Page 49 of Stone Coast (Tyson Wild Thriller)
“Why did you go to the Cool Cat last night?” Detective Scarborough asked.
“Don’t answer that,” Preston said.
He sat beside me, guiding me through this whole absurd process after we’d coordinated my surrender.
“The bartender says you stormed in like you owned the place and asked for Ray. He says he pointed you to the back office. Says you marched back there and confronted him. A few hours later, he was dead.”
“He was alive when I left,” I said.
“Can anyone else verify that? ”
“Have you talked to his employees?”
“We have.”
“And?” I asked.
Scarborough said nothing.
“Do you have a murder weapon?” Preston asked.
“Nothing was found at the scene.”
“Do you have any trace evidence, fingerprints, DNA? Anything connecting my client to the scene?”
Scarborough didn’t answer. “Where were you last night between 2 and 5:00 AM?”
I looked at Preston.
“She was with TJ Winchester last night.”
“How did you get the shiner?”
I hesitated, waiting for Preston to intervene.
“Irrelevant. She talked to Ray, left the club, and spent the night on TJ’s boat. Ray was found out in the alley this morning, and a medical examiner put the time of death between 3 and 5:00 AM. You have no witnesses putting her at the scene at that time. You’ve got no security footage.”
“Employees at the bar never saw her leave. We found traces of blood in a storeroom.”
I tried not to show any emotion on my face.
“You know what I think?” Dickhead said, staring me in the eyes.
“I think you went up there and confronted Ray with some wild accusation. I think Ray didn’t take too kindly to the conversation and smacked you around.
His bodyguards say your friends stormed in and saved your ass.
We found non-lethal projectiles in the storeroom. ”
He let that hang there a moment.
“Now look, Ray wasn’t exactly a nice guy.
And I have a suspicion that had it not been for your accomplices, you’d be at the bottom of the harbor right now.
But that doesn’t justify murder. I think you were so hot about it, you went back up there and waited for him in the alley.
Maybe you had help. Maybe your deputy friend. ”
“Leave Tyson out of this.”
“Are you saying he was with you?”
I looked at him like he was an idiot. “How about you do some detective work? Tyson’s in Europe.”
Preston put a hand on my arm to reel me in. He said to Scarborough, “I suggest you charge her or let her go.”
Scarborough frowned and glared at me. “I just think it’s a little odd that everyone connected to Grayson‘s murder is turning up dead.”
“Karma’s a bitch,“ I said.
“See, statements like that make me think you’re karma. You’ve got a hell of a motive.”
I said nothing.
“Is she free to go?” Preston asked.
Scarborough hesitated a moment. “TJ corroborates your story. For now.” A frustrated sigh escaped his mouth, and he pushed away from the table. “Don’t leave town. I may have more questions for you.”
“I’m not supposed to leave town anyway,” I snarked.
“Careful, never know when a judge may revoke your bail.”
Scarborough walked across the room, knocked on the door, and a guard buzzed it open. He held the door for us, and I followed Preston out of the interrogation room.
I was shocked to see Tyson in the hallway.
Detective Dickhead gave him a look. “In Europe, huh? You’re not doing a good job of keeping her out of trouble.”
Tyson glared at him.
“By the way, where were you this morning?”
Tyson looked like he was going to body-slam the guy.
“Maybe you’re the one that’s cleaning up her mess,” Scarborough said.
“You’re welcome to check the flight logs. I just touched down in Coconut Key and drove into town.”
“I will.”
The two stared each other down.
“Piece of advice,” Tyson said. “If you’re going to make an accusation, get your facts straight.”
Dickhead shrank under his gaze.
Tyson was not a guy to fuck with.
“When I get my facts straight, she’ll be in jail for good.” Dickhead strutted away. “You might be, too. ”
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
“I figured you could use some help. Looks like I figured right. What happened to your face?”
“I’ll tell you all about it later. Tyson, this is my attorney, Preston. Preston, Tyson Wild.”
The two shook hands.
“Don’t worry,” he assured. “I’m on top of this and her other case.”
Tyson regarded him with caution. He didn’t trust easily.
“She’ll be just fine.”
We joined TJ in the waiting area.
Preston whispered in my ear, “We have things to discuss, but not here.”
A horde of media swarmed outside.
I introduced Tyson to TJ, and the two shook hands.
“I don’t know about anybody else, but I’m ready to get the hell out of here,” I said.
“You’re coming with me,” Tyson said.
“What if I don’t want to go with you?” I replied, just to be sassy.
He gave me a look that was not to be contested. He’d just spent 12 hours on a plane and wasn’t in the mood for my bullshit.
“I’m just going to go with him,” I said to Preston and TJ. “Thank you both for everything. ”
I prepared myself for the onslaught, then stepped outside.
Cameras and microphones closed in.
Tessa shouted, “Did you kill Ray Richmond?”
Cameras flashed.
“Was he involved in Grayson’s death?”
Tyson kept them at bay as we hustled to his car.
“Is it true that Grayson was having an affair with Sierra Langston?”
I tried to stifle my surprise that she knew.
“What do you have to say about her recent death?”
That news was even more surprising. “She’s dead?”
Tyson gave me a look as he grabbed my door. That look meant keep quiet. I climbed into the 1970 Plum Crazy Purple Barracuda. He shut the door and hustled around to the other side as the vultures swarmed.
With a twist of the ignition, the HEMI roared to life. Tyson put it into gear and eased forward. The mob would have to clear out or face the consequences.
The sea parted, and we pulled out of the parking lot.
“Catch me up to speed,” Tyson said. “Don’t leave anything out, and don’t lie to me.”