The Grace In Darkness (33 page)

I
heard the door open and my heart raced. I tried not to show any fear, but I was trembling so bad I could hardly sit still. I heard the chair scratch against the floor as he pulled it out. I looked up and I could see his outline. I could see where his white shirt ended and his dark pants started. I could see that his skin was darker too and it stood out against his white shirt.

“
I
’
m Detective Richards, Miss Noelle. I
’
m sorry to have kept you in here so long, alone. Can I get you anything? Water? Are you hungry?
”

I shook my head and wrapped my arms tighter around myself. I bit my lip and tried to tame the shake of my leg.

“
I know you
’
re nervous, but I
’
m just going to ask you a few questions, okay?
”

I avoided looking him in the face and nodded. I didn
’
t trust myself enough not to lose it, if I could actually put my responses into words.

“
Araya do you understand what is going on?
”

I rubbed my arms and looked up to glare at him.
“
Why does everyone assume that because I
’
m blind, I
’
m dumb?
”

He cleared his throat.
“
I
’
m sorry, that
’
s not what I meant to imply.
”

“
Yes, I understand what is going on, Detective Richards. I
’
m being accused of murder.
”

I
’
d been here an hour since they arrested me at the restaurant. I was in such a self-induced stupor that I
’
d barely been aware of what they
’
d said to me. My mind was going a mile a minute and I couldn
’
t focus. I couldn
’
t move past the thought that Craze aka Michael Curt was... dead. And because I couldn
’
t move past it, I didn
’
t have to focus on the fact that they thought I was responsible for his death.

“
Had you met Mr. Curt before the night of the twenty-first? I believe everyone calls him Craze.
”

I shook my head no again.

He was quiet.
“
Are you sure I can
’
t get you anything, Miss Noelle?
”

“
No. I
’
m fine.
”

“
Okay, let
’
s continue. Can you tell me what happened that night at The Underground?
”

I cleared my throat and shifted in my seat.
“
I, uh... I went to The Underground with my friend, Makayla.
”
I told him how we met River and then Craze.

“
And you think he drugged your drink?
”

“
I know he did.
”

“
How?
”

“
River told Sebastian that Craze had given me a
‘
bartender
’
s special
’”

“
A bartenders special?
”

I gestured with my hand.
“
Yes. It was a code they used to drug the drinks.
”

“
We found your DNA under Mr. Curt
’
s fingernails... Do you know how it got there?
”

“
Everything is pretty fuzzy from that night. Being drugged doesn
’
t really help when I want to travel down memory lane, detective.
”

“
Try to remember as much as you can, Miss Noelle.
”

“
I remember trying to find my friend Makayla, and Craze... Michael found me first. He was trying to pull me to him, but I fought him and... I tripped... or fell. He reached out and grabbed my arm.
”
I rubbed my forearm, remembering the way his fingers had torn at my skin.

“
We found a necklace at his apartment that we believe belongs to you. Do you know how it ended up there?
”

I touched my neck, knowing it wasn
’
t going to be there. It wasn
’
t the first time I
’
d noticed it was gone.

Ryland pushed me up against the wall of the shower and pressed his body against me. His hands were in my hair and he pulled my head back and ran his tongue over my bottom lip. His lips moved down the side of my neck and his hands slid over my body. He kissed my throat and his lips swept the length of my collarbone.

Suddenly, he stopped and lifted his head. He traced a finger down my neck.

“What’s wrong?” I whispered.

“
Your necklace... the one I gave you... I haven’t seen you wear it.”

I touched the spot where it always rested and frowned. I hadn
’t taken it off since the night I’d left Ryland’s apartment, and I panicked.

“
I took it off the other night. I couldn’t remember where I put it.”

“
I’ll help you find it,” he whispered, cupping my cheek and bringing my lips to his.

Neither one of us had remembered to look for it, and the truth was I hadn
’
t remembered what happened to it until now.

“
Miss Noelle?
”
The detective brought me out of my thoughts.

“
Craze pulled it from my neck when River found me.
”

“
After River found you, what happened?
”

“
I don
’
t really remember. I remember thinking Ryland was there, but it was Sebastian. He took me from River and... that
’
s all I remember.
”

“
You don
’
t remember what happened after Mr. Dare found you.
”

“
Not until... after I woke up with him a little later, in a room above the club.
”

“
So you don
’
t know if Mr. Dare left at any time during the time you were with him?
”

“
I... he wouldn
’
t have left me after what Craze tried to do to me. I know that.
”

“
But you don
’
t know if he was with you the whole time?
”

I swallowed and said quietly.
“
No.
”

“
And besides Mr. Dare, can anyone else confirm that you didn
’
t see Mr. Curt again?
”

“
No,
”
I whispered.

“
We found evidence that confirms Mr. Curt was killed at The Underground before his body was disposed of. You were the last person to see Mr. Curt alive.
”

“
No, I wasn
’
t. His killer was. I didn
’
t kill him.
”

“
You have to realize how this looks to us, Miss Noelle. We have a witness who says you were with Craze right before he died.
”

“
What? That
’
s not true! I told you what happened. Exactly how it happened.
”

“
Without a witness to back up your story, we have no other choice but to believe our witness.
”

“
Why does what they
’
re saying mean more than what I
’
m telling you?
”

“
Because of the evidence.
”

Unfortunately, I couldn
’
t argue with that.
“
But I told you why he had my necklace and about the scratch.
”

“
And what about the pictures, Miss Noelle?

I frowned.
“
What pictures?
”

“
We found pictures in Mr. Curt
’
s possession... of you and Mr. Dare.
”

“
Ryland? But how?
”

“
No. Sebastian Dare.
”

I sat there stunned and then shook my head at his cruel lies.
“
No, that
’
s impossible. I
’
ve never been with Sebastian that way. You
’
re wrong!
”

“
You said you couldn
’
t remember being with Sebastian that night... right?
”

I tried hard to remember that night but there was nothing, but darkness. Always darkness.

“
So it
’
s possible that you
could
have been with Sebastian, right?
”

I didn
’
t respond. I couldn
’
t.

“
I think you need to get yourself a lawyer, Miss Noelle.
”

D
etective Richards stepped into the hall and closed the door behind him.

“
Is she talking?
”

“
No. She claims she didn
’
t kill him and her story...
”

“
Yeah? What about it?
”

“
I believe it. She
’
s not our person, Marks. She couldn
’
t kill anyone even if she wanted to.
”

“
Why? Why are you so convinced she didn
’
t? Because she
’
s blind?
”

“
No, because she
’
s not a killer. Why are you so convinced she did it?
”

“
Because the facts are there, Richards.
”

“
Sometimes the facts are wrong, Marks. And I
’
m telling you they
’
re wrong.
”

“
Then prove it, Richards. Let
’
s bring in the brother and see what he knows.
”

“
Do you actually think he
’
s going to be of any help? Let
’
s say I
’
m wrong about her. Do you really think
he’s
going to turn against her? No prosecutor is going to take this case with superficial evidence.
”

“
Fine. But first, we have to make sure we
’
ve explored all the facts. I want to question the brother.
”

Richards sighed and ran his hand over his smooth head.
“
Okay. Bring him in.
”