Baz laughed.
He couldn’t help himself.
It was wrong on so many levels because they were recording this interrogation, and more than likely, if he went to trial for murder, they would play this for the jury, weaving a tale of a man who laughed at the horrific murder that he’d committed.
Before he could say anything to defend his response, there was a knock on the door.
Detective Larson frowned as she twisted in her chair to look at the door. “Come in.”
A police officer stuck his head in. “His lawyer’s here.”
That wasn’t news Detective Larson hoped to get based on the frown that wrinkled her smooth forehead.
She nodded at the officer, then sat up straight.
The moment Baz saw Janice Worthingham, he knew his father had pulled out all the stops. Janice was one of the most acclaimed criminal defense attorneys in Texas.
She walked in, balancing on her three-inch heels. She pulled out a card and handed it to Detective Larson.
“Your client was about to tell me—”
“Is Mr. Buchanan under arrest?” Janice asked, cutting the younger woman off.
“Excuse me?”
“Is Mr. Buchanan under arrest?” she repeated slowly.
“We were—”
“It’s a relatively simple question, Detective Larson,” Janice said, her tone pleasant but direct. “Is my client under arrest?”
Based on the fact she’d been stalling, Baz already knew the answer, but he was relieved when the detective said, “No. Not at this time.”
“Very well.” Janice looked at him. “You’re free to go, Mr. Buchanan.”
His back complained as he got to his feet, but Baz ignored the discomfort. Two hours sitting in that chair was nothing compared to what it could’ve been if he’d actually been arrested.
“Next time you’d like to talk to my client, call me,” Janice told Detective Larson. “I’ll get him down here with less theatrics.”
The detective’s eyes narrowed. She clearly wasn’t a fan of lawyers. Or maybe she wasn’t a fan of this particular one.
Baz knew precisely what she was feeling. He’d felt it too many times to count.
But the attorney was on his side this time, so he couldn’t complain.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Brantley was pacing the sidewalk in frontof the precinct when Baz appeared with his lawyer and his father flanking him. The three of them were talking, not a smile to be had.
As they walked toward him, Brantley stopped beside Reese, who was propped against a stone pillar. He stood tall as they neared.
“He wasn’t arrested,” Janice explained. “As of now, he doesn’t have to appear in court. If something changes, I’ll let you know.” Janice looked at Brantley directly. “I do not want you or your team looking into this. Understand?”
No, he didn’t understand.
“We don’t want it to look like there’s any impropriety. Let the police handle their investigation. If and when they get something that might implicate someone in the crime, we can address it at that point.”
“We don’t even know there was a crime,” Brantley told her.
