“You’re arresting me? Based on what?”
“I’m questioning you,” he said patiently, as if I were too simple to understand words any bigger. “You’re an ex-cop’s wife. You should know the difference.”
“Fine, I’ve got nothing to hide. Let’s go.”
As we started for the door, Kelsey suddenly came alive. “You didn’t have to kill him!” she screamed at me.
“I didn’t,” I said, “and I wish you’d quit saying that I did.”
As we walked out to the officer’s unmarked car, he asked, “Is she a friend of yours?”
“Did she sound like she was?” I snapped.
“Hey, no reason to take it out on me. I’m just trying to find out what happened.”
“I wouldn’t mind knowing that myself.”
We drove a few blocks, and he pulled into a parking lot clustered with blue and white police cruisers. An imposing building with rows of glass and red brick faced us, and I was quickly led inside.
“Now, let’s start from the beginning,” he said as he settled in behind his desk.
“I want to talk to my husband first,” I said.
“He’s not a lawyer,” Detective Murphy said.
“No, but he’s the only one I trust. I’m not about to answer a single question until I talk to him.”
The detective studied me a few moments, and then said, “Then I guess we’ve got a problem. I’m trying to investigate a murder, and so far, you’re my only witness.”
“But I told you, I didn’t see anything,” I said loudly. “Derrick was already dead when I got there.”
“So you say,” Murphy said, jotting something down in his notebook. “You two had a fight, didn’t you? Or are you denying that now, too?”
I suddenly realized that though I’d claimed I was going to be quiet, I was being anything but. “I’m calling my husband, unless you want to stop me.”
“Go ahead,” he said.
I grabbed my phone, and then realized that his would still be off.
“Did you change your mind?” the detective asked.
“Just about who I’m going to call.” I dialed an entirely different number, and Jenny answered on the third ring.
“You’re early,” she said the second she heard my voice. “I’m just getting out of court.”
“That’s handy, because I’m at the police station,” I said.
“Where are you parked? I’ll swing by and pick you up.”
“No, you don’t understand. I’m inside. They think I killed Derrick, my syndicator.”
“That’s not funny, Savannah.”
“It’s not meant to be. I need you.”
There was a brief pause, and then Jenny said, “Don’t say another word. I’ll be right there.”
FIVE MINUTES LATER, JENNY BLAKE CAME INTO THE STAtion wearing a suit that must have cost a fortune. She looked good, but there were more frown lines on her face than I’d ever seen before. Jenny was still trim, something I’d always envied, and her long red hair was pulled back in a conservative style.
“Hello, Detective,” she said as she walked to us, ignoring me for the moment. “I’d like to speak with my client in private, please.”
“Since when has she been your client?”
“Since she called me,” Jenny said. With a lighter air, she added, “She’s my roommate from college, Murphy.”
“And an ex-cop’s wife, I know all that,” the detective said. “But she’s deep into this.”
“Let us have the room,” Jenny said.
Murphy seemed to think about it, and then he pushed himself away from his desk. “Fine. I’ll be just outside waiting.”
After we were alone, Jenny hugged me, and then got a legal pad out of her briefcase and sat across the table from me. “What have you gotten yourself into this time, Savannah?”
“I don’t even know where to begin,” I said.
“Let’s start with what happened at your meeting with Derrick,” she suggested.
“I didn’t kill him. You know that, don’t you?”
She looked exasperated. “Of course I do. But I need to know everything that’s been happening.”
“As my lawyer or my friend?”
“Right now I’m not your old college roommate; I’m trying to keep you out of jail. Have you called Zach yet?”
“He’s testifying in court in Knoxville, and I don’t want him to know what’s going on here, at least not yet.”
She looked startled by the admission. “You two aren’t having problems, are you?”
“Of course not,” I said. “I’m afraid he’ll fly here and not testify in court, and trust me, he needs to testify.”
“Fine, we’ll call him later. For now, it’s just you and me.”
“The two musketeers, together again.”
“Let’s get started.”
AFTER I BROUGHT HER UP TO SPEED, SHE SAID, “OKAY, WE can deal with this. I’m going to get Murphy in here, and then we’ll have a conversation. If he asks you anything, you look at me before you answer. I don’t want you admitting that my hair is red without my permission. If you can answer with one word, do it. I know you, Savannah; you have a tendency to overexplain. Fight that impulse. Do you understand?”
I hadn’t heard that tone of voice from her often, but I knew enough to abide by whatever she said. “I understand.”
“Good, but just a yes would have been better.”
She stepped outside for a moment, and I suddenly realized how lucky I was to have her represent me. Jenny was exactly who I needed by my side, not my dear sweet husband. Zach would come in like a bulldozer, knocking down everything in his path until he was sure I was okay. Jenny, on the other hand, would get things resolved without compromising my position. I’d tell Zach what was going on, but not until I was sure he’d finished testifying against the Slasher. What he was doing was too important.
Jenny and Detective Murphy came back into the room, and we started. I was a good girl, not admitting to anything or overexplaining, and there were more questions Jenny wouldn’t allow me to answer than I ever could have imagined.
“Are we finished here, Detective?” she asked.
He glanced at his notes. “I guess we are for now, for all the good this interview did.”
She smiled at him. “I’m sure once you begin your investigation, you’ll see that my client is innocent.”
He just chuckled at that, and Jenny took my elbow, leading me out of the police station.
“Wow, those years in law school really paid off,” I said.
“Don’t kid yourself; you’re not in the clear yet by any means. This is just getting started.”
That sobered me instantly. “Then I’m glad you’re on my side. Are the partners going to mind you taking my case?” I knew the people she worked for were bottom-line folks, intent on squeezing every cent they could from their clients.
“They really can’t say much about it, since I’m one of them now.” She smiled at me as I wrapped her up in a bear hug.
“When did that happen?”
“Last week.”
“And you didn’t tell me the instant you made partner?”
She shrugged. “I knew you were coming, so I wanted to surprise you and tell you in person.”
“Congratulations, Jenny. You earned it.”
“You bet I did. I was going to take some time off to celebrate, but this is more important.”
“I’m ruining your vacation?” I asked. I knew she hadn’t had a real one since law school.
“Don’t worry, I’ll just postpone it. There’s no way I’d be able to live with myself if I left town when you needed me.”
“Thanks,” I said. “I owe you.”
“In more ways than you can imagine,” she said with a smile that reminded me of our college days together.
“What happens next?” I asked.