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“Hell if I know. Someone’s setting me up!”

“Who would do that? I mean… you just run a taco truck, right?”

I exhale in desperation. “I don’t know. Please. You have to believe me.”

Anna slides out of her chair and gathers her file. “Get comfortable, Mr. Murray. You’re gonna be here a while.”

I exhale hard, losing more and more of my cool as she walks out and leaves me in here.

Holy shit. I’m so fucked.

CHAPTER 9

ANNA

Something doesn’t feel right.

When I walked into that interrogation room, I was sure we had the right guy.

Lock him up. Throw away the key. There was no doubt in my mind that Milo Murray was a hardened killer.

But something about his eyes makes me pause.

I sit and stare at his new mugshot on my computer screen, flipping between it and the old one of Jacob Tyler. I’ve looked into the eyes of dozens of killers. You never see the same eyes twice. No killer is the same as another, but there’s always been a feeling deep inside of me that tells me they’re guilty long before I have the evidence to back it up.

I expected that feeling when I walked in there today, but when I looked into Milo’s eyes again and I saw something bright and innocent… and achingly familiar.

Trevor scoffs behind my back. “You’re not developing a crush on this guy, are you?”

I look up and glare. “No. I’m doing my job, Detective. It’s a thing some of us do around here.”

He sneers and walks on, casting another suspicious glance at my monitor as he goes.

Milo Murray, I think as I stare into his multicolored eyes. What am I missing?

My desk phone rings and I pick it up. “Silva,” I answer.

“Anna, we have a Mrs. Emery Nelson down here,” Sally says. “I believe she’s your witness.”

“Thank you, Sally. I’ll be right down.”

I drop the phone and jump up to rush downstairs.

I reach the lobby to see an older woman lingering at the front desk with Sally. She stands tall and talks fast, showing a spry woman for her age. Good. The more competent she is, the better her testimony will be.

I walk over and extend my hand. “Mrs. Nelson, thank you for coming in. I’m Detective Silva. I understand you got a good look at the man fleeing Burn Street last night?”

She nods and shakes my hand. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Would you be willing to do a line-up for us?” I ask.

“Absolutely,” she says. “Whatever you need.”

“Come with me. It won’t take long.” I guide her down the hall. “We have a suspect in custody, so whatever you can tell us will be helpful for keeping him here.”

She visibly shudders. “Just don’t understand how someone can do that kind of thing…”

“I’ve spent most of my adult life trying to figure that out myself, Mrs. Nelson.”