Page 34 of Kiss of Deceit

I satin the office that was the makeshift interrogation room. My chair was pushed in the corner with Harry sitting across from me and the only exit was behind him. I leaned back, crossing my arms.

“What’s this about?” I asked.

“You’re not in trouble?—”

“I know that,” I cut in, irritation in my voice. “I haven’t done anything wrong. So why am I in this room?”

“Someone’s dead,” Harry said bluntly.

I straightened up, resting my elbows on the table. “Who?”

Before he could answer the door opened again, and Dani quietly stepped in and took the seat next to Harry. I raised my eyebrows, my eyes darting between them. It took me a second to realize why she was in here, and when it clicked, I let out a chuckle.

“Studying criminal behavior, Dani?” My gaze went back to Harry. “What the hell is going on?”

“Calm down, Kole.” Harry waved his hand. “You’re not a suspect. Natalie thought it would be good training for the intern.”

Dani’s face held nothing as she met my eyes. Even if this was training for her, she was in work mode. I could tell she was studying every move I made. If I was a suspect, I wondered how well she’d do at inspecting my behavior.

“Lucas was found at the bottom of the mountain side,” Harry informed me, fidgeting with his fingers since he couldn’t smoke in here. “Right off the trail behind town.”

Leaning back in my chair, I took in that information. “An accident?”

Harry shrugged. “We don’t know yet. No stab wounds though.”

Which meant if someone did kill him, then this might not have anything to do with the theft of the butcher knives. I wasn’t sure if that was a good or bad thing.

“When did it happen?”

Dani frowned at my question, her brows furrowing even more when Harry answered me. In any other town, the sheriffwould not be discussing an open case with the bar owner. But this was Winterlake, and I’d been here for years. Harry trusted me, and since he half assed his job, he wanted someone to lean on. Usually I hated it, but this was different. Especially if Lucas was murdered.

“The doctor thinks it was two nights ago.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “What do you want to do about this, Harry? Rumors are going to spread.”

“Keep them at bay,” he snapped. “When they talk at the bar, make sure they all think it was an accident.”

“And if it wasn’t?” I asked.

“We’ll figure it out. But right now, we don’t need the panic this could cause.” He sighed. “Have you heard anything at the bar? Anyone mad at Lucas?”

“I haven’t heard anything other than when you told me that he was bothering his ex at the café, andsomeonestepped in.”

Dani didn’t react to my words even though I was talking about her. Harry let out a scoff, shooting her an amused look.

“I’ve talked to her and Hallie already, and other than that small interaction at the café last week, Dani hadn’t seen him since.” Harry stood up. “Hallie didn’t seem all that torn up to learn Lucas passed.”

“He was an asshole to her,” I snapped. “Why should she feel bad?”

“I’m not blaming her for anything,” he retorted. “Right now, we’re saying his death was an accident. Let’s hope it stays that way.”

He exited the room, closing the door behind him. Dani remained seated, and I gave her a small grin as I crossed my arms.

“Why is the crime always kept secret here?” she murmured. “First the butcher shop, and now this.” She shook her head whenmy gaze raised to the camera above the door. “It’s not on. It’s broken. Apparently, interrogations don’t happen often here.”

“Never,” I corrected her. “Theyneverhappen because there isn’t ever any large crime.”

“It’s happening now.”