shelter across from the police station.”
“So now you know him?”Jessica prodded.
“Not him, no,” Trevor replied.“But I know the Doghouse.I tried to get a dog there after things didn’t work out in Plano.They rejected me too because of my criminal history.That’s why I wasn’t honest to begin with.I knew they were going to do that.”
He sniffed and calmed down again.Once more, his face took on a pleading look.“My sister stopped letting me talk to my nephew after I went to prison.She just started letting me see him again.I wanted to get him a dog so I could, I don’t know.Do something meaningful.”
He sat on the edge of a torn-up couch that groaned in protest at the weight.“I’m really trying to turn my life around, you know.I wasn’t a good man for a long time.I know that.I’m trying to fix that, but it’s really hard.No one gives you a chance.”
“That’s not true,” Faith said.“You have a chance.You have one right now.You know who doesn’t?Sarah Garrett.Matthew Brooks.”
Trevor sniffed and met Faith with an empty-eyed expression that Faith had seen on the faces of a lot of people who’d given up and acted on that in the worst possible way.“Yeah.Well, maybe they had it easy.They don’t have to keep getting their ass kicked.”
Faith shared a look with Jessica then looked back at Trevor.“What were you up to this morning?”
He scoffed.“I was at work.”
“What time?”
“I was working graveyard at the FedEx Shipping Center in Forth Worth.I got off at seven and headed home.I got here around eight and had time to start a pot of coffee when the doorbell rang and I opened it to meet my new best friends.”
He looked up at the cops, smiling sourly.They didn’t return his smile.
Faith’s heart sank.“Can anyone verify that you were at work?”
“Yeah, my supervisor, my coworkers, the cameras.I told your buddies already.They have a bunch of cameras watching the loading area now because of people stealing packages.I’m sure you can see me on most of them.”
Jessica dropped her head.Trevor laughed bitterly.“Yeah, sorry to disappoint you.I know how much you wanted me to be your murderer.”
Faith just wanted innocent people to stop dying, and she was sure Jessica did too.She could understand why Trevor might feel upset about their obvious disappointment, though.“Jessica, can you follow up on that, please?”
Jessica stepped away to do that, and Faith asked, “What about last night?This would be early evening, around seven o’clock.”
“I was here,” he said.“I don’t have an alibi for that one, but if you think it’s the same guy who killed both people, then it definitely can’t be me.”
