Page 81 of Murder on Charity Lane

“I—hello. Um, that’s my—can I help you?”

“You don’t currently live here, do you?”

I flushed. “No. But, um…”

“CJ Moore lives here now.”

“I—I don’t … uh.”

“If you could move back a smidge?”

I took a step back.

“There you go,” Enible said. “Much better.”

I wanted to say something, maybe to object, but I didn’t know how. And while I stood there dithering, I heard the happiest words in the English language.

37

OCEAN

“What the hell is going on here?” Ocean yelled, marching around the corner in her paint-splattered overalls.

Detective Enible’s placid gaze shifted toward her. “Oh, just serving a legally issued arrest warrant.”

“Another one?” Ocean’s skin prickled with fear. “What do you think, third time’s a charm?”

One of the cops took a threatening step toward her, but Enible raised his hand to stop him and said, “If at first you don’t succeed, Ms. Mistral.”

“Really? A motivational quote?”

“Some days they’re all that keep me going.”

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“That I rely on motivational quotes or that I keep going?”

“Yes.” Ocean almost pinched the bridge of her nose before she remembered her hands were smeared with paint. “So who’re you arresting this time?”

By way of answer, Enible knocked on CJ’s front door.

Ocean’s first impulse was to jump on his neck and drag him down to her level. However, she was a respectable mother of two, so she merely yelled, “No! CJ! CJ, it’s the cops! Don’t talk to this prick without a lawyer! Don’t say a word!”

When CJ opened the door, her eyes were shaky and her pale face looked even younger. She wore oversized gray joggers and hadn’t even applied her trademark eyeliner or bright red lipstick.

“You’re under arrest for the murder of Frank DeYoung,” Enible told her.

“N-no,” CJ stammered, before covering her mouth with her hand.

“You have any goddamn evidence this time? Sophie! Keep recording this.” Ocean raised her voice to a bellow. “You too, Hamilton!”

CJ swayed as Enible read her rights, then one of the uniformed police officers spun her around and cuffed her. She started crying, but didn’t say a word.

“You get off on this?” Ocean snarled at the uniformed cop as Enible held her back. “Proud of yourself?”

“Ocean, stop,” CJ whispered, as she passed her.

“Say nothing!” she snapped. “Don’t defend yourself, don’t explain, don’t say a word! I’ll get you a lawyer, do not speak.”