Page 48 of Justified Lies

When Harden looked perplexed, Gabe clarified. “Ask aboutthe guyhe saw leaving Lianna’s this morning. She mentioned that Tim seemed to be especially angry about me hanging around, maybe that will get him talking now.”

A knowing look crossed Harden’s face, as though he had finally figured out the dynamic at play here. Slapping Gabe on the shoulder in a show of camaraderie, he nodded before yelling for someone to bring him a glass of water. Not waiting for an answer, the man walked back into the interrogation room.

Gabe liked Curtis. A straight shooter who seemed interested only in getting to the bottom of this. Harden was the type of man you wanted on your side and the type of detective he wanted on Lianna’s case.

Grabbing a coffee that was sure to taste like liquefied cardboard, Gabe hurried back into the observation room. Thescene that met him confirmed that Harden had taken his advice. Tim was now spewing from the mouth, but it wasn’t exactly what Gabe thought he would hear.

The neighbor was swearing up, down, and sideways that he would never do anything to hurt Lianna. That he had always looked out for her. When he said she seemed to surround herself with men that had bigger biceps than brains Gabe covered a growl by clearing his throat.

“Lianna is naïve. Those guys take advantage of her. Her husband did and now this new one is too. He looks at her like she’s a piece of meat. I saw him there this morning and I needed to tell her, let her know she doesn’t need them. She has me. I have to protect her.”

When Detective Harden asked what Tim felt the need to protect Lianna from, the man clammed up, refusing to say any more. Gabe sighed, before turning the knob beside the light switch down. He needed a break from that greaseball’s voice. It was either that or completely burn his bridges in this department by barging into the interview room and strangling the guy.

Gabe pulled out his cell and glanced at the screen in case he didn’t hear the ring or feel the vibration. Nope, Lianna still hadn’t contacted him. Raking his hand down his face, he tried to rein in his frustration. There was so much he needed to do and sitting there felt like stalling.

First, he needed to apologize to Lianna if she would talk to him. Then he had to figure out how to keep her safe from an unknown number of threats. After last night, Gabe knew he wanted a future with Lianna. That was only possible if he could gain her trust. But the most pressing task was dealing with the other woman in his life, thousands of miles away, who had the potential to upend it all. Turning the volume from theinterrogation room back up, he settled into his cold, hard folding chair and sighed at the long night he had ahead of him.

****

Lianna spent the rest of the day soaking up every cuddle and snuggle she could from the kids. They had finally fallen asleep on either side of her in bed, watching their favorite Halloween movie for the fifteenth time since October first. Crumbs were the only evidence that remained of the home baked cookies she allowed them to eat while watching.

Those kids were like vultures, sensing her weakness and swooping in for the kill. Now she remembered why she instated the “no eating in bed” rule. Every time she moved, the crumbs on the sheets grated over her skin like sandpaper.

Annie rolled over, her outstretched little hand smacking Lianna square in the face. There was no way she would get a second of sleep smashed between these two tonight. Resigned to curling up in one of their twin beds, she pushed down the blanket. Carefully slipping out of bed, Lianna was careful to not wake them. She grabbed her cell from the bedside charger. Then she crept from the room, gently closing the door behind her.

Feeling restless, she decided to head downstairs for a snack. A barrage of thoughts circulated through her brain, and she knew she’d never get rest until she talked some of them out. Dialing as she walked, the phone connected just as she opened the fridge and pulled out the water pitcher.

“Hey,” Isabela’s groggy voice answered.

“Did I wake you?”

“Nope, I was just reading through some briefs. Can’t sleep?”

“Nope.”

Lianna was starting to feel guilty for calling Isabela every time she needed to vent. Since Izzy had moved into the same time zone, she tended to reach out to her more. The fact thatIsabela was a few hours away and they could see each other so often fortified their relationship. It also made Lianna feel bad for constantly dumping her drama on her.

The two women had talked earlier in the evening and Lianna had gone through every detail of the day. She was doing amazingly well if she did say so herself. Considering that she was chased and assaulted by her neighbor this morning. Perhaps the fact that she had gone through the encounter several times, first with the police, then her in-laws, finally her girlfriend, helped her process it. She was shaken by the experience, but not frightened. Confused was the best word to describe her current state.

“As usual, something feels off. In all the years I’ve lived beside Tim, he has never touched me, let alone threaten me.”

Sure, he was awkward, and Lianna wouldn’t say she feltcomfortablein his company, but she didn’t feel afraid either. Her trusty sixth sense hadn’t set off any alarms when he was around before today, but she was starting to seriously question her decision making.

Stifling a yawn, Isabela wasn’t as conflicted over the neighbor’s actions.

“If Tim was so harmless, why did he chase you? Even after you hurt yourself.”

“Maybe I imagined some of his anger. He was trying to tell me something, but I wouldn’t listen.”

“You didn’t imagine the new set of claw marks on your arm.”

Isabela had her there. Lianna regretted not finding out why Tim had sought her out so vigorously. Most of what Tim said she didn’t hear because her heart was beating so forcefully in her ears. Perhaps this whole misunderstanding dated back to the butchered raccoon on her garbage. It would explain why he disliked Gabe so much.

A knock at the door caused her stomach to go into a tailspin.

“Shit, someone just knocked on the door.”

“Don’t answer it.”

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