Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 68006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68006 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 340(@200wpm)___ 272(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“Kelly…” I touch her forearm lightly.
“No, Leif. Can you believe this?”
“I don’t believe it,” Lacey says, also rising. “Detective, you are way out of line. To even suggest such a thing is reprehensible.”
“Mrs. Wolfe, she just admitted that hers are the only fingerprints on that piece of paper.”
“Yes, and she also just admitted that she opened it and read it. Even cut her finger on it. Did you have any reason to think you should put on rubber gloves before opening that letter, Kelly?”
“No, of course not,” Kelly says through clenched teeth. “It was on Leif’s table—”
“It wasn’t in your own apartment?” Detective Castella interrupts.
“No. I was at Leif’s apartment. He told me to stay there to stay safe.”
“So you opened an envelope that clearly didn’t belong to you.”
Kelly gulps then.
“Actually, the envelope did belong to her,” I interject. “You’ve read it yourself. It’s a note to her. I’m sure you know the whole story of the pounding on Ms. Taylor’s door last night. That envelope was dropped outside her door when I went out to try to see what it was. I stuffed it in my pocket, and when I left Ms. Taylor locked in my apartment, I put the envelope on the table.”
“Still, Ms. Taylor, you had no way of knowing—”
“This is all completely irrelevant, Detective.” Lacey raises her voice. “I believe we’re done here.”
“Very well.” Detective Castella closes her laptop and then presses a button.
The officer opens the door. “Detective?”
“Please show Ms. Taylor and her companions out.” Then she looks at Kelly. “And Ms. Taylor? Don’t go anywhere. We’re going to have more questions.”
Once we’re outside, out of earshot from anyone at the station, Lacey turns to Kelly.
“Kelly, you cannot go off like that during police questioning.”
“Aren’t you supposed to be my lawyer?”
“Yes, but you didn’t let me get a word in edgewise. If you had, you would’ve known not to answer those questions.”
“Not answering makes me look guilty.”
“No, it doesn’t. And your guilt is irrelevant at this point. You’re not accused of anything.”
I can’t help interjecting then. “I’m sorry, Lacey, but it sure did sound like that woman was accusing Kelly of sending those texts herself.”
“She was using classic questioning tactics,” Lacey says. “Kelly, if you had listened to me in the first place, she wouldn’t have even gotten to ask questions.”
Kelly opens her mouth and already I can hear something caustic coming out of it. I wince, waiting for her fiery words.
They don’t come. She closes her mouth.
Thank God.
“Let’s get you back to the apartment,” I say. “You need some rest.”
And for once…she doesn’t fight me.
15
KELLY
“You sure you don’t want to call in to work?” Leif asks me once we’re back at my apartment.
“No.” I shake my head. “How would that look? It’s only my second day.”
“I know, but the manager already made it clear that she’s sympathetic to your situation.”
“I don’t want anyone’s sympathy, Leif. I just want…” I bite down on my lip to keep from crying.
“I know.” He kisses my cheek. “I love you.”
The words warm me. That feeling of rainbows and sunshine that I’ve never felt before infuses me with strength.
“I love you too.” I meet his gaze and then look away. “Part of me still can’t believe that you love me.”
“Honestly? Part of me still can’t believe it either.”
I scoff. “And what the hell is that supposed to mean?”
He pushes a strand of hair behind my ear. “Not what you think it means. It means I never expected to fall in love so quickly. Not with you, not with anyone.”
“Have you ever been in love before, Leif?”
“Just once.”
I cross my arms. “I haven’t.”
“I know. I’m so sorry about that. I’m so sorry you’ve lived your life without love.”
“Who was she?”
“The younger sister of my best friend during childhood. We were in high school, and she was two years younger.”
“Did you…”
“Yeah.” He laughs. “Let me tell you, it wasn’t pretty.”
“I see.” I look down.
He takes my chin up. “Kelly, I’m over thirty years old. You didn’t truly think I’d never had sex before you, did you?”
“As good as you are at it? No. But I’d like to pretend that it was only me.”
“Hey, you asked the question.”
“Yeah, but after I asked I realized I didn’t really want to know the answer.”
“Would you rather I lied to you?”
This time I get angry. “No. Absolutely not. I don’t ever want you lie to me, Leif. I’m so tired of lies and deception.”
He cocks his head, trails a finger down my cheek. “Have others lied to you in the past?”
“Yes.”
“Your mother?”
“Yeah. I mean, sometimes she said she loved me, but that was a big old lie because of the way she treated me. Actions speak louder than words.” She pauses, twists her lips. “Though in her own head, I don’t think she was lying. Like, for example, when she gave me a horrible present for my birthday, I think she really felt it was a good idea. In her own warped head.”