Page 143 of Fall Into Temptation
“And keep an eye on Eva for me.”
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT
The drive to Cleary was blissfully quiet compared to the chaos of the rest of the night. On the way over, he talked to the arresting officer and laid out his plan. Agnes wouldn’t walk away from this one, and Donovan was prepared to do whatever it took to make sure that happened.
The Cleary police station was four times the size of Blue Moon’s. A new, modern facility with bulletproof glass and an actual waiting area. The desk sergeant saw him coming and buzzed him through the front door.
“Morning,” she said. She was young, academy fresh, and wide awake for four a.m. “Coffee?”
“The strongest you’ve got,” Donovan said, taking off his hat.
“Woah. Nice hair,” she said, cracking an actual smile. “Have a seat. Officer Lewis will be with you shortly.”
She returned with a large mug of steaming coffee which Donovan gratefully accepted.
“Sheriff Cardona?”
The man who approached had dark skin and linebacker shoulders. His wrist was bandaged, and there was a jagged scratch on his jaw.
“Officer Lewis?”
“Call me Jamal,” he insisted. “Come on back. We’ll talk before I bring her in.”
Jamal led the way to an actual interrogation room. In Blue Moon, they mainly just talked to suspects in the conference room or around the water cooler. “I hear you’ve been having quite the night over there in Blue Moon.”
Donovan took a seat in the metal chair and unfolded his legs. “The grapevine runs pretty far,” he said.
“My captain is tight with your mother. She gave him a head’s up in case you all needed a hand out there. But it sounds like you had it covered.”
Donovan rubbed a hand over his brow. “Barely. I’ve never seen so many people lose their damn minds at the same time.”
Jamal chuckled. “That’s some kinda town you’ve got there. Me and the wife stayed in that B&B last year for our anniversary. Got a kick out of the quirkiness.”
Donovan gave a one-sided smile. “Quirkiness. That’s a good word for it.” He took another sip of coffee. “That scratch looks pretty fresh.”
Jamal touched his jaw. “You wouldn’t expect it out of the bony-ass woman, but that Merill is stronger than she looks.” He held up his wrist. “Nails are pretty sharp, so we’ll be keeping her cuffed for your talk.”
“I appreciate you letting me have a chat with her.”
Jamal shrugged. “She’s not the kind of person we need roaming the streets. And not just because she spit on my partner and kicked the hotel desk clerk in the chest. So, let’s deliver the DA a nice, airtight case and let the legal system do its job.”
“That’s the plan.”
“I’m gonna let you run the interview, but I’ll be in the corner just in case she goes for your neck with those killer claws.”
“Appreciate it,” Donovan said wryly.
Jamal returned moments later with the spitting-mad Agnes Merill. The jumpsuit bagged on her skinny frame. Her hair was wild, hanging in clumps around her sallow face.
“Record on. Interview of Agnes Merill. Officer Jamal Lewis and Sheriff Donovan Cardona present. Ms. Merill, you’ve been advised of your rights.” Jamal recited by rote.
“Fuck. You.” Agnes spat out.
Donovan smiled at Eva’s mother. “Ms. Merill. You were found to be in possession of stolen property,” he said, flipping through the photos Jamal and his partner had taken of Agnes’ car.
“That’s my stuff. I didn’t steal nothing.”
He tossed down another picture in front of her. “So, are you saying this isn’t you breaking into your daughter’s house and leaving with the items found in your car tonight?”
