Page 103 of Wish I Didn't Want You Back

The corner of my mouth twitched. “I’m not stupid.”

“That’s up for debate.” He gave me a warning look as we reached the entrance. “Remember, I’m going to ask the questions and you’re to stay out of it.”

I gave him a nod, even though we both knew I would have a hard time keeping my mouth shut. For Harlow’s sake, I would have to. It was the least I could do.

Chief Scott was stillin his office, sipping from a chipped coffee mug while eating a turkey sub from the gas station across the street, when we walked in. His office was sparsely decorated, consisting of a metal desk, a small file cabinet, and a coffee machine that was probably older than me sitting by the window.

“What do you got?” he asked, looking up from his computer monitor.

Tuck and I slid into the two chairs at his desk. “There is a witness who places the victim’s ex-fiancé at the hardware store the night the damage occurred. The items he purchased are consistent with what was used to do the damage. So, there is an eyewitness, a paper trail, and a motive.”

Chief Scott picked up his glasses and pored over the report without saying a word.

He looked up and scratched his bald head. “So, let me get this straight. We’re dealing with Senator Zimmerman’s son, who purchased supplies the night his ex-fiancée’s house was flooded, and you want me to charge him with trespassing, breaking and entering, and vandalism?”

Tuck tapped his hands on the desk. “Are you good with that?”

Chief leaned back in his chair. “We need to be careful. If we go in too hot, it could blow up in our face.”

Tuck leaned forward. “It would be by the book, I swear.”

He rolled his pen between his fingers like he was thinking it over. “I need to reach out to my NYPD connections. It may take a few days, and we will have to bring in a bigger agency to take over.”

Tuck smiled and nodded. “I’m only looking to bring him in for questioning. We don’t need to book him.”

He exhaled and rubbed his chin. “This is a big deal, Tuck. Even if we politely ask him to come in and answer a few questions, someone high-profile like this will draw attention. We can’t afford to make any mistakes.” He looked at me. “You shouldn’t even be in this room, Brooks. You understand that going forward, this is an official police matter.”

I nodded, letting him know I understood how serious this was. “I’m aware.”

“I mean it, Brooks.” He narrowed his eyes. “You are already a liability to this case. This is a small town. We are family friends, but I’m asking you to step back.”

He wasn’t wrong. I knew it, and I couldn’t blame him for saying that. Chief Scott used to be our neighbor. My brothers and I went to school and played ball with his sons. We would get invited to family barbecues and birthday parties, but right now, he was drawing a line, and I needed to respect that.

I folded my hands in my lap and gave him the confirmation he needed. “I give you my word, Chief.”

He took a sip of his coffee and folded his arms. “This guy has connections. His father makes phone calls, and people start panicking. If you want to help your girl, you stay out of our way and let us handle him.”

“Done.”

“Good, because if we bring someone in on that level, we can’t give his lawyers anything to latch onto, and you better believe he will have a big-time lawyer.”

Oh, I had no doubt. They would probably assume he would get off, too. That’s how rich people worked. They bribed, schemed, and threw money at problems to make them go away. That was why I would not do anything to screw this up. I couldn’t let my emotions get in the way.

Tuck cleared his throat and spoke up. “I should probably excuse myself and turn this over to someone else due to a conflict of interest.”

Chief laughed. “Well, seeing the department has ten employees total, that narrows our options.”

The three of us laughed, but the weight of everything was finally catching up to me. This was real. It was happening. He would probably get a slap on the wrist, maybe walk away with a fine, but his precious reputation would be tarnished. I would make sure of that.

At the very least, he would sweat it out. He wasn’t the type of guy who answered to anybody.

But as far as the investigation went, I would stay out of it.

I walked out into the waiting room while Tuck and Chief finished up. My head was spinning. All I could think about was Harlow. I just wanted her to move on from all this bullshit.

I glanced down at the text message she sent me earlier today, letting me know she was going back to New York. I had to be honest, for a split second, I thought she was leaving me, until I learned why she was going.

Now, I needed to drive to New York so she wouldn’t have to face those two idiots by herself.

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