Part 2 (2/2)
”I'm going to need you to tell us,” she insisted.
”You just told me my friend is dead, and you want me to answer questions?”
”I'm afraid it's necessary.”
He once again looked past her at Jake. ”Seriously?”
”It's important, Mr. Anderson,” she said, holding her ground.
After a moment's hesitation, with a stiff exhale, he dropped into the chair Kayden had pulled out for him. ”All right, but let's make it quick. I need to get to Vivienne.”
”We'll go as quickly as we can. Now, would you please tell me how your day started?”
”Conrad and I went for a climb. Things were going fine. Conrad made it over the outcrop, and I lost visual. A minute or so later, I heard him scream and then . . .” Stuart's eyes flicked wide.
”And then?” she pressed.
Stuart squeezed his eyes shut. ”A horrible thump.”
She paused a moment, letting him absorb the trauma. ”And after that?”
He looked up at her. ”You really expect me to go back through that?”
”I'm sorry, but I'm going to need you to go through it step by step for me.”
Stuart's eyes narrowed. ”Who, exactly, are you?”
”Kayden Mc-”
He waved his hand. ”I got that part. What I mean is why are you questioning me? Are you a deputy too?”
”No. I'm the one who found Conrad.”
”Oh.” Stuart swallowed. ”Was he . . . ?”
Jake nodded. ”I'm afraid your friend was already gone by the time Kayden reached him.”
”Look . . .” Stuart clasped his hands together. ”I need to get to Vivienne. I don't want her facing this alone.”
”I understand, but we have a few more questions.”
”Conrad had a tragic accident. What more do you need to know?”
”We need to be thorough, Mr. Anderson, and we'd appreciate your cooperation. It won't take long.”
Rain pelted the gla.s.s on the front windows, the storm finally hitting its full fury.
”I'll give you five more minutes, and that's being generous under the circ.u.mstance,” Stuart said.
”Take all the time you need,” Jake whispered in Kayden's ear as he pulled out a chair for her.
The warmth of his breath on her neck sent s.h.i.+vers up her spine-the good kind-making it extremely difficult to focus on the task at hand. She scooted her chair in, the metal legs scuffing along the wooden planks, directing her attention on Stuart Anderson.
”How did you know Conrad?”
He gaped at Kayden. ”You've got to be kidding.”
Jake crossed his arms over his chest. ”Just answer the lady's questions.”
Stuart exhaled. ”We went to college together. Been friends for twenty-nine years.”
”Do you live on Imnek as well?” She didn't know everyone on the island, but she did know most of the climbers, at least by sight, and she'd never seen or heard of him.
”No. I'm up in Anchorage. What does any of this have to do with Conrad's accident?”
”I'm just trying to establish the events that led up to the climb, your relations.h.i.+p with the deceased, both of your climbing experience . . .”
”I had business in Spruce Harbor and figured I'd spend some time with Conrad while I was down here.”
”When did you plan the climb?”
”We first talked about it a couple months back, when I learned I'd be in town.”
”What kind of business are you in?”
”Real estate.”
”So you were in town for business, and . . .”
”I stayed through the weekend so we could do some climbing.”
”And the trip had been planned for two months?”
”More or less.”
So there'd been plenty of time for someone to compromise or tamper with Conrad's chalk. ”Who knew you two were planning the climb?”
”Well . . . Vivienne, and my wife, Gail.”
Surely more people knew than that. Climbers liked to discuss their upcoming climbs, to get feedback and generate excitement-it pumped them up for the climb ahead. ”How long have you and Conrad been climbing?”
A chill whisked through the break room, the wind gusts rattling the window frame.
Stuart looked at Kayden.
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