Total pages in book: 63
Estimated words: 60676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 60676 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 303(@200wpm)___ 243(@250wpm)___ 202(@300wpm)
When we arrive at the station, I go into an interrogation room where two officers are waiting. It’s the same two who interviewed me earlier. Rochelle and Greg. Well, this can’t be good. I hold my breath, exhaling slowly as I sit down in front of them, curious about the file they have in front of them that no doubt contains information about whatever they’re going to tell me.
“Thanks for coming in,” Rochelle tells me. “It’s much easier when you decide to cooperate with us.”
“Can you tell me why I’m here?”
“We collected your car yesterday from the scene of the accident, and when we did, we found something inside.”
I shake my head, confused. “Okay?”
“We found some of Alyssa’s items.”
My blood runs cold, because I know for a damn fact that I have never had Alyssa in my car, nor have I touched any of her things. Are they talking about the photo? Maybe that was still in my car. Still, there is no way they could prove that was Alyssa. The only reason Halo knew was because she recognized the handbag.
“I don’t understand ...”
“We found some items of clothing in your car. We also found a pair of shoes and a handbag.”
This must be some kind of cruel joke.
It has to be.
There is simply no way her things could have been in my car unless they were put there.
Oh.
My.
God.
He put them in there. When he cut my brakes, he put her things in my car. He’s going to make me go down for this murder, and I’m starting to wonder how the hell I’m going to get out of this.
I don’t know what to say.
I don’t know what to do.
“Can you explain to us how those items got in there?” Greg asks, a smirk on his face, because he knows he’s got me.
He knows it.
I need to come up with something, and fast, because if I don’t, they will probably arrest me right here and I’ll lose every chance of clearing my name.
Think, Ciara.
Come on.
“You claimed you have never met her, yet her things are in your car,” Rochelle says, her voice kinder than Greg’s, but even now I can see she doesn’t believe me.
“I have never met her,” I say, trying to keep my voice calm even though I want to scream.
“Then are you going to explain it?”
I have no choice but to lie, and I need a lie that is believable. Something that will work, and I need someone who will back me up, but at the same time if I mention anyone they could immediately become a suspect, and that wouldn’t be fair.
Dammit, I don’t know what to do.
“I’d like to make a call to a friend to organize a lawyer,” I say.
I don’t actually want a lawyer, but I know they have to allow me to make a call to organize one. It will buy me a smidge of time to come up with something that makes sense here.
Rochelle looks to Greg, and I know they think that I’m asking for a lawyer because I’m guilty but right now, I don’t care what they think. I know my rights, and they can’t stop me from making a phone call.
“Yes, you can.”
They let me step out of the room and the person I call isn’t the one I probably should call. I dial Paulie’s number and tell him very quickly what’s going on and what the police have found, I also tell him about the Cheyenne theory. I know Paulie loves this kind of drama, and I also know he’ll have my back.
“Girl, here’s what you’re going to do. You tell them that I had Alyssa’s things because we were friends, and we were dropping them to her mom’s place, but we got distracted. There is no way they can prove I wasn’t friends with her.”
“What if they call her mom?”
“Alyssa had heaps of friends, even if they ask her, she probably won’t recall what her daughter was doing. Just you let me worry about that. Go and tell them what I just told you, they have no legal right to hold you because it isn’t enough evidence to prove you did anything.”
“Someone is trying to frame me,” I whisper.
“I know, but we’re not going to let them.”
Hanging up the phone, I join Rochelle and Greg once more.
“I have someone helping me with a lawyer. I am aware I shouldn’t speak without one, but I’m also not hiding anything so I’ll tell you the truth. My friend Paulie and I were taking those things back to Alyssa’s mom, but we ran out of time. He and Alyssa were friends, and he still had a few of her things lying around. He thought her mom would like them.”
The two of them stare at me, then at each other.
“You can confirm this with him, and her mom,” I say confidently.