I sat in silence, staring him down. How could he have lied to me so easily? How had I not recognized him?
In fairness, his hair was completely different, the floppy hairstyle I remembered now shaved and cut short. He was at least a decade older.
Pullman looked annoyed. “Okay, if you’re not going to tell me here then I will take you in.”
I’d actually have rather he took me to the station. But there was no guarantee that once he put me in the car, that was where we’d actually go. I couldn’t risk it.
“I’d rather stay here,Nick,” I snapped, watching Pullman’s face drain of color. He went silent.
“Tell me,” I said, my voice low and furious. “Does your entire station know that you’re featured in that best-selling book about the case they fucked up? Or did you lie to all of them too?”
“Rose.” Pullman shook his head. “Just listen to me.”
“It is you, right? Dominick Pullman,” I said, angry tears sliding down my face. “The guy from the mall. The one who asked for Alex’s number?”
“Yes,” Pullman said quickly. “But I—”
I couldn’t take it anymore. “Did you kill Alex?” I asked desperately. “Did you kill my sister?”
“No!” Pullman said, his face twisted in pain. “Oh my god, no. I never even met your sister. I—”
“I don’t believe you!” I said, struggling against the cuffs.
“Rose, I swear. On my life.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me it was you? At the mall?”
“Because at the time, it didn’t matter. Alex’s killer went to prison. I was a teenager. Alex and I only texted twice after we met and then never again. That’s it, end of the story,” Pullman said. He wore a frustrated expression on his face but his voice was calm. Calmer than I would have expected after being confronted with this knowledge. I had expected a wild panic. This seemed too mundane. Was it possible he was actually telling the truth?
“This is all very convenient.” My body still thrummed with adrenaline.
“Well, I’m not lying,” Pullman said.
“That still doesn’t explain why you didn’t tell anyone you knew me. Or Alex,” I reminded him, struggling uncomfortably against the cuffs. Pullman looked sympathetic for a second, and I ignored it. “Or why you’re still on this case. Isn’t this a conflict of interest?”
Pullman’s cheeks turned slightly pink. “It might be considered one, yes, which is why I didn’t say anything. I worked my ass off to be a detective. I was randomly assigned to Hazel’s disappearance. It’s my first big case. I didn’t want to jeopardize it by recusing myself. It didn’t feel significant.”
I hated how reasonable that sounded. “So you just lied to me and my entire family instead?”
“Yes,” Pullman said sheepishly. “And I’m sorry about that, but I felt like I could really help. Because of my connection, not in spite of it. I had a vested interest in helping you find Hazel. Which I still want to do.”
He sat down beside me. I didn’t say anything and he sighed. “Look, Rose, I’m sorry for giving you any reason to doubt my intentions. If you want, you can call Newbury over right now and tell him. But I’d prefer it if you didn’t. I want to help find your sister. And I think I can.”
I considered his words for a minute, not sure if I fully believed him. It did make sense, in a weird way. And nothing Pullman had done so far suggested that he had known Alex well. As much as I hated cops, he had listened more than the others. He had come to investigate Bradley, on his own, after Victoria suggested it. He was going out of his way to find a lead.
I had no choice but to trust him.
“Can you uncuff me, please?” I asked, still annoyed.
“Depends. Are you going to keep your teeth to yourself?”
“Yes,” I said, narrowing my eyes. Pullman smiled slightly and reached behind me to undo the cuffs. He was so close that I could see just how deep my teeth had gone into his neck. It might even scar.
“I can’t believe you bit me,” he said, shaking his head. I could smell his cologne: sandalwood.
“You had me pinned to the ground like a criminal,” I said, as I felt the cuffs give away. I shook my hands, grateful to have mobility again. “Be happy that’s all I did.”
I gave him a dirty look and the corners of Pullman’s mouth twitched, like he wanted to smile but refrained. I wiped my hands on the thighs of my jeans. They had been sweating in the cuffs.
