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I latch onto Caleb’s wrist, holding him tight. “What are they going to ask me?”
“If you killed him.” Caleb looks over, smirking momentarily before schooling his expression. “So don’t smile.”
“Got it.” I force a frown, but it’s unnatural. I’m a happy person. But how can I be happy when Justin died? I certainly wasn’t happy when I found him or when I threw up on him. But now I’m a kid in a candy store. It doesn’t make any sense. And I’m so tired. Maybe when I wake up tomorrow morning I’ll realize this was all a bad dream.
“Why can’t you take over the investigation?” I ask him.
“This is their jurisdiction. I have to let them take the lead until I have a concrete connection to the case I’m working.” He sets his jaw like he wants to do more but his hands are tied.
My knee bounces under the table as I gather the nerve to ask him what I’ve been wanting to ask for hours: if he believes I’m innocent. I know where the detective stands, and Caleb’s partner Serena made her opinion clear. But against my better judgment-scratch that, I literally have one kind of judgment handy and it’s adequate at best-I’m falling for this man and I need to know if he believes me.
I open my mouth, but my jaw only moves up and down, not making a single sound.
“Where’s my sister being held? I need to speak with her.” The very familiar voice booms through the open door of the room Caleb and I are currently occupying.
I’d specifically called Maddie, not my brother.
Detective Shumway said I didn’t need legal counsel, but I’ve seen enough detective shows to know not to trust that line.
I turn to Caleb. “We don’t have much time and I need to warn you about my brother. He’s really insecure without facial hair so compliment him on his manliness. Also, he prefers to be called Connie.”
Caleb scowls. “I’m not complimenting him on his—”
“Millie? Millie!” Connor’s hysterical voice parrots through the police station until he reaches us in the interrogation room. “Amelia!” He sags with relief when he makes eye contact with me. “Oh, thank heavens, you’re alright. What in the world happened?”
“You must be her brother, Connie?” Caleb interjects, offering a hand over the metal table.
Connor stares at it and him like he’s half alien. Then turns his glare on me. “Really, Millie? This is not the time for childish games.”
Caleb’s body goes rigid.
“Mom always said you can turn any situation around if you find a reason to laugh.”
“Not murder,” Connor hisses. He scrubs a hand over his face like he's trying to massage away the permanent stress I cause him, and then he finally returns Caleb’s handshake. “I’m Connor. And you are?”
Caleb clears his throat, and I look over at him curiously. How is he going to play this? Introduce himself as my friend? More than a friend?
“I’m Special Agent Harris.”
Or he could always go with his job title. Fair. I did throw him under the bus.
“Special Agent?” Connor’s eyes bounce between the two of us and he lowers his voice. “Millie, what are you involved in?”
“Not nearly as much as I’d like to be.” How much to tell him? I mean technically he’s my legal counsel so I should tell him everything, but he’s also my brother. “Where’s Maddie?”
“Here!” Maddie slides into the room. “Connor made me park the car.” She glares at him before looking over at Caleb and me. Her eyes bug out of her head like a cartoon character. “Caleb!” She rounds our side of the table. Caleb stands and catches her in a hug.
“Hey, Mads.”
“Mads?” Connor growls at their interaction.
Maddie pulls back from his embrace. “Millie, this is the guy I was trying to set you up with earlier tonight. But he bailed.”
Was that seriously tonight? So much has happened in the last few hours that it feels like a week has passed since my dinner at Connor’s house.
“Yeah, about that,” Caleb says, “something came up with work.” He scratches the back of his neck and returns to his seat by me. His shoulder brushes mine and I cling to the tiny bit of comfort in this awkward situation.
It takes a moment for Maddie’s words to settle in. The agent I thought she was teasing about was real? It's absurd to think I could have met Caleb without all the drama and danger from the last three weeks. But it wouldn’t have been nearly as fun.