Page 83 of Sunshine

“To interrogate them. I’m damn good at getting confessions. Remember who the Ransom’s enforcer was before you.”

“Mack,” I call to his back. “It wasn’t them.”

“Bullshit, Case. She’s been fucking around for too long, it’s time she found out. And her little friend too.”

Running my hands through my hair, I gather a breath and rise, suddenly feeling old. His long legs eat up the field between our houses. Reece is still over there. And even if she wasn’t, I need to protect Tessa.

“Mack, hang on, I’m coming.”

But just as I start to jog to catch up, I hear my name. Turning, I see a black car and two guys in suits. Detectives.

“Goddammit, Mack. Stop,” I growl, knowing I can’t follow him now and he’s clearly not waiting.

“Mr. Callen?”

I nod as the plain-clothed men walk up. They introduce themselves and then get straight to the point.

“Do you recognize this phone?” Detective Holden holds up a black phone in a baggie and I nod.

“It’s mine. Where was it?”

“The firefighters were moving some of the lumber back to prevent it from catching, and they found the phone under it. We thought it might be the arsonist’s.” His eyes are shrewd and intensely focused on mine, letting me know I’m on the suspect list myself.

Shoving the cell into my pocket as soon as he hands it over, I nod. “Unfortunately not. I lost it last week.” I glance over my shoulder to see Mack at Tessa’s door, and curse under my breath.

“Can you tell us what happened?” Detective Wright says, empathy on his features. If there were a good cop, bad cop situation going on, this guy would be the good cop.

I nod again and go through the same story I told the fire chief.

“We had a chat with your friend earlier. He seems to think it was your neighbor,” bad cop says.

I roll my eyes. “No, it’s definitely not her.”

“She’s sabotaged your worksite before. Many times, I’ve heard.”

My jaw ticks. Fuck’s sake, Mack.

“Yes, and there’s no denying how it looks, guys, but I know Ms. Harlow, and it wasn’t her. The back and forth between us is complicated but consensual.”

They glance at each other. “You let women mess with your business as foreplay?”

“It’s not like that.” I growl, rubbing the back of my neck.

“Explain it then.”

“For fuck’s sake, just investigate someone else. It wasn’t her or me.”

“Why would you think we’d suspect you?”

Another trick question to slip me up.

“I’m a cop. I know how you think.”

“Why don’t you let us decide who’s a suspect and who isn’t. Your friend seems to think you’re…” They look at each other again. “Too close to the situation.”

I scrub a hand over my face. I haven’t slept much in the last week, one because of Lulah, Jeff and their preemie son, Jamie, and two because of Tessa not calling me or texting me back, and three, how that might mean I’ll lose my daughter. Although at least it doesn’t look like my parents are in the running either now.

The phone in my pocket, the one I’d lost, chirps, yanking me from my thoughts. It’s a distinctive chime. The sound my camera app makes when it’s alerting me of movement. My eyes widen.