Mountain Witness. Lena Diaz

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       Chapter Six

      Standing in the Destiny Police Department at midnight on a Saturday wasn’t exactly where Chris imagined his fellow SWAT team members wanted to be. But not one of them had even considered going home. Max, Colby, Donna and Randy stood shoulder to shoulder with him in a show of solidarity while they watched their boss interview Julie Webb through the large two-way glass window.

      Behind Chris and his SWAT team, two more officers sat at desks on the other side of the large open room that was essentially the entire police station. One of them, Blake Sullivan, was a recent transfer and would eventually be a detective and member of their SWAT team. But not yet. For now, he was learning the ropes of Destiny PD as a nightshift cop, which included filling out a lot of mundane reports.

      There were fifteen desks in all, three rows of five. And other than a couple of holding cells off the back wall and a bathroom, there was just the chief’s office, his executive washroom that the team loved to tease him about and the interview room.

      The entire night shift consisted of the two officers currently writing reports and two more out on patrol. Destiny wasn’t exactly a mecca for crime. The town didn’t boast a strip of bars or clubs to spill their drugs or drunks into the streets. A typical night might mean lecturing some teenagers caught drag racing, or rescuing a rival football team’s stolen mascot from a hayloft.

      Tonight was anything but typical.

      Tonight a man had died.

      And Chris wanted, needed, to find out what had precipitated the violence by Alan Webb, leaving Chris no choice but to use lethal force. The chief had officially placed him on administrative leave, pending the results of the investigation. He’d expressly forbidden Chris from going into the interview room. But since the chief would’ve had to fight his own SWAT team to force Chris to leave the station, he’d wisely pretended not to notice him in the squad room, watching the chief interview the witness.

      Along with her counsel, assistant district attorney Kathy Nelson.

      Plus two administrative lackeys—Brian Henson and Jonathan Bolton—that Nelson had brought with her from Nashville. She’d left the two men sitting at one of the desks on the opposite side of the squad room like eager lapdogs waiting for their master to give them an order.

      Chris studied Henson and Bolton for a long moment before looking back at the interview window. “If she felt she needed a lawyer, why call an ADA? And since when does an assistant district attorney have an entourage? Or drive with that entourage for three hours in the middle of the night for a witness interview, let alone one that’s way outside her jurisdiction?”

      “Right? Doesn’t make a lick of sense,” Donna said beside him.

      After dodging another barrage of questions like the polished politician that she was, Nelson shoved back her chair and stood.

      “Wait, what’s she doing?” Max asked.

      Nelson motioned to Mrs. Webb. She picked up her purse from the table and stood.

      Chris stiffened. “They’re leaving.”

      Donna was clearly bemused. “But they didn’t answer hardly any of the chief’s questions.”

      “Screw this.” Chris stepped toward the interview room door.

      Max grabbed his shoulder. “Don’t do it, man. The chief will—”

      Chris shoved Max’s hand away and yanked open the door.

      * * *

      JULIE HURRIEDLY STEPPED back to put more distance between her and the imposing man suddenly filling the open doorway of the interview room—her neighbor, Detective Chris Downing. With his clenched jaw and hands fisted at his sides, he seemed like a tautly drawn bow, ready to spring.

      Before Kathy could say anything, Thornton held his hand out to stop her and confronted his officer.

      “I warned you, Chris. You can’t be in here.” His gravelly voice whipped through the room. “What do I have to do, arrest you? Lock you in a cell?”

      Twin spots of color darkened Chris’s cheekbones. His heated gaze flashed to Julie, then back to Thornton. “I need answers. And, so far, you’re not getting any. Let me interview her. I’ll make her talk.”

      Julie flinched at his harsh tone. She’d retreated to her chair, but even with a table between them, his anger seemed to fill the room, crowding in on her. Where was the gentle, concerned man who’d knelt in front of the couch earlier this evening, reassuring her that everything was going to be okay?

      Kathy didn’t move. Her only concession to Chris standing so close was to tilt her head back to meet his gaze. “Are you threatening Mrs. Webb, Officer Downing?”

      Thornton aimed an aggravated look at Kathy. “It’s Detective, not Officer. And he’s not threatening anyone. Stay out of this.”

      The shocked look on Kathy’s face was almost comical. Julie doubted that anyone, except maybe Kathy’s husband, had ever dared to speak to her that way before. She seemed to be at a loss as to how to respond.

      “Don’t СКАЧАТЬ