Page 72 of Suspicions on the Stage
I look at Iggy and then Liam, hoping to keep my expression from letting Kowalski know that’s exactly what I think. The prince has to cover a snicker, and the Draconic bodyguard clears his throat as he gives me a pointed look. Facing the red-faced slob, I shake my head. “I’m merely informing you that Lucas and Slade have been standing in place without moving since they discovered the body. When I arrived, I made certain that they didn’t move or touch anything.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I push my frustration with this unprofessional yokel down. “I’m sure we will, Detective.”
“Now, Wolfberg…” Kowalski says as he moves around us and heads down toward the stage. “Tell me how you’re standing in the middle of my crime scene again if you didn’t kill… who is this supposed to be now, Sanders?”
“The dispatch said they think it’s Rialto Beauregard.”
The bulky, trench-coated policeman stops cold, turning to look at his partner in disbelief. “Motherfucking Rialto Beauregard?! Are you shitting me, Sanders?”
He’s figured out that this is going to be another high-profile case and his drool is forming.
“Why didn’t you say that on the ride over? Fucking Zeus in a basket, Sanders, we need the best damn forensics team possible. Make sure it’s the actual coroner, not an assistant. Get a move on, you idiot!”
I hear Kaspar growl, and I know it’s because he’s caught the same whiff of self-centered greed that I did. Kowalski is definitely going to latch onto Lucas and Slade now that he knows who the corpse is. He’ll want to ride this to national news and promotions, so he won’t give a damn if my mates are innocent.
“We don’t know for sure, though, because no one’s lifted the fabric,” Slade says, stopping everyone in their tracks again. “You might want to confirm that before you tell everyone it’s true.”
Kowalski scowls, stomping up to the stairs on the left side of the stage to do just that. “If this is Beauregard, you two are cooked. That family is going to see that you fry. No getting saved by Society softies in this case.”
Yep, that’s exactly what I expected from this dipshit; I’m glad we settled on The Serpent before he arrived.
tension
IGNATIUS
Kowalski points a chubby finger at us from the stage and grunts, “Nobody leaves, nobody touches anything, nobody makes a mess, got it?”
Liam raises a hand like he’s about to make an objection at Parliament. He could definitely do worse, but the Prince is more diplomatic than all the rest of us put together. “Detective. We’ve all been very patient?—”
“Save it, Your Highness,” the walrus shifter says. “For the record, the next person who does anything in this crime scene is going in the back of my cruiser.”
I highly doubt that, Detective Pastrami.
Morgana’s jaw flexes, and I see Dez sneak out to hiss again. “Our lawyer has already explained that Lucas and Slade are not answering your questions. Keeping them here isn’t necessary.”
“It doesn’t matter whatyouwant, lady.” Kowalski looks at me, his gaze narrowing. “Isn’t this pretty boy your roommate, Professor?”
“That’s right,” I reply as I arch a brow. Slade hasn’t moved an inch since I arrived, and I know he’s struggling up there. We tried calming him a little, but if this asshole doesn’t quit filling that stage with negative emotions, it’s going to hurt him. “I don’t see what that has to do with anything.”
Kowalski grins at the gentle siren who’s been my best friend since he arrived with the intensity of a carnivore. “You were the last to see the victim alive, I’ll bet. Theater people are all crazy as hell.”
Slade snorts. “I absolutely wasnot.Prior to yesterday, I’d been out of state for a couple of days visiting family. When we arrived home, we stayed at our place for the evening. The next morning I worked as usual, but was not in the theater, nor did I see Rialto. The entire cast received an email early this morning that he was scheduling a last-minute run-through tonight, so once I was off from work, I came here to set up the orchestra pit. I found the body once I turned up all the house and stage lights in the booth. Though… I didn’t really know it was a body until I came on stage. I thought someone had left a mess.”
Sanders is scribbling notes as he stands in the aisle, and I watch him curiously. The shifter seems less antagonistic than Kowalski and I need to check into where he comes from. Once he speaks, I push that thought aside to listen. “Did you see or hear anything unusual after that?”
Other than this circus of idiots now occupying this space? I doubt it.
My anxious roommate glances at me like I’m the cue card holder for this interrogation. I clear my throat. “If he had, I’m sure he would have mentioned it.”
Thorne winks at me, then steps closer to the second banana cop. “Notice how cooperative we’re being, Sergeant. I think you should write that down in your little book.”
“Buzz off, Thorne,” Kowalski says as he pushes to his full height and looks at Slade. “My partner asked you a question. Are you avoiding it? Is that because Wolfberg here was killing the Beauregard heir? Are you protecting him?”
What. A. Fucking. Maroon.
Lucas snarls from his spot at the edge of the stage. “If you’re implying that I’m some psycho who kills random people for jollies, you’ve got the wrong guy. There are plenty of lunatics in old families like mine, but Nana raised me better than that. This is a coincidence, and while I know it looks bad, you’re going to regret acting like an idiot when you figure out who really did this.”
