“Maybe in a while then. First, though, I have some more questions. Let’s go over the events of this morning. Starting with when you woke up.”
“It’s the same as I said before. I’ve told you all of this.” My voice shook with simmering fury.
I was trying so damn hard to stay calm, but my anger was rising. That old siren’s call in my head. I breathed through it.
“One more time,” Nichols said. “We have to be sure to get it right.”
Beneath the table, my hand squeezed into a fist against my thigh. “Fine.”
I started with waking up on Piper’s couch. Making pancakes with Ollie. Sitting and eating with him and Piper.
The beautiful morning we’d spent, which had morphed intothis.
I’d been here for ages. I wasn’t sure exactly how long.
The police had arrived on the heels of the ambulance earlier. I’d been covered in Danny’s blood, and the cop had taken one look at me and asked me to come to the station for routine questioning. They had to get my statement.
My clothes were now in an evidence bag somewhere. They’d given me sweats and a long-sleeved tee to change into. Both were too tight on me.
Before we’d started talking, Chief Nichols had read me my rights. Theoretically, that meant I could be a suspect. But it seemed absurd.
Danny had nearly runmeover earlier. He’d already been bleeding out. Looked like he’d been stabbed. I’d tried to stop the bleeding and got medical help.
In fact, I was pretty sure I’dsavedhim. Assuming he survived.
This room brought back too many memories, all of them awful. I wasn’t necessarily claustrophobic from my years ofimprisonment, but I hated being stuck behind a locked door without it being my choice.
The police could keep me here for a while to carry out their investigation, but this was getting ridiculous.
“I waved goodbye to Piper and Ollie as they drove off,” I recounted. “Started walking down the sidewalk.”
“Because you were going to walk to your brother’s house.”
“Yes. As I’ve said. Then Danny’s car suddenly drove down the street and nearly hit me. I jumped out of the way. He hit a truck belonging to Piper’s neighbor, and the neighbor came outside to see what happened. I told him to call 911.”
“But you had the door to Danny’s car open already, correct? Before the neighbor came outside.”
“Yeah, because I thought Danny had just tried to run me over. He was slumped forward. I opened the door and saw the blood.”
“He was already bleeding? You’re sure.”
“Of course I’m sure,” I said through gritted teeth.
“You didn’t injure him? Maybe by accident?”
“No, I did not. I didn’t do a damn thing to Danny Carmichael.”
“But you and Danny have had confrontations before, haven’t you? That’s what Piper told me a few days ago. After the incident with the fake drugs? The anonymous tip claiming you were dealing? Piper thought Danny was behind it.”
I leaned back in my chair. Right. Piper had spoken to Chief Nichols about that. “Danny and I don’t get along. That’s true. He’s no fan of mine.”
“According to Piper, you helped her when Danny was getting aggressive with her.”
“Yes,” I bit out.
“You wanted to protect Piper and Ollie from Danny, right? That’s understandable. I wouldn’t blame you if you wanted to stop him from hurting Piper again. Or his son.”
Shit, I knew what she was trying to do.
