Page 92 of Out on a Limb
Officer Daniels didn’t appear to be amused. “We’ve got a witness that claims they saw you putting the chickens in the trailer.”
“That’s impossible.” The denial came out as a knee-jerk reaction. Luckily I caught the rest of what I was going to say before it had the chance to sneak out. “Because I would never do something like that.”
Certainly not when someone else was watching.
And the coast had been clear. I was positive of that.
Mostly.
“They claimed they saw you pull up with a car full of chickens.”
“Didn’t happen.” That was easy to refute.
It didn’t happen.
I dropped them in from a tree.
“The owners of the property want to press charges.” The cop made a move to grab at the cuffs on his belt.
Which was when I went into full panic mode.
“They’re lying.” My breath came faster. “I didn’t drive a carload of chickens anywhere.”
“We’ve got someone willing to say they saw you there.” The cop unhooked his cuffs and took a step toward me.
“They’re lying.” Andrew put one arm across my chest, like he thought he could stop what was happening.
The cop clearly disagreed and took another step my way. “That’s for the courts to decide.”
The courts? Those assholes had done so much to us and nowIwas the one going to jail for dropping a few damn hens into their offices?
“I know they’re lying.” Andrew didn’t back down. I might have appreciated his dedication if I wasn’t ready to pee my pants.
His pants.
“It was me.” He stepped in front of me. “I did it.”
“What?” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
Because it wasn’t even a little true.
Even less true than the story the cops had been told.
Andrew turned my way, his eyes locking onto mine. “It was me, understand?”
I opened my mouth to argue, but the sharpness in his gaze clamped my lips together.
His eyes stayed on me as they grabbed him by the shoulder and spun him away, locking his wrists behind his back. “I’ll be fine. I promise.”
My chin tried to quiver as the fear I felt for myself immediately jumped to him. “I don’t want you to go to jail.”
“I won’t be there long.” He shot me a wink as the cops pulled him toward the door.
All I could do was watch as they took him away.
For something he didn’t do.
I couldn’t let this happen.
