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“But you never handled a tractor on your own?”

“No.”

That’s a lie. The first one I’ve told this whole interrogation.

“Are you⁠—”

Heavy pounding on the door. A man yelling. “Let me in, you motherfuckers! Let me in!”

Aus’s voice. My heart jumps.

Why is he trying to get in?

What does he know?

One of the cops standing behind Officer King cracks the door an inch and Aus bursts in, nearly knocking him off his feet.

Officer King turns toward him. “Sir, this is a private questioning. Please go back to the ballroom.”

“It wasn’t her, Officer,” Aus breathes out. “It was his brother. Wick. I swear it. I’ve never trusted the guy.”

“Gentlemen, please escort this man out of the room,” Officer King says.

They each take one of Aus’s hands.

“Thea!” he barks. “Don’t say anything else without a lawyer. Don’t⁠—”

But the other two cops have dragged him out and slammed the door in his face. She turns back to me. “I apologize for that. I thought my colleagues had secured the door.” She sits back down. “As we were saying⁠—”

“Officer, I believe the gentleman has a point. I don’t wish to answer any more questions without a lawyer present.”

Officer King draws in a slow breath. “If you’re innocent, you have nothing to hide.”

“I don’t have anything to hide. But I don’t feel comfortable answering any more questions without counsel. Am I being detained?”

Officer King grits her teeth. “No. We can’t hold you against your will.”

I stand. “Then I’d like to leave.”

Officer King sighs. “You’re free to go. But we’ll be following up when we know more.”

“And I’ll be happy to cooperate as long as I have a lawyer, Officer.” I cross the room, place my hand on the doorknob. “But I can promise you this. If you think I had anything to do with Kin Blackwood’s death, you’re wrong.”

I exit the room. Aus is sitting on a bench down the hall.

He looks up at me. “Are you okay, baby?”

My face twists. “Not even fucking close.”

And I collapse in tears in his strong arms.

22

AUS

“What is it, baby?” I ask as I stroke Thea’s beautiful hair.

Is it too soon for pet names? It just spilled out of me.