CHAPTER 34
Regina drove into town with her chest so tight she thought she was going to split open. All she wanted to do was wrap up with the chief and get the hell back home.
“You’re looking much better, Regina,” Greta said when Regina entered the reception area of the police station.
She didn’t feel any better. Not now. “Chief still in? I’m supposed to meet with him and David Conley.”
“Let me buzz you in. He’s with the DA now.” Greta picked up the phone. “Regina’s here, Chief. Want me to have her go back?”
Greta gestured to the hallway and nodded at Regina.
Regina walked to the chief’s office and tapped at the door. When his call came to enter, she pushed open the door and ducked in.
David Conley rose from his seat and turned to acknowledge Regina. He was a younger DA, but he was a hard-ass in court, where it counted. He’d won reelection in a landslide.
“Regina, you’re looking better,” the chief said as he gestured for her to take a seat next to David.
“I’m feeling much better, sir,” she lied. “I hope to be back at work on Monday as we discussed.” But for the first time, returning to the job didn’t hold the appeal it had even a day ago.
The chief nodded.
“You’ve got the right guy in custody?” she asked, cutting quickly to the point. She didn’t have time to spend exchanging pleasantries. Not when her entire future was dangling by a thin thread.
Both the chief and David nodded.
“We have his confession,” David said. “We’re still collecting evidence, but it’s formalities. I read your statement, so I know you didn’t get a good look at him and couldn’t provide a description, but do you think you’d recognize him if you saw him again?”
She frowned. “I just don’t know. Sorry. It all happened so fast. I might be able to ID his voice, but he didn’t say much. Just the one line about him waiting for me and making ‘him’ pay.”
David grimaced. “That’s the only angle we haven’t been able to shore up.”
Her eyebrows lifted. “What do you mean?”
“His connection to you and who he meant to make pay. He’s admitted to the murder, and he provided cursory details about the crime. Location, motive, et cetera. But there was no mention of you, why he attacked you or what his motive was for doing so. We were hoping you’d remember something else about that night that might help us.”
She flashed an uncertain look at the chief. “So you don’t know if you have the right guy?”
“That’s not what we’re saying,” the chief responded evenly.
“Everything adds up,” David broke in. “Except his connection to you. He’s admitted to the murder; however, he hasn’t said a word about the break-ins or tampering with your vehicle.”
“You think he’s copped to a murder he didn’t commit,” she said.
“I didn’t say that either,” David replied.
“Then what are you saying?”
“There are two possibilities,” David said. “One, that the murder and the attack on you that night have nothing to do with the break-ins or the bomb and we’re looking for two different suspects. Or two, that we’ve got a guy in custody who for whatever reason has confessed to a murder he didn’t commit. I’m leaning toward the first possibility.”
She shook her head. “But that doesn’t make any sense. The coincidence is too staggering, and the guy who murdered Misty Thompson most definitely knew who I was and made specific threats against me.”
“We’d like to question the suspect again with you present,” David said. “I’d like to get a feel for whether he recognizes you, pick up on his body language and see what else we can get from him when we question him directly about you.”
She nodded. “I agree. I’d like to hear him speak. I realize a voice ID is shaky at best, but I don’t think I’ll forget his voice anytime soon.”
“Okay, then let’s do it,” the chief said. “I’ll have the prisoner brought in to one of the interrogation rooms.” Then he eyed Regina across his desk. “You’re still not acting in an official capacity. You’re a witness, nothing more.”
“I understand, sir. I’ll follow your lead.”
