“I’m sure you would,” Teller said with a smirk.
“So you’re going to do it for me. Don’t you dare argue. Get down to that station and help the man who was once your best friend.”
Before it was too late.
FORTY-SIX
Grayden
I was exhausted,and if I drank another cup of disgusting coffee, I’d wind up with an ulcer.
The door to the interview room opened, and I dragged my head up. Chief Nichols was back, holding another file folder. “Mr. O’Neal, can I get you anything? Do you need a restroom break?”
“Had one an hour ago. Had some dinner too. I’m good. But you must be sick of this song and dance. Could we at least get some music? Might break the monotony.”
She didn’t respond to my suggestion, but a muscle in her cheek twitched.
I’d been going back and forth about trying to end the interview. They couldn’t keep me here forever. But if I demanded an attorney or asked to leave, it was entirely possible Nichols would decide to arrest me instead.
I couldn’t imagine she had enough evidence, because I hadn’tdone anything, but that didn’t always matter, did it?
And my other deeper fear was that, if I left, they might go after Piper and drag her in here instead of me.
“Just a few more questions,” Nichols said, taking her seat across from me. “I truly appreciate your patience.”
The chief opened the file folder and turned it around to face me. There were photos inside. Despite my mental fatigue, I couldn’t help leaning forward to study them.
“The Pine Cone Motor Lodge,” I said.
“You recognize it? The sign’s not visible in this photo.”
“I stayed there a little while. Right after I got back to Silver Ridge.” What did this have to do with anything?
“Daniel Carmichael has been staying there as well.”
“Is that important? I haven’t been near that motel in over a month at least.”
She flipped to the next photo, placing another beside it. “Do you recognize either of these items?”
There was a knife covered in blood. A sweatshirt with Seattle written across it. Looked likemine. But the white letters were smudged with red.
I said nothing.
“We found these items at the Pine Cone Motor Lodge, thrown into some bushes. We believe this knife is the weapon used against Mr. Carmichael.”
My pulse was racing, but I still couldn’t tell whether this news was good or bad.
Chief Nichols folded her hands. “From other evidence in the parking lot of the Pine Cone, it looks like that was the scene of the stabbing. Mr. Carmichael drove away, possibly to escape the attack, and for some reason headed toward his ex-wife’s house. And that’s where he ran into you. Well, not literally.”
“Thank fuck for that,” I muttered. “So you finally believe I’m telling the truth?”
“A recording on a neighbor’s doorbell camera helped. It shows exactly what you described. Mr. Carmichael nearly hit you as his car careened off the road. Likely because he was losing consciousness. You opened his door and tried to render aid. Our medical examiner hasn’t completed his report, but he agrees Mr. Carmichael had lost significant blood before that point. You couldn’t be theattacker.”
I dropped my head into my hands, going faint with relief. “Why are you telling me all of this?”
“Because I just had a witness identify the knife used in the attack.” She tapped the photo. “We’ve now confirmed it came from Piper Carmichael’s garage.”
I sat up with a jolt. “Piper? She had nothing to do with any of this. She and her son were at their house all night with me.”
