Page 32 of Claimed By the Deputies

He stares at me. “Who are you, exactly?”

“I’m a consultant,” I bluntly reply. Stuart is trying to buy himself time, digressing, his gaze nervously wandering across the store, quietly searching for a way out.

“Okay, fine, we’re buddies. We hang out sometimes. But I had nothing to do with those chicks getting killed. I had no idea?—”

“They were both patrons at the drugstore where you used to work,” Mitch cuts him off.

“Probably. I don’t know. I can’t remember everyone that walks into my place of work!” Stuart exhales sharply, then sucks in a deep, calming breath. “Okay, we’re getting off on the wrong foot here.”

“Then let’s make it right. Tell us about your drug dealing.” Mitch is relentless, cool as a cucumber while he watches this lanky man squirm in discomfort.

“What drug dealing?”

Tyler smiles. “You were fired from that Hamilton drugstore.”

“Unjustly!”

“Conduct unbecoming of a Hamilton Pharmacies employee, says so in your record.”

“Total bull crap,” Stuart retorts with a sneer. “I’m no drug dealer.”

“So if I were to frisk you right now, I wouldn’t find any strawberry shortcake baggies on you?” Tyler asks.

The color drains from Stuart’s face with record speed. For a moment, I fear he might actually pass out. He clears his throat nervously. “What are you talking about?”

“Check his back pocket. That’s where his hand instinctively went,” I say.

Stuart gives me a nasty glare, his left hand moving behind him. A split second later, he whips out a gun, grabbing me at the same time. I gasp as I find myself in his desperate hold, one arm winding tightly around my neck. I can hardly breathe, my heart wildly racing as Tyler and Mitch pull out their service pistols and point them at Stuart standing behind me. I trust them, but those lines of sight are way too close for comfort.

“Stuart, come on man, don’t be stupid,” Tyler warns him, his voice like steel.

I feel the barrel pressing into my temple, dull and merciless.

“Nobody move,” Stuart snaps. “I ain’t going down for this shit!”

“Stuart, we don’t want to hurt you,” Mitch says. “We’re just trying to make heads or tails of this whole Billy Jade situation. He killed two women, buddy.”

“And I told you I had nothing to do with it, but you won’t listen!”

I lock eyes with Tyler, who gives me a subtle nod. I don’t know what to make of it.

“I believe you,” Mitch tells Stuart. “But we know Dina and Tanya were Billy’s clients. You can’t lie to us about that. We also know he was dealing out of the drugstore. You were, too. Which is why you got fired. The store manager told us.”

“Sally Yates is a self-righteous bitch!” Stuart snarls.

“You and Billy were dealing for the same guys, weren’t you?” I ask, my voice uneven and shaky. “Strawberry shortcakes, New York cheesecakes, lemon skittles… I could go on.”

“How do you know about all that?”

“Because your code was fairly easy to break,” I reply. He presses the barrel harder into my temple. “Stuart, please just relax.”

“I swear to God, if you don’t put that gun down, I will put a bullet right between your fucking eyes,” Tyler growls.

“I don’t wanna hurt anybody,” Stuart whines. “I just got in too deep, that’s all. I never killed anyone. Iswear!”

“We only want to talk about the drugs, Stuart. We’re willing to offer you a deal if you cooperate,” Mitch says. “Come on, buddy. You don’t want to go out like this.”

“What kind of deal?”

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