“No, it’s so you don’t get dehydrated. You’ve been watching too much TV. I’ll ask your lawyer for DNA when they get here to exclude you from the crime scene.”

  “Okay. Thanks.” I sat on the hard chair, expecting the tension to seep from my shoulders. Instead, it felt like a bunch of muscular knots. “Not long until someone can look after you properly,” I told Elf as I extracted him from under my sweater. His nose wriggled and he butted his head against my arm. As he settled down again, resting his head on my shoulder, I took the time to look around the room. A hardy wood table with chipped corners and a bar in the center for attaching cuffs. Four chairs, two on each side. A camera blinking unobtrusively high in one corner and a large, mirrored pane opposite me. The walls were as bare as the floor. Of course it was familiar; I’d seen it before, but on all the other occasions, I was on the other side of the glass. Being on this side was disconcerting. Although I was glad Garrett stayed by Lily’s side, I wondered who, if anyone, was observing me. It would be just my luck if word got out and every uncle, aunt, and cousin suddenly dropped in to observe me under interrogation. Jord was already attending a crime scene but I was sure as soon as he heard the news, he would hurry back to Lily. Was our other detective brother, Daniel, around? I hoped so. He would be a calm and comforting presence.

  Long minutes ticked by and I amused myself by stroking the dog and saying sweet things to him. It kept us both calm. Realistically, I knew I had nothing to be worried about. Yes, we were at the crime scene but neither Lily or I had any motive to hurt Tiffany. And sure, I held a knife but it was easy to prove that it came from Tiffany’s own kitchen and hadn’t been used to stab anyone. Cellphone data would place our phones far from the scene when Tiffany was accosted, which should be enough to clear both Lily and me. Plus, if we had done something to Tiffany, she would have been found with us or somewhere nearby. For a brief moment, I was grateful we didn’t find her body and she was still missing. Then I felt guilty. A missing woman was nothing to feel pleased about.

  The door opened and I looked up. The redheaded detective returned with a small bottle of water that he placed in front of me. “This is Officer Wolff,” he said as a woman joined him. “She’s with our canine unit and she’ll look after this little guy while we get him checked by a vet and find someone in animal control to take care of him.”

  “His name is Elf and he’s very nervous,” I told them, as I tried to wrangle him from under my arm, leaving only his butt sticking out at the newcomer. “I think he saw everything that happened and that’s why he’s so frightened.”

  “We’ll take good care of him,” said Officer Wolff, easing him from my arms and tucking him into her own before wrapping a blanket around him. “He’s going to come into my office until the vet gets here. If no one claims him, I’ll take him home for the night.”

  “Thanks. This is probably the one and only time I’ll surrender a dog to a wolf.”

  “Hah,” said Officer Wolff without laughing. “You’d be surprised how many times I hear variations of that joke.”

  “Sorry,” I said, grimacing. I waggled my fingers at the big, brown eyes that blinked at me, then were gone, the door brushing shut behind them as they left me alone. Not only did I feel colder, but more unsettled too. I could only imagine how much worse the poor, little dog felt. Hopefully, he was in good hands and someone would care enough to clean the blood from his muzzle. Blood, which I was sure could now be found on my t-shirt and the inside of my sweater.

  Without Elf to cuddle, all I could do was wait and check my watch. Despite the detective’s assurance, I didn’t take a sip of water and by the time the door opened again, I was parched and confused about why I’d been kept waiting for so long.

  “Mrs. Graves-Solomon? Diana Casey,” said the suited woman. “Your husband instructed me to represent you. Here’s my card.” She handed me a thick card and I brushed my thumb over her embossed name. I knew the law firm: they were professional and expensive. Flipping it over, I blinked at the handwriting. Solomon had written hang in there.

  “I’m glad you’re here,” I told her.

  “We don’t have much time. Walk me through everything that happened and then we’ll start the interview with Detective Hertford present. Let’s get this cleared up as fast as we can so you can get out of here,” she said, every bit as efficient as I could ask for.

  “Is Lily okay?”

  “My colleague is with her. She’s fine. Let’s just worry about you.” She set a legal pad on the table and pulled out a pen. “Whenever you’re ready...”

  “It all began when we were at home watching Tiffany Rose’s video live online…” I started, launching into the story. A few minutes later, I came to an end, throwing my hands in the air in frustration. “The detectives shot at us, cuffed us, and brought us here.”

  “I’ll have you out of here in a jiffy,” said Diana. “Not only is everything circumstantial at best, but not once were you seen abducting the young lady in a video that was presumably being viewed by dozens of people.”

  “Hundreds of thousands,” I corrected her. “We didn’t switch off the camera so it must have captured everything. Even if there isn’t much to see, they would all hear exactly when we arrived and what happened after that.”

  “Even better,” she said with a smile. “Hundreds of thousands of witnesses are plenty.”

  Fifteen minutes later, true to her word, she escorted me out of the interview room and away from the redheaded detective who stuck to his word and interviewed me as a potential witness. A moment later, the adjoining door opened and Garrett stepped out.

  “Were you watching?” I asked.

  “Every word,” he replied. “Solomon is waiting in reception for you. You should go home.”

  “Where’s Lily?” I asked.

  “Still being interviewed.”

  “But…”

  “Go home and take this,” insisted Garrett, pressing my confiscated pocket knife into my hand. “There’s nothing further you can do here. I’ll have Lily call you when she’s released.”

  “Your friend is in good hands with one of my colleagues,” said Diana, taking me by the elbow as she guided me towards the station’s reception. “And Lieutenant Graves is correct. There’s nothing you can do for your sister-in-law now. She has the same alibi as you, so it won’t take long to get her released.”

  “Fine, but I want her to call me as soon as she’s out. And tell her I’m only leaving under protest,” I added over my shoulder to Garrett as the lawyer ushered me away.

  “I should have known you were involved.”

  I whipped my head around, just in time to skitter to a stop and roll my eyes when my gaze landed on Maddox. Wearing a black suit with a white shirt and dark blue tie, he looked like a lawyer. Except, that is, for the badge I knew he had on his person somewhere. That didn’t explain why Special Agent Maddox had left the FBI’s Montgomery field office to come to the police station. As I tried to work out why he came here, and if it were connected to me, he shook his head at me and plunged his hands into his pants pockets. His eyes sparkled with mirth, as if he caught me up to no good. Damn it! Could he be on the case already? That would really make Garrett’s day.

  “What are you doing here? No, don’t answer. Let me guess. You just happened to hear I got arrested,” I said.

  Maddox stilled. “You were arrested!?”

  “And released without charge,” said Diana, officious again. “My client is merely a witness and got arrested by mistake. You are?”

  Maddox reached into his pocket and flashed his badge. “Special Agent Maddox. The FBI is taking an interest in the Tiffany Rose case.”

  “Oh, yay!” I clapped my hands.

  “No yay,” said the lawyer, clamping a calm hand on my arm. I dropped my hands. She shook his hand, adding, “Diana Casey, from Hemingway, McCarthy, and Gort. My client has been interviewed and no charges have been filed, nor will they be. I’m sure one of the detectives can fill you in on the finer points.”

  “Very yay,” I countered. “They arrested Lily too. She’s being interviewed right now. You have to spring her!”

  “What did she do?” asked Maddox, frowning now.

  “Absolutely nothing,” said Diana. “Mrs. Shuler-Graves merely behaved as any concerned citizen would and came to the aid of a person in need. Just like my client.”

  Maddox’s eyes narrowed on me. “That so?”

  I nodded emphatically. “Yes, and we got arrested for our Herculean efforts. I’m out but please help her!”

  “My card,” said Diana, passing one to Maddox. Maddox reached into his pocket and handed over one of his own. “My client will be happy to assist with a further witness statement should you find the one conducted here insufficient, but you must arrange it through my office so that I’m present.”

  “I’ll just come over later,” said Maddox.

  “Hard no,” said Diana.

  “You’re not going home?” Maddox frowned as he looked from the lawyer to me.

  “I am,” I confirmed.

  “She is. You’re not interviewing her there or anywhere else,” said Diana. “Let’s go.” This time, she ushered me in a far firmer fashion, leaving Maddox behind us. One apologetic glance backwards and Maddox simply stared.

  “He’s a very good friend,” I explained, “and my ex-boyfriend. He used to be a detective here, working under my brother when he was Detective Garrett Graves.”

  “And he’s FBI, and on the case, and you’re lucky things aren’t worse,” said Diana, guiding me to the reception. “Let me do my job please. Any police or FBI questioning needs to take place with me present.”

  “You’ll have to come to our family dinner,” I told her with a sigh as she flashed me a quizzical look. We stepped out of the way when two men rushed to speak with the desk sergeant; then I smiled as I saw Solomon walking towards me, his jaw tense.

  “Are you okay?” he asked, coming to a stop and reaching to hold my shoulders. He gave me a long, assessing look.

  “I’m okay,” I replied.

  “Mrs. Gra—” started Diana.

  “Lexi,” I interrupted. “The rest is a mouthful.”

  “Lexi,” she confirmed, “is free to go. I anticipate follow-up questions might be asked and I’d like to be present for any interviews as I’ve informed the detectives and Special Agent Maddox, just now. Until then, have a good evening and be sure to call 911 if you witness anything unusual in the future.”

  We shook hands and Diana left the police station.

  “You’re really okay?” said Solomon, enveloping me in a bear hug.

  “Can’t. Breathe,” I gasped against his chest. He relaxed the pressure, looking down at me, searching for any indication of trauma. “There’s a smidge of blood on your neck under your right ear and you smell like dog. You don’t look terrified so that’s good. Did you traumatize the arresting officers?”

  “No, but my brothers probably will. And my uncles and my aunts. Maybe my cousins too.”

  “Those poor men,” said Solomon. “And that’s where my sympathy ends. Let’s go.”

  I slipped my hand in his and we walked out into the cool night air, leaving the hubbub of the station behind us. As soon as we stepped onto the sidewalk, a blonde woman in a blue wool coat approached us.

  “Lexi Graves?” she asked.

  “No,” said Solomon.

  The woman glanced at him, then back at me. “Yes, you are. I saw your photo online. Don’t be alarmed. I’m not about to question you or serve papers or anything like that. My name is Abigail Swanson. I’m Tiffany Rose’s agent and I want to hire you to find her.”

  Chapter Five

  “Why do you want to hire me?” I asked. The three of us were seated in a small diner a block away from the police station. It was a popular hangout for police officers to take their breaks, which was why seven uniformed men and women sat at the bar, sipping coffees and eating dinner. Not one of them showed any interest in us. I still hadn’t changed my sweater but I took a few minutes to clean up in the restroom. The woman who approached us didn’t seem at all fazed by my appearance but then, I figured I didn’t look nearly as bad as Lily did.

  “Isn’t it obvious?” she asked.

  “We’re private investigators and it’s our job?” I suggested after a glance at Solomon. His face remained unreadable, so I continued my appraisal of Abigail Swanson. She loosened the belt of her coat and unbuttoned it, but did not remove it. Underneath she wore a white polo neck and blue slacks, just a shade darker than her coat. Big, gold earrings hung from her lobes and she wore wedding and engagement bands. Her purse, perched on the bench alongside her, was also very nice. She smelled good too; every so often I caught the scent of fresh roses.

  “That, and because the moment you accurately deemed Tiffany was under threat, you tracked down her address, and went over there to help her. That was fast thinking. You demonstrated the right kind of skills when you managed to find her location under such pressure and you impressed me. So… you’ll take the case?” she asked, although I wasn’t sure if it were actually a question.

  “The police are already on it and the FBI might be involved too,” said Solomon. His hands were wrapped around a plain mug of steaming coffee but he’d yet to take a sip. I wondered if his hands were welded to the cup.

  “I should think so,” said Abigail, “but have any of them contacted me? No!”

  “Did you make yourself known to the police?” I asked.

  “My representation of Tiffany is splashed all over the internet. Plus, I left my card with the desk sergeant who assured me someone would be in touch shortly.” She rolled her eyes skywards, illustrating her disbelief. I made a mental note to tell Garrett, assuming Solomon hadn’t already.

  “How did you know about me? Or even where to find me?” I inquired.

  “Someone recognized you and posted who you were on Tiffany’s live feed. I just happened to see the comment, which I found extremely fortuitous, and you can be assured that it probably disappeared amongst hundreds of other less interesting missives. I did a little digging into your background, then added some guesswork as to the best place to find you, and here we are! It’s vital that my client be found safely and quickly. So?”

  Solomon and I looked at each other. “You’ll need to fill out some paperwork and we’ll consider the merits of the case before we decide if we can help you,” said Solomon. “But I agree: time is of the essence here.”

  Abigail reached into her purse and pulled out a large envelope, which she placed between us. “Here’s everything I know about Tiffany. Her personal details, her contract with me, and her business dealings over the past two years. Will that suffice for background information?”

  “Thank you,” said Solomon. “You came very prepared.”

  “Not specifically for this, I just prefer to have such information easily accessible.”

  “Are you acting on your behalf or Tiffany’s family?” I asked.

  “Tiffany doesn’t have any family so I’m the one hiring you. She might be my client but I care about her wellbeing too. Something terrible has obviously happened to her and I want her found. Since you already have knowledge of the case as well as the smarts to track her down tonight, I think you’re the best person to do it. I hope she will be unharmed but—” Abigail gulped “—I know the odds are stacked against her the longer we wait. I’ve seen enough cop shows on TV to know that isn’t a good sign. You have to find her quickly.”

  “We’ll get back to you soon,” I said. “I need to read through everything first.”

  “Tonight?” she asked, a glimmer of hope brightening her face for the first time this evening.

  “If not tonight, then tomorrow morning,” said Solomon. “My wife has already assisted the police by telling them everything she knows. There is an active investigation so please don’t assume no one is looking for her. If we take the case, we’d be an addition to them, not as a replacement.”

  “I want the best and from my research, that’s you. I’m not saying the police aren’t capable of handling a kidnapping of a high-profile, young woman but I know how thinly stretched they are at present. The odds that they would close a case if it lacked enough swift developments are too high to gamble. I have to know someone is working every angle on locating my client. Call me at any time. I’ll rest easier knowing that I’ve done something to help her. If you’ll excuse me, I need to draft a statement to the press now,” she said, rising and leaving her coffee untouched. “You know how to reach me. Use that number any time, day or night.”

  “What do you make of that?” I asked as we watched Abigail Swanson leave and wave to a waiting taxi. She opened the door to the back seat, got in, and the cab pulled away.

  “I think we should take you home. You can change and decompress a little. This wasn’t the fun evening you and Lily planned although I’m a bit more clear on what a video blogger does.”

  “Vlogger,” I said, “and I agree. Let’s talk on the way.”

  In between worrying about Lily and checking my phone a hundred and fifty times, I skimmed the paperwork. By the time we arrived home, I had a better grasp of Tiffany’s life, at least, from her manager’s perspective.

  “I really thought she earned more money, but she took a big hit in her income this past year,” I said, turning the pages of the document. “I wonder why.”

  “How big a hit?”

  “She lost half of her sponsorship deals. Abigail doesn’t note why but there had to be a reason.”

  “Maybe Tiffany isn’t the flavor of the moment anymore? These online influencers have a shelf life too, right?”

  “True. There’s always someone newer, fresher, thinner, curvier, fitter, or more authentic, whatever that means…” I trailed off. “Perhaps Tiffany wasn’t as relevant as she used to be. The marketers might have feared her popularity was waning now she’s been around for a few years.”

  “A live, on-air kidnapping and attempted murder of an attractive young woman would certainly attract a lot of attention. TV stations, newspapers, magazines, bloggers.”

 

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