Page 96 of The Tomorrows After You
“Brennan is being questioned by a colleague of mine,” she stated. “At our office in Charleston.”
Fear gripped my chest. Would he know to call a lawyer? My phone hadn’t rung, so he hadn’t called me yet, which meant maybe he wasn’t under arrest. What the fuck was going on? I opened my mouth, but Sam placed one of the phones in the middle of the table and pressed play on an audio file.
She sat back and studied us.
I think I stopped breathing when my own voice cut through the speaker.
“‘So, that’s what he did. He went home… By the time I got there, he had already stabbed her three times. Brennan was practically comatose. Clutching the knife and rocking back and forth on the front steps. He just kept repeating ‘I think she’s dead. I think she’s dead.’”
I didn’t move. I didn’t speak. I didn’t breathe.
She’d recorded us.
Any trace of hope that Nicolettewasn’taconnivingliarevaporatedinto the stale air in the room. I didn’t look at her. I wouldn’t. But I could tell shewasfrozensolid in the chair next to me.
“Where did you get that?”sheseethed. The anger in her voicesurprisedme.“I didn’t record that. West Virginiaisa one-party consent state and neither of usconsentedto being rec—”
Agent Billings held up her hand and frowned dismissively.
“We intercepted this audio file as it was being sent to local law enforcement.” She studied us, her face impassive. “I need to know which of you sent it.”
We both stared at her. I was speechless. Neither of us spoke.
Samtooka deep breath.“Okay… how about you tell me where you bothwerearound twelve-thirty this afternoon?”
It took me a moment to search my memory earlier today. That binder. Nicolette’s betrayal. It had cut my life in half and everything that came before seemed like it was wrapped in a dream.
“Uhm… Iwaspickingup some scrap metal at Hank Taylor’s junkyard.”
The female agent studied me, scribbling the name down. Seemingly satisfied, her eyes moved to Nicolette, who sat quietly.
Istolea glance over and through the curtain of blonde hair, I could see the guiltmappedall over her face and the knot in my gutgrewtighter.
“I was visiting Emery Plainbottom.”
Her words punched me in the chest. Agent Billings didn’t even blink. It appeared the name meant nothing to her.
It meant something to me, though. Emery Plainbottom had been my arresting officer.
Fucking hell, Nicolette, what did you do?
The agent studied us for another long minute before standing up. “Okay!” she exclaimed. “You are free to go. My partner will drive you back home.”
“That’s it?” Nicolette’s voice registered surprise and relief. I don’t know why that gave me a modicum of comfort.
“That’sit. We’ll be in touch if wehaveany more questions.”
She disappeared.
We bothletout a long breath simultaneously.
“Riot, I don’t think—”
“Stop,” I commanded. “I don’t want to hear anything more you have to say.”
The car ride backwassilent. The wheels turning in Nicolette’s mindwerealmost audible but Iwasglad shewasn'ttryingto speak anymore. If Iheardone more lie fall from her lips, I would snap.
The rage that bubbled within me was boiling. The depth of her betrayal, staggering.
