Page 46 of Cowboy’s Last Stand (His to Protect #1)
D eputy Santos instructed Natalie to drive to the sheriff’s station for a formal interview.
At the station, she was escorted to a quiet room and told to sit tight. There were four desks in the same area, all messy but unoccupied. The nearest desk belonged to Wade, judging by the nameplate on its surface.
Natalie tried to think of a reasonable explanation for the gun in the truck.
She couldn’t come up with anything. Her thoughts were scrambled into puzzle pieces that didn’t fit.
Dark moments from the past mixed with recent memories.
She remembered the day she’d been informed about Mike’s death, also in person, also by men in uniform.
It had been the worst day of her life. This was a close second.
Last night, Jason had revealed that he wasn’t the person she thought he was.
He’d become involved with her under false pretenses.
That act of deception didn’t implicate him in this crime, but it didn’t absolve him, either.
She needed to see the footage from the security cameras.
Without definitive proof, she couldn’t believe Jason was guilty of murder.
Wade returned with a cup of coffee. His eyes were bloodshot, and lines of fatigue bracketed his mouth. “Want some?”
“No.”
He sat down at this desk and leveled with her. “I have to ask you some uncomfortable questions.”
“I want to see the footage.”
“A deputy is going through it right now.”
“I want my phone back before it gets tampered with.”
His gaze became shuttered. “No one’s going to do that, Natalie. Even if they did, you sent a copy to me.”
Natalie didn’t trust anyone in the department except Wade.
He might not like Jason, but he wouldn’t frame an innocent man.
She took a deep breath and tried to stay calm as he picked through the bones of their affair.
Wade wanted to know about the threats Jason had made toward Billy.
He asked for every detail of the previous evening.
When Natalie told him about their argument and the reason behind it, Wade didn’t seem surprised.
“You knew about his connection to Mike?” she asked.
Wade just stared back at her, saying nothing.
“Did you question him already?”
“I can’t discuss that.”
“Maybe you’re jumping to the wrong conclusions.”
Wade took a sip of coffee. “Has someone else been inside that vehicle recently? Or threatened to harm Billy?”
“He left on foot, Wade. I watched him go.”
“Here’s what I know about Jason Reed,” Wade said, leaning forward. “He’s got a traumatic brain injury. That kind of thing makes people behave erratically.”
“He doesn’t behave erratically.”
“He’s a liar, he’s a loner, and he’s prone to violence.”
“That’s not fair.”
“You’re defending him after what he did to you?”
Natalie didn’t appreciate Wade’s judgmental attitude or his obvious bias toward Jason. “You sound like your father.”
Wade stiffened at the accusation. “I’m just doing my job.”
“Why do you work here?” she asked. “Why do you work for him?”
“I’m a sheriff’s deputy.”
“You know what I mean. You could transfer to another town, another department. Why stay in Last Chance?”
He gave her a pointed look. “Why do you think?”
She studied his expression, which wasn’t as stony as usual. Along with grief, his face reflected a wealth of unrequited feelings. It dawned on her that he’d stayed here because of his promise to Mike. He’d stayed because of her .
“Oh,” she said, her heart breaking for him. “Oh, Wade.”
“Don’t,” he said in a curt voice. “Not now. Not today.”
She respected his wishes and fell silent.
She cared about Wade, and she could tell he was hurting.
He’d lost his brother under shocking circumstances.
The fact that Billy had been an awful person didn’t make his death easier to process.
On top of that, Wade had to investigate the sordid details.
She wondered if he’d broken the news to his mother.
His parents were divorced and barely spoke to one another.
“Do you have any more questions?” she asked.
“No. You’re free to go.”
Wade returned her phone, which had been in his pocket.
She left the station and drove home in a fog.
The numbness started to wear off, and misery edged in.
It was only mid-morning. She didn’t have to pick up Marcus until this afternoon.
Although she hadn’t eaten breakfast, she couldn’t stomach the thought of food.
Feeling queasy, she consulted her phone.
She had to watch the footage and accept whatever evidence it revealed.
Her hands shook as she selected the footage from Camera2, which showed the side of the house and garage.
A figure she recognized as Jason walked down the driveway with two longnecks.
He returned to the apartment alone. She followed him for reasons that would be obvious to anyone watching the footage.
She would come out disheveled and half dressed.
A flush crept into her cheeks at the thought.
Her doorbell rang before she could continue the video. Natalie hit pause and glanced out the front window.
London was on her doorstep.
Natalie greeted the girl in surprise. London was as white as a ghost, with dark circles under her eyes. Her hair looked as tangled as always but with silver streaks. She wore a black cardigan with checkered pajama pants.
“I saw the police cars earlier,” London said. “What happened?”
Natalie was reluctant to share the news with London. The girl would probably post it all over social media.
“Is Marcus OK?”
She softened at the question. “Yes.”
London’s lips trembled. “What about Gabe?”
“Gabe?”
The girl appeared unsteady on her feet, so Natalie ushered her inside and sat her down. London’s stark expression indicated that she had some bad news of her own.
“Why are you worried about Gabe?” Natalie asked.
“I saw him and Billy last night. Gabe was acting weird, and…”
Natalie inhaled a sharp breath. London might have information about Billy’s murder. “Start at the beginning.”
She did, after a short pause. “I was with Jena at the liquor store, and Billy drove by. He was on his way to meet Gabe, so we got in the truck. Then we picked up Gabe, and we all went to Billy’s trailer. We were drinking and stuff.”
“Stuff?”
“Gabe had a joint. It was really strong. I’m still…” She shook her head slightly. “I don’t remember much. All I know is Gabe got mad and knocked the drink out of my hand. Then he grabbed me by the arm and shoved me outside.”
“Why was he mad?”
“I’m not sure. I think he had a fight with Billy. There was tension between them, but he didn’t explain.”
“What did you do?”
“I left with Jena. We didn’t have money for an Uber, so we started walking. I thought I heard gunshots, but I was too scared to go back.” Her mascara-smudged eyes got teary. “We were both so wasted.”
“How much did you drink?”
“Hardly anything! Half a rum and coke.”
Natalie grabbed her phone and watched the rest of the video.
She had to fast-forward through a long stretch of nothingness until she spotted movement.
Then she played the footage at regular speed.
There was a foggy, grainy quality to this section of the video.
A shadow person crept up the driveway and disappeared in the dark garage.
When the figure reemerged and came into better focus, Natalie paused.
Although she couldn’t make out his features, other details were clear. He wore a black hooded jacket, and he had a slim physique. He walked with his shoulders hunched forward, like a gawky teenager. He didn’t have Jason’s height or muscle mass. His style and posture were familiar, however.
It was Gabe Luna.