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Story: Ghosted

He was not expecting to fall asleep. In fact, he didn’t realize he had even closed his eyes, until the sound of the door to the interview room opening filtered into his dream, and he slammed his chair down on all four legs, jarring himself back to consciousness.

He sat up straight, blinking and disoriented as memory came rushing back—disoriented but also relieved that he had not fallen over backwards.

Detective Swenson pulled out a chair, wood scraping noisily on linoleum, and sat down. Archie’s attention was on Swenson’s companion, Police Chief Langham himself.

That was unexpected. Archie had assumed Beau would observe the interview through the one-way mirror. He stared up at Beau.

Beau stared impassively back, and took his seat across from Archie. He smiled a white and rather alarming smile, and said “Don’t worry, Special Agent Crane. We’ve got coffee coming. We don’t want you to miss anything.”

Chapter Seven

“I’m pretty sure I’m already missing something,” Archie drawled.

Beau’s mouth curved in the faintest of smirks. “Really? You just can’t imagine why we we’d want to talk to you again?”

“I guess you miss me?”

Pure reflexive sarcasm. Archie knew perfectly well Beau had not given him a thought in years. Not until Archie appeared in the midst of his crime scene. But he was off-balance—though not as off-balance as he’d have been had he landed on his ass.

He did not expect to hit his mark. Especially since he hadn’t bothered to aim. Swenson didn’t seem to notice anything pointed in his smartass retort. But Beau flushed and just as quickly paled. His blue eyes got hard and glittery.

He said shortly, “You look like shit, Crane. Is that your guilty conscience?”

Archie made a sound of derision. “Yeah, that’s it.”

Clearly feeling back in charge, Beau shrugged, leaned back in his chair. “Your family thinks so. Judith, Desi, they both believe you murdered John.”

No surprise there. The surprise was the blaze of anger Archie felt at that casual baiting.

“Judith and Desi aren’t my family. As you know.”

“Neither was John, if you want to look at it that way.”

“I don’t look at it that way. And neither did John.” Of course, sadly, Archie had looked at it that way, for far too long. Not that he was going to share that painful revelation with Beau. Not this Beau. Maybe the Beau Archie had loved way back when. Was there any of that guy left inside this arrogant asshole cop? Hard to believe.

“Unfortunately, we can’t ask John,” Beau said.

To which Archie had no answer. Couldn’t answer because his throat unexpectedly clamped shut.

Beau and Swenson stared at him. Archie stared stonily back.

Swenson glanced at Beau. Beau said briskly, “Obviously things have changed since the last time we spoke.”

“Not really.”

Beau ignored that. He nodded at Swenson, who asked, “When did you find out Dr. Perry was leaving you his money.”

His money.

Pretty crass. Though that was probably how most people would see it—and say it.

Archie said, “About two hours ago.”

Swenson made a sound of disbelief. “Dr. Perry didn’t tell you when he changed his will in your favor?”

“No.”

“That seems hard to believe.”