Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 97944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 97944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 490(@200wpm)___ 392(@250wpm)___ 326(@300wpm)
He scans the photos. “Yeah, I’m gonna need that call now so I can get my lawyer.”
“What’s your involvement with Mindy Parks?”
“Name don’t ring a bell.” He leans back in his chair, and I want to wrap my fingers around his neck and choke the life out of him. “I know my rights. I don’t have to talk if I ask for a lawyer.”
Reaching over the table, I fasten my hands around his neck and squeeze. “You ain’t getting anything but life in prison, you piece of shit. Attempted rape, murder, obstruction of private property, stalking, want me to go on?”
“Tate, stand down,” Rochel snaps.
I shove him hard and straighten. If it weren’t for his hands cuffed to the table, he would have fallen backward.
“Pretty sure you can’t do that. You’re the one who’s fucked now, asshole.”
I reach over again, but Rochel slams his hand into my chest. “You’re done.”
“I’m not leaving.”
“Out of here. Now.”
Pointing my finger at Sheldon, I hiss, “You’re gonna regret ever touching her.” Then I storm out to the room next door with the see-through mirror. My chest heaves. The thought of this scumbag touching her infuriates me. I want to go back in there and break every one of his fingers.
“Mr. Mitchell, do you understand the severity of the charges against you?” When he doesn’t respond, Rochel goes on. “Attempted rape will put you away for ten years at least. The attempted murder for setting a bomb in Miss Park’s apartment—”
“I didn’t set no bomb.” Rochel slides more images across the table. Sheldon leans forward. “Fuck, hell no. I didn’t do that.”
“Add that to your rap sheet, and it puts you behind bars for more years than you’ll live—”
“I didn’t do that. All I did was scare her. That’s all I was supposed to do.”
“Scare her how?”
“Exactly what I said. He paid me to follow her out of the studio that night. Scare her. And that’s exactly what I did. Look, I’m not going down for all that bullshit. You gonna charge me for licking her face? Didn’t even get to cop a feel before we got interrupted.”
Rochel’s shoulders square, and he raises his hand in a warning meant for me. “Mr. Mitchell, are you telling me someone paid you to fake an attack on Miss Parks?”
“Sure am. And who was I to refuse? You need to take this up with him. I’m not going down for this shit.”
“And who is he?”
“I don’t fuckin’ know. Never got a name. Wasn’t too interested in who he was. Just what he was offering me.”
The hair on my arms stands on end. Fuck this. I storm back in, slamming my palms on the table. “You piece of shit. What’s your obsession with her? You get off on scaring her? Stalking her—”
“I told you, I was hired to. I haven’t seen her since that night—”
“And you were just headed to Vermont on vacation?”
“He gave me a car and an address. Told me to—”
“Stop lying!”
“Listen, asshole—”
I rear my fist back to do major damage, but Rochel is up, dragging me out of the room. “I told you.”
“I don’t give a fuck what you said! This ain’t working. He’s feeding you bullshit.”
“We don’t know that.”
My eyes bug. “You kidding me?”
“Calm the fuck down, or I’ll have you thrown out of this station. Give me a minute to double-check his statement.” I open my mouth to argue, but he stops me. “This is your last warning.” Then he walks back into the room, slamming the door, and my only choice is to return to the mirror.
“Okay, Sheldon, you say you were hired. I’m going to need more information. Anything that backs your story.”
“I told you. Some guy approached me. Asked if I wanted to make some money. Said all I needed to do was follow a woman when she left work and freak her out.”
“How did you know where she worked?”
“He told me. Told me what time she’d be leaving. When to attack her.”
“And where was that?”
“Some warehouse. Said to follow her and make sure I do it by the brick apartment complex. There was a set of dumpsters. It would let me sneak up on her without her seeing me.”
“And then?”
“I don’t know. I had her up against the wall, and he showed up, so I ran.”
My skin hackles.
“Who showed up?”
“The guy.”
“Did you see this guy?”
“No, but I heard his voice and figured that was my cue to take off.”
I shove the door to the interrogation room open. Rochel is up again, but I raise my hands in surrender. “Not gonna touch him. What do you mean, you heard the guy’s voice?”
“I’m not talkin’ to you—”
“Just fucking answer me. Please.”
He huffs out a breath and waves his hand. “The guy who hired me. I heard his voice.”
“What did he look like?” My hands shake.