Part 16 (2/2)
I chewed on my lip for a second. 'You annoy me because you're impossible to understand.'
'Am I? I feel like a very simple man to understand. You must be confusing me with someone else.'
Yeah, right. 'That's probably it. People like you are a dime a dozen.'
When I heard a knock on the door, I quickly typed, 'Gotta go,' and went to answer it without waiting for his response. My stomach dropped when I saw who was standing there.
Flashback moment of the worst kind. Same detective, same nondescript clothing, but now his hair was a little grayer and his wrinkles a little deeper. Unfortunately, he probably wasn't here for a social call.
”h.e.l.lo, detective. Long time, no see.” Long time no want to see. Or talk to. Or think about. Detective Williams reminded me of a huge chunk of my life I'd love to forget. Not that I could, but boy would it be great.
”How have you been, Andrea?” Hearing my full name again after so long killed any pleasant nostalgia I had left. I imagined a bunch of suitcases with tags that read: Andrea. The name I hated because it only reminded me of the ex-boyfriend who'd left me with all that baggage to begin with.
My suddenly clammy hand slipped on the k.n.o.b of the door I was partially hiding behind. ”Why are you here?”
”I'm investigating a case,” he said without expression, without giving anything away.
”And you want my help with it?” It was possible. When the police tech people couldn't figure something out, they used outside resources. They'd never used me, and I never thought they would, but it could happen.
”I'm here to talk to you about your possible involvement, Andrea.”
”I wasn't-” I swallowed, fear moving down from my mind to the rest of my body. ”I haven't done anything. Not since I got in trouble. I swear.”
He had a cop-face, one that wasn't easily read, but throughout the investigation and trial, I'd learned how to recognize certain things about him. For instance, his hands were in his pockets-a sign of trust. He looked at the ground instead of watching my every move-a sign he wasn't on guard like he'd been with my ex-boyfriend and the other two guys who'd set up the scam.
”I really hope that's true,” he said, ”but I'm going to need to speak with you about it.”
Speak with me. Oh. Okay, that wasn't good.
”Right now? I'm kind of busy.” Freaking out. Plus, we were standing about thirty feet away from tech paraphernalia I could get in trouble for having.
”Are you working right now, Andrea?”
”I go by Andi. And I'm just doing odd jobs and that sort of thing for pocket money.” He knew about the money I'd inherited from my grandmother, along with this house. He just didn't know that instead of living off it, I'd used it to repay all the people I'd hurt.
”With technology?”
”No,” I lied. It was just one word-one word didn't matter. Aaand there was another one. They always travel in packs.
Lies always mattered-to the person being lied to and the person doing the lying.
”Then what are you busy with?”
I sighed, giving myself a little time to come up with something. ”My boyfriend is here...in the bedroom. We were getting...busy, you know?” Hopefully, that would embarra.s.s the interrogation right out of the detective.
He nodded slowly. ”What were you busy with two nights ago around 8:30?”
”I'm not sure.” I looked up as if trying to recall where I was. Knowing there was a 99.9% chance I was sitting in front of my computer working. ”What day is it today?”
”Tell me what were you doing on Wednesday night.”
”I was with a friend,” I blurted before logic had time to rear its ugly head. Then sighed. It was actually impressive how quickly I could screw something up. It wasn't a lie-I had been with Emilia, but the last thing I wanted to do was drag her into any more of my trouble.
”The same friend who's currently in your bedroom?”
Could imaginary friends testify against you in a court of law?
”No, I was out with a girlfriend. Do you need her name?”
He pulled out a pad of paper and a wooden pencil. A bizarre homage to the olden days for a detective who investigated computer crimes. ”And her number.” Great. I was going to owe Emilia big time. But it wouldn't be for long. They'd find out who was doing something they shouldn't have been doing on Wednesday night and forget all about me.
I gave him Emilia's information, making a mental note to warn her that he'd be calling.
”And what about the previous day?” he asked. ”That would be last Tuesday.”
s.h.i.+t. ”Um...I'm not sure. I'd have to think about it.”
”I tell you what,” he said, sliding his notebook back into his pocket. ”Why don't you come down to the station and let me know as soon as you can.”
”I didn't do anything wrong, detective.”
His eyes warmed a little bit as if he believed me. ”Like I said, I hope not. But somebody got into a computer system they shouldn't have, and they had help doing it, which means the tech guys will be going through a long list of known hackers in the area. And while you were never prosecuted, your name is still on that list. So, eventually, they're going to get to it. To you, Andrea.”
”Andi,” I corrected stupidly. As if that changed anything.
”Right.” He looked away for a moment. When he refocused on me, he spoke quietly. ”I know the last time was a stupid mistake made by a naive kid. That was clear from the first conversation I had with you. When you finally stopped believing that s.h.i.+thead of a boyfriend, you did the right thing. But this one is... This one isn't that simple. Multiple enforcement agencies and departments are in on it. Right now, they're working off the a.s.sumption that two people were involved-one who knew how to get into the building and another with computer expertise. I suggest you talk to a lawyer.”
”I can't afford a lawyer.”
”Then you'll get one a.s.signed to you by the state if you're arrested.”
”Wait! Arrested? But I didn't do anything.” My heartbeat picked up, and my throat closed down. ”Why would I be arrested?”
”Like I said, this one is a lot worse than the last.” He scratched the back of his neck. ”A security guard was killed during the break-in.”
I couldn't find my breath. Didn't remember how to breathe. ”I'd never kill anyone, detective. You know that! I mean, besides the whole morality thing, I couldn't. Just look at me.” I held out my arms as proof. ”Do you really think these wimpy things could overpower a security guard?”
”Just...” He put up his hands, as if that would somehow calm me down. ”Talk to a lawyer.”
”But I didn't do anything,” I whimpered.
He blew out a breath. ”I'm not stupid, Andi.”
”I never thought you were.”
<script>