Page 73 of Family Affair

“Cade, where were you last night, between eight and midnight?”

Finally, Smirnoff got around to it.

“I was out with a friend.”

“If asked, will your friend be able to corroborate your words?”

He had hoped to avoid involving Coco, he really had.

“We have to cover all bases,” Smirnoff explained almost apologetically.

“I understand.” Cade rose to his feet. He’d had it with the chat. “It was a pleasure, Detective. Call me if you need me.” He ignored Willis.

“We will. And Cade?”

Shit. He should’ve seen it coming. “Yes?”

“I’m afraid I must ask you to stay in Atlanta until further notice.”

Willis took Cade down to the lobby.

The elevator took its time arriving and the tension in Willis’s shoulders made them appear brittle. He badly wanted to poke him in the back for the hell of it, to see if he’d split in a million of tiny sharp shards.

“You can drop the attitude,” Willis addressed him under his breath, “and don’t even think about bailing out on us. We’ll find you.”

“Has it occurred to you, oh Suspicious One, that making a suspect out of a man simply because he knows how to load a shotgun is a bit biased?”

“Yeah, I’m biased. But you’re wrong about my reasons.” Throwing a careful glance around, he continued in a hushed tone, “You came to see Williamson. A neighbor saw you.”

“We just covered that. If you forget your facts that quickly, you make me worried about the unsolved crime rates in your jurisdiction.”

“Why did you come to see him?”

“Also covered. I found my faith.”

“Good for you. The neighbor saw you come twice.”

Cade’s mouth closed with a snap.

“Cat got your tongue?” Willis raised a brow.

He shook his head and went for a rueful expression. “Why bother? You don’t believe anything I say.”

He reached in his pocket and Willis’s hand touched his holster.

“Easy, Detective. Want some gum?”

“I don’t want gum. I want to find the killer, and I want your cooperation. Do you know anything about the Pollock drawing we’re missing?”

Fuck.

“Excuse me, missing what? You lost me, Detective.”

“Drop the act. You know what Pollock I’m talking about. I read your statement in the old file.”

Willis took a step closer and Cade’s nonchalant, à la Ross attitude slipped a notch. “For the record, you failed to charm me into an elevator confession. Now back the fuck off.”

An unexpected thing happened: Willis smiled.

“You’re on the hook,” he said smugly. “I won’t leave you alone until you talk to me.”

They arrived, and as Cade stepped out with Willis at his back, he threw over his shoulder in a conversational tone, “Why not arrest me today if you think I killed the preacher?”

“I don’t think you killed him.” Willis shrugged and his hard eyes got harder. “But you will lead me to the on who did.”