Playing With Fire (12 page)

“I dunno, Nate. It’s hard to believe that she did this. She
looks shattered.”

Nate sneered.

“Wouldn’t you if you knew you were about to lose out on a
bigger fortune than you or I can even imagine?”

Dan frowned.

“No. I meant, it’s hard for me to believe that she’s capable
of this—”

Nate broke in. His voice was harsh.

“She had us all fooled, Dan. Here, give me those.”

He snatched the water bottles from Dan and walked into the
interrogation room.

Erin sat quietly at the table and didn’t look up when he
entered. He plunked the bottles down on the table. She shifted imperceptibly,
her only indication that she knew he was there.

He scraped his chair against the tile floor and sat down. He
watched her without speaking for several moments. Dan had kept the lights on
high — they served to underscore how pale she was. Her dark lashes brushing
against her cheeks looked like streaks of coal in the snow. Her fragrance
drifted across the table. Citrusy, enticing, subtle. With that unmistakable
overlay of fear. It was the combination of smells that had almost driven him
out of his mind when he’d held her against the wall in her shabby house. His
gut clenched. He forced himself to remember who she was. A practiced actress. A
deceiver, a betrayer. A woman who had fooled everyone he knew. Most especially
him.

When she didn’t look up, he said, “Do you want something to
drink?”

She shook her head.

He took a deep breath and blew it out audibly. She still
didn’t react.

“You don’t seem surprised to be here, Erin.”

When she didn’t respond, he continued, “But I imagine like
everyone in this town you have been watching the news, reading the papers.”

When she shook her head, he remembered that of course she
didn’t have a television but given that she already knew who the bodies were,
her shocked appearance must be due to the fact that bodies had been identified.
She must have thought they’d never be able to trace their identities. He didn’t
dwell on that issue. Tucked it away to pursue later.

“I have some photographs that I’m hoping you can help me with.
Tell me about the people in them.”

She shook her head and continued to look down.

Nate reached in his folder and took out a glossy smiling
photograph of Camilla. He pushed it across the table — let it land at the place
Erin was staring.

“This woman. Do you know her?”

Erin gave a small negative shake of her head.

“She is a beautiful woman, don’t you agree? Blond, lovely.
The kind of woman wealthy men like to consort with. Do you agree?”

She didn’t answer.

Nate persisted.

“At least until someone had her shot and left to rot — until
it was time to blow her up.”

Erin closed her eyes and shuddered.

“But you remember this, don’t you Erin? You saw her when she
looked like this.”

He shoved the picture of the burned corpse in front of her.

Erin squeezed her eyes shut.

“That’s right. I remember now. Burned up bodies make you
sick. I remember how you vomited when you saw those bodies. It must have been
shocking. To see the murder victims burned in a fire — a couple blocks away
from your house.”

Erin was clearly shaken. She twisted her hands in her lap
and bit down on her lips.

“You’re saying you don’t know her, Erin?”

For the first time, Erin looked up at him and once more
shook her head. “No.”

“Are you sure?”

“I didn’t know her.”

Nate covered his surprise. Damn she was good. If it had been
anyone else, he might have thought she was telling the truth.

“What about this guy? Do you know him?”

He pushed a picture of a grinning debonair Dylan Masterson
in front of her.

Without looking at the picture, she buried her face in her
hands. A soft moan escaped her lips. The sound of an animal caught in a cruel
trap. After a moment she started to tremble. It was all Nate could do not to
reach out and touch her. Anything to wipe that terror off her face. He forced
down the impulse.

He kept his voice low, controlled.

“Want some water now?”

She shook her head.

When she didn’t answer, he waited a minute.

“Is this your husband, Dylan Masterson?”

She whispered, “Yes.”

“Were you still married to him when he was murdered?”

She nodded.

He waited several minutes, studying her. When she still
didn’t speak, he asked, “Do you want to talk to me about this, Erin?”

Again, she shook her head.

He waited.

After a moment, she looked up at him.

“I… I didn’t kill him… them.”

“Hate to say it, babe, but you’re going to have a hard time
proving that.”

She looked up incredulous. Her eyes flared wide, her
eyebrows arched. She stammered,”Do you… do… you think I did?”

“What am I supposed to think, Sarah Marie?”

Her head jerked up. For the first time she showed a reaction
other than fear. The name had made her angry.

“That isn’t my name.”

“It is unless you had it changed legally.”

When she didn’t answer he added with a soft snort.

“But we both know that isn’t likely, don’t we?”

She squeezed her eyes shut but one tear escaped and hovered
on her cheek. Nate’s gut clenched. He pushed his chair back and looked away. He
couldn’t bear seeing the pain on her face.

After a long moment of silence, she asked in a quavering
voice, “Will I lose my job?”

His answer was curt. “That’s up to the Chief.”

Still struggling with the mixed emotions confusing him, he
added with a derisive shrug, “He’s a great guy, but I can’t see even Halloran
wanting a murderer on his staff.”

Erin gasped and looked up at him in shock. Her eyes were wide,
disbelieving. She stared at him for a long moment. Splotches of color heated
her cheeks.

“You… you… think I did this, Nate? That I killed my husband
and that woman?”

“Sure as hell looks that way, wouldn’t you say, sweetheart?”

She stared at him then bit down hard on her trembling bottom
lip. She pushed back in her chair. She placed both hands on the edge of the
table for support and rose unsteadily to her feet.

“May I go?”

Nate was surprised but shrugged.

“Yeah, you can go. But I wouldn’t go far.”

At that moment, there was a scuffle outside the door. Nate
rose, a frown on his face.

The door burst open, and a red-faced Blake Richards rushed
in followed by an equally red-faced Connor. Peter Maze and Charlie Hanson were
on their heels.

Blake saw him and shouted. “You son of a bitch. I’m going to
have your goddamned badge. Even a hick cop like you knows you can’t question a
witness without her lawyer present. So help me God, you’re gonna be giving out
traffic tickets if you aren’t thrown out on your ass. You arrogant son of a
bitch.”

Nate moved aggressively toward Blake, his anger threatening
to choke him.

Connor shoehorned himself between Nate and the furious man.

“That’s enough, Blake.”

He turned to Nate.

“Tell me, Nate. Goddammit. Tell me you told her she had the
right to have a lawyer present.”

Dan Coulter’s quiet voice came from the doorway.

“If it will help the situation any, I did ask Ms. McFadden
if she wanted to have an attorney present. I also told her that if she didn’t
have an attorney, we would provide one.”

Blake reared around focusing his anger on Dan.

“And, what did she say?”

Dan looked down at his notes.

“She didn’t respond.”

Blake snarled, “Of course, she didn’t. Being dragged in here
with that ape! She must have been terrified.”

Nate moved toward him, stopped by Connor’s firm grip on his
arm.

Blake glared at Dan and demanded, “Ask her again. Ask her
now when she’s not afraid to answer!”

Nate stepped in front of Dan and walked up next to Erin.

“Ms. McFadden, do you want to speak with an attorney.”

Erin swallowed and met his gaze. She whispered, “Yes.”

Blake grabbed her arm and pulled her toward the doorway.

“Come with me, Erin. I’m getting you out of this place now.”

He muttered under his breath as he guided her out to the
hallway, “Goddammed hick town. Fucking assholes wouldn’t know the law if it
came up and bit them in the ass. So help me, God….”

In the hallway, he asked, loudly enough for everyone to
hear, “What did you tell him, Erin. What did he make you say?”

She shook her head.

“Nothing. He didn’t make me say anything.”

“Well that’s something. At least he isn’t a complete idiot.”

Erin put her hand on Blake’s arm, stopping him. She spoke to
the group of men staring at her.

“I… I told him that I did not kill my husband and that
woman.”

Blake put his arm around her shoulders. His face was
flushed, his eyes flashing. His hands were shaking.

“Of course you didn’t. What kind of a fucking asshole would
believe you could do something like that?”

Erin pushed his arm away and stared at Nate. Tears swam in
her eyes.

“Nate does.”

“Look, Blake, I know you mean well, really. But I want to
speak to Erin.”

Connor followed them into the hallway. When Erin saw him she
pushed away from Blake and ran to Connor. Burying her face against his chest,
she clung to him, sobbing softly. Connor held her awkwardly, patting her back
and murmuring comforting words.

“It’s okay, half pint. We’ll get this figured out, Erin.”

Still holding Erin, Connor glared at Blake.

“I know you’re upset, Richards. We all are. But you have no
right to say the things that you did in there. As Dan told you, he explained
Erin’s rights to her and she didn’t ask for an attorney. Furthermore, unless
I’m mistaken, you aren’t licensed in this state.”

Blake responded angrily. “It doesn’t take a license to tell
someone who is being accused of murder that she should have an attorney
present.”

Connor’s voice was soft.

“As far as I know, no one has formally accused Erin of
committing a murder. And, once again, she was advised of her rights.”

He pulled Erin closer and handed her a handkerchief.

“Erin, if it’s okay with you, I want to take you back to the
Firehouse. I talked with the Chief. He knows what’s happened. He wants to see
you. Now. If that’s okay with you.”

Erin kept her face turned away from the rest of the group
wiping at her face with his handkerchief. She nodded.

“Yes, please. I want to talk to the Chief.”

Blake interjected, his voice was calmer, more like a
practicing attorney.

“Let me come with you Erin. Even though I am not licensed in
this state, I am a lawyer. I can protect you, make sure these people don’t
impinge on your rights.”

He moved to position himself between her and Connor.

“This is a serious situation, Erin. What happened in this
room with that man should convince you that you can’t trust these people.”

Erin shook her head.

“No, no, Blake. It’s okay. I trust Connor. He won’t let
anything bad happen to me.”

Blake frowned and appealed to her softly.

“Erin, they’re cousins. They’re family. One of them is
convinced you murdered your husband and is out to convict you. And the other
one is your boss. You need a neutral party to protect you. That’s what lawyers
do, Erin.”

Erin closed her eyes, weighing Blake’s words. When she
opened them her voice was firm.

“Thank you, Blake. I’m going to go with Connor now.”

Blake backed up and raised his hands in surrender.

“That’s your choice. I hope Connor is worthy of your trust.”
He glared at Connor, the warning clear. “I’ll call you later this evening. Will
that be okay?”

Erin nodded.

Connor took hold of her arm. “Ready to go, Erin?”

“Yes.”

“I had Dan bring my car around to the back. Some sons of
bitches notified the vultures that there has been a break in the case. There’s
a hundred news people out in front. There must be five television channels
represented. The Chief is going to meet us at the Stacy location. We’d be lucky
if we could get back to our firehouse before midnight.”

Connor’s voice was thick with disgust as he led her down the
back hallway and out to his waiting car.

In the interrogation room, Nate had listened to the
conversation. For the first several minutes, he couldn’t see through the
doorway, the red haze in front of his eyes was so intense. Only Dan on one side
and Charlie on the other, physically holding him back, kept him from pursuing
Blake into the hallway.

But when he saw Connor holding Erin, her slender body
shaking with tears, it was as if a steel vise had gripped his chest and was
tightening it mercilessly. Listening to Connor’s crooning voice comforting her
and ultimately leading her away, the vise squeezed so tightly he could no
longer breathe. Was he jealous of his own cousin, Nate asked himself.

Not trusting himself to speak, Nate motioned for his men to
leave the room. Pacing across the small room, he ran his hands through his hair
in frustration. After several minutes he released a low growl. Picking up one
of the folding chairs, he threw it with such force it broke in pieces. But not
before it ripped a hole in the sheetrock.

At the sound of the crash, Dan poked his head back inside
the room. Looking from the pile of metal on the floor to the hole in the wall,
he whistled.

Nate gave him a dismissive shrug.

“Tell the Mayor to take it out of my bonus. The one I’m
gonna get for solving this fucking case.”

~~~

Chief Halloran shook his head. “I’m sorry, Erin, but I’m
going to have to put you on leave.”

The lines on the Chief’s face had settled into deep ridges.
Erin knew from his pained expression that he was not happy about the decision.
But that didn’t help. She needed her job. She had no other source of support.
She tried to sound professional, not frightened.