Page 143 of Sunkissed Colorado

My adrenaline shot up, and any pleasant thoughts about last night vanished. Callum and I exchanged a look as I kicked off the blankets.

I threw on a robe over the SRFD T-shirt I was wearing. Then answered the door with Callum just behind me. He’d pulled on some sweats. “Chief?” I rasped, holding the cordless phone to my ear. I cleared my throat. “This is Zandra.”

“Ms. Alvarez, I’m calling because Leo Mackenzie just turned himself in.”

“Leo? You have him in custody?”

Mom’s hands flew to her mouth, while Callum’s arm went around my waist.

“We do,” the chief said. “But Mr. Mackenzie has refused to speak to anyone. He says he’ll only talk toyou.”

Callum pulled up in front of the police station, but he didn’t switch off the engine. “Z, I don’t want you to do this.”

After the phone call from Chief Nichols, I’d gotten dressed as quickly as possible. Mom and Dad had already freaked out about the idea of me coming to meet with a man who might have tried to kill me. Who was wanted for arrest on an unrelated assault charge.

Callum had waited until now to voice his objections.

“Leo could easily talk to the police himself. But instead, he’s making demands to get you in the room with him. We’re just supposed to trust this isn’t some sick ploy to hurt you?”

“He turned himself in. Doesn’t that suggest some kind of remorse? Or that, at least, there’s a lot more going on than we knew? He’ll be in cuffs. I’ll be fine.”

“But who knows what kind of shit he might say to you.”

I turned to face Callum fully. “I can take it. And I can dish out plenty too. Maybe he’s the one who should be worried.”

Callum reached up to cup my face, his thumb brushing across my cheekbone. “There’s my fierce girl,” he murmured, then leaned forward to press a gentle kiss to my forehead. “Just wish I could be in there with you.”

“I know you’ll be close. This is just something I have to do.”

Beyond that, I didn’t really know how to feel. It was possible Leo had blamed me,hatedme, for Jessa’s death this whole time. Maybe he was the person who’d harassed me by leaving those notes, even though he’d never said a word to my face.

It made me sick to think that could be true. But at the same time, not knowing was so much worse. That was exactly why I had to see him and hear what he had to say. So we could finally have this out.

Callum and I went inside the station. After a short wait, Chief Nichols approached. “Zandra, we’re ready for you.”

I followed her down a hallway to a closed door. She turned to face me before we went in. “I just want to stress again, this is completely voluntary.”

“I want to be here,” I assured her.

“If Thomas Pickering was more forthcoming about what he saw outside Hearthstone the other night, maybe this wouldn’t be necessary. But that man’s clammed up too, and I don’t know that we could trust what he says anyway. Everybody knows Pickering is a drunk who likes to stir up trouble.”

That was my impression of Tommy exactly. “Is he still here at the station?”

“Well, we let him sober up before questioning him, but after that we let him go with no formal charge. Now your former boyfriend, Ian, he’s going to be a guest of Hart County for a good while longer.”

I’d already heard that. Ian’s bail had been set high for being aflight risk, and since he couldn’t pay, the police had transferred him to the county jail to await more hearings. I’d probably have to testify about his attempted robbery of Hearthstone at some point, unless he pled guilty, but I was trying to think about Ian as little as possible.

“Now, we’ll be recording this,” the chief said. “I’ve given Mr. Mackenzie a Miranda advisement, letting him know anything he says to you could be used against him. I’ll also be watching the video feed, and we have an officer right outside. You can stop this at any time.”

“Okay.” I took a deep breath. “I’m ready.”

Chief Nichols opened the door, and I stepped into the interview room.

Leo Mackenzie was sitting at a table with his hands in his lap. His blond hair was longer than he’d kept it in high school, and he had more lines around his eyes, but his features still struck a chord in my heart. So much like Jessa.

“Zandra. You came. Didn’t think you would.”

I walked closer to the table, but didn’t sit down. “Then why did you ask to talk to me?”