Page 26 of Once Marked
Callahan scoffed at the urgency in Thorne’s tone, tossing another glance at his cards.The tension in the room escalated like the brewing of a storm.
In an instant, Chief Thorne made his move—a calculated touch, a provocation.His hand landed heavy on Callahan’s shoulder, the physical assertion of control igniting the powder keg between them.With the reflexes of a brawler, Callahan burst from his chair, its wooden legs scraping against the floor.His fist, clenched and ready, soared toward Thorne’s expectant face.
Thorne calmly sidestepped the attack.
Meanwhile, Riley and Ann Marie sprang into seamless coordination.They converged on Callahan, their hands swift and sure as they caught his flailing limbs.They twisted his arms behind his back, subduing the violence that had erupted so suddenly.The room held its breath, the remaining poker players frozen mid-gesture, their eyes wide with shock and apprehension.
“Easy now, Callahan,” Riley grumbled close to his ear.“Let’s not make this any harder than it has to be.”
But Marcus Callahan was all snarling resistance, his body straining against their hold.The strength in his stocky frame was considerable, yet Riley and Ann Marie were resolute and impervious to the bluster of men like him.Their well-trained grips soon brought his hands together behind him.
As Riley secured his wrists with handcuffs, a sense of resolution settled over her.This was why she did what she did—why she faced off against the darkness day after day.People like Callahan needed to face whatever results their behavior had earned.
The others around the poker table went quiet, seeking to attract no attention.
Riley met Callahan’s gaze squarely as the police chief ushered him out of the back room.The look he shot back at her was a toxic mix of anger and bruised ego.It was a look she’d seen before, on the faces of men who couldn’t stand being bested, especially not by women wielding the authority they felt was theirs alone.It didn’t faze her; she knew the type well — bullies were cowards when stripped of their bluster.
The walk back through the Horseshoe Crab Lounge felt longer than the few strides it took.Pete Bowers stood silent by the bar, his arms crossed over his chest, his face offering no clues to his thoughts.Thorne led the way, moving his prisoner along, while Sheriff Beeler cast a wary eye over the few silent observers still sitting at their tables.Riley and Ann Marie followed, ignoring those whose stares focused on them.
Outside the mid-afternoon sun awaited them, its golden light a welcome change after the dim recesses they had left behind.Riley took a deep breath, the sea-scented air cleansing the vestiges of cigarette smoke and antagonism from her lungs.This case seemed straightforward now, but for some reason it felt … inconclusive to her.
“Riley?”Ann Marie’s voice pulled her from her reverie, and she turned to see her partner watching her with a knowing look.“You okay?”
“Fine,” Riley replied, though ‘fine’ was a relative term.She glanced back at the bar, its peeling paint and neon signs now just part of the backdrop of their investigation.Even though they were taking in the man she wanted to question, something inside her still whispered that they were far from done with this investigation.
CHAPTER TWELVE
In the Sandhaven Police Station booking area, Callahan stood at the counter, his back rigid as the officer on duty processed his information.Every so often, his head would turn, his gaze landing on Riley and Ann Marie with a venomous glare.Riley knew that his defiance spoke more of desperation than strength—a caged animal baring its teeth.
The two agents stood in mutual contemplation, the rhythm of the police station surrounding them.Occasionally, the sharp ring of a phone pierced the air, while the rapid clicks of keyboards created a staccato rhythm in the background.Riley reflected that even this small-town police station had plenty of issues to keep their force busy.
“Riley?”Ann Marie’s voice pulled her from her thoughts.“So, what do you think of our suspect?”
Riley hesitated.“Honestly?I’m not completely sure what to think,” she confessed, her voice barely above a whisper.Then, glancing at Callahan, she remarked with a laugh, “But he’d definitely kill the two of us if he got the chance.”
“Yeah, he sure didn’t like getting taken down by a couple of ‘girls’,” Ann Marie said with a laugh.
Neither woman was a stranger to the hostility that came with pinning down dangerous characters, especially men.
“But wanting to kill us doesn’t mean he killed those other two women,” she said.“We still don’t know.”
Ann Marie nodded, her gaze steady on Riley.“But if he’s capable of imagining our deaths so vividly...”
That was a possibility that neither could overlook — that the fury and misogyny reflected in Callahan’s eyes might have also driven him to kill.
As an officer rolled Callahan’s fingertips in ink and pressed them onto the paper, Riley saw Sheriff Smitty Beeler marching toward them with Chief Rick Thorne at his side.
“Something tells me they don’t bring good news,” Riley whispered to Ann Marie.
“Callahan’s called his lawyer,” Beeler grumbled.“Stuart Ludwig.Same ambulance-chasing creep who got him off on those stalking charges a while back.”
Thorne added grimly.“We’d better see if we can get anything out of him before Ludwig shows up.We’re putting him in the interrogation room now.You two ready?”
“Ready,” Riley responded.Ann Marie nodded confidently.
Without further comment, they walked together toward the interrogation room and stepped inside.Since the space was small, Ann Marie positioned herself outside, watching through the one-way mirror.
As Riley and the two lawmen stepped inside, her eyes fixed on Marcus Callahan, taking in the relaxed tilt of his body against the cold metal chair, the way his hands lay casually on the table despite the steel encircling his wrists.His smirk was a red flag waving boldly in her mind.No stranger to interrogations, she recognized the posture of a man unwilling to give ground.
