Page 98 of Proof

“She knew about the accident. She said she had been in the area and was willing to come in and answer any questions.”

Desmond put his hand on Chris’s shoulder. “You are one impressive dude.”

Chris grunted. “Just doing my job.” If they only knew, and I hope they never find out.

It took ten minutes for Luna to reach the hotel. Chris and two other men were waiting in the parking lot.

“Good morning, Ms. Bodman. I’m Charles Gannon. These are my colleagues, Agent Cunningham and Agent Lamont.” All three had their badges attached to their belts. “Would you mind stepping inside the SUV?”

Luna maintained a stoic demeanor. “Not at all.” Desmond opened the back door, and Luna stepped up into the vehicle while the three men stood close together outside, blocking her from escaping. As if.

Leaving the car door open, Buck took the lead, which annoyed the heck out of Chris. “So, Ms. Bodman. Can you tell us why you went out to Canyon Farms yesterday morning?”

Luna was admirably composed. “I thought I recognized someone from college when I was at Whole Foods—or was it Safeway? Anyway, I saw him drive off in a truck with a sign for the farm. I looked up the address and drove out to see if it was him.”

“How long had it been since you’d been in contact with your so-called friend?” Buck asked, with a bit of an unpleasant tone.

“It had been months. We were emailing, and then it stopped. I assumed it was because his wife was jealous.” She shrugged. “Anyway, it wasn’t him.”

“Are you sure?” Buck peered at her intently.

She looked at Chris for a sign.

Tell the truth. He was sending telepathic thoughts to her.

She hesitated. “He told me to go away.” That was the truth.

“And you said it wasn’t him,” Buck pushed.

“I really don’t know what’s going on.” Another half-truth. “I don’t want to get anyone in trouble, including myself.”

“We already know you spoke to him.”

Luna swallowed hard. “What did he tell you?”

“He said he told you to go away.”

“That is correct.” Luna nodded.

Chris looked at the other agents. They seemed to be inclined to believe her. There was no evidence to the contrary.

“How long are you planning on staying here?” Buck asked.

“I was going to return home the day after tomorrow.” But at this point, she wanted to jump on a plane and get the heck out of Dodge, or whatever nightmare town she was in.

“You live in North Carolina?” Buck asked as he was looking at his notes.

“Yes. Just outside Asheville.”

“Alright, then. Agent Gannon lives in Charlotte. If he needs any further information from you, we expect you to cooperate.”

“Absolutely,” Luna said convincingly. Anything for my U.S. Marshal. If he’s still my U.S. Marshal, she thought.

Buck closed his notepad. “Thank you for your time, Ms. Bodman. If we need anything else, we will be in touch.”

The three men separated, making room for her to remove herself from the car and the interrogation.

“Thank you,” she replied, and walked over to her car.

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