Midnight Hour (Shadow Falls: After Dark #4)(34)

again, this was the first time he’d seen his boss interrogate a girl. How many times had he heard Della complain that he was a male

chauvinist? Maybe Della wasn’t just whistling Dixie.

“That’s just it,” Lily said. “I wouldn’t have attacked him if he hadn’t snuck up on me.”

“I didn’t sneak up on you,” Shawn said, proud his voice sounded calm.

“Pleeeease! You’re lying because you know you were wrong. Your exact words were, ‘Going somewhere?’ You didn’t say, ‘I’m the FRU,’ or

anything official. I turned and found you holding a gun on me. I panicked.”

“I was about to tell you I was FRU when you tossed your suitcase at me.” His tone came out edgy, but still controlled.

“But when you came in the store earlier you neglected to tell me you were FRU. So I thought you were some freak following me.”

He stepped closer. “I wasn’t on FRU business when I was at the store.”

“You expect me to believe that?” she snapped.

“It’s the truth,” he replied.

“Right.” She focused back on Burnett. “He shocked the piss out of me with these!” She held up her hands.

Her words struck a nerve. “I didn’t shock you! They go off if a perp runs! You ran.”

“You hadn’t informed me you were the FRU! As far as I knew I was running from a serial killer!”

“I said it when you were running away.” Her accusation hit another nerve and bruised his conscience.

He tightened his shoulders to come across as the aggressor, but purposely kept his expression from showing tension. He’d seen Burnett do it a

thousand times. “I was telling you again when you kicked me in the mouth.”

She glared up at him with her maple-brown eyes. “Then you need to learn to talk faster!” Her gaze shot back to a very silent Burnett.

She started again. “I want to go to the hospital to check on Mr. Crow! Release me now and I won’t file charges against him.”

“Charges against me?” Shawn spilled out, his calm fa?ade slipping.

“Give me the key?” Burnett held out his hand to Shawn.

He instantly realized this was probably Burnett playing good cop bad cop. Normally, Shawn played the good cop better than the bad. But he’d

give it a shot.

“Tell me you aren’t releasing her.”

“Nope.” Burnett plucked the key from his hand. “Just removing the cuffs so we can talk calmly.”

“Remember she did this!” He pointed to his face.

Burnett nodded. Lily held out her hands. The handcuffs clanked against the table.

Shawn saw the red burn marks on her wrists and had to remind himself again that he’d done his job. Nothing more. Nothing less.

“Now,” Burnett said. “I want you to answer some questions, in a calm manner. Got it?”

She settled back in her chair, evidence of the flies-to-honey theory. One Shawn might have tried if she hadn’t beat the shit out of him.

Burnett rested his hand on the table, close to hers, and adjusted his posture to resemble hers. Nothing Burnett did was accidental. The man

could get a rock to talk.

He leaned forward ever so slightly. “Yes or no. Did you have anything to do with the robbery at the jewelry store?”

The girl, her dark hair curling against her slim shoulders, didn’t flinch. “No.” After two beats of silence, she continued, “I would never

do that to the Crows. They’ve been like parents to me. And I need to see Mr. Crow.” She bit down on her lip, her soft brown eyes sparkling

with gumption. “I heard one of the paramedics say he was going to be fine. But this … brute here,” she pointed to Shawn, “said he might

die.”

“No,” Shawn corrected her in a tone a smidgen too tense. “I said you’d better hope he doesn’t die.”

“Same thing!” She looked back at Burnett. “Any more questions before I walk out of here? Ask me. Ask me anything. I know you can tell if I’

m lying.”

Burnett cut his eyes to Shawn. He read the look to mean the girl wasn’t lying. And yeah, he’d already figured out she was a good liar—maybe

better than good if she could control her heart. Few people could control their heart rate. Chase Tallman being one of them, but for the most

part, only sociopaths or truly crazy people mastered it. Like really crazy.

“What about the evidence?” Shawn asked. Making the point to Burnett as well as her.

“What evidence?” She looked up at him as innocent as a Girl Scout selling Thin Mints. And that lead him to the inevitable conclusion.

Lily Chambers was as looney as Saturday morning cartoons.

*

Perry was greeted by about five more people before he was told Burnett was interviewing someone. Then he was told Lucas and Chase were watching

the interview now.

Eager to see Lucas, and even Chase, he hurried down the hall.

The room, just like the interrogation room, was all white and held only a metal table and chairs. The large two-way mirror gave a nice view of

the ongoing interrogation. Speakers piped in the voices. Air from the interrogation room flowed through the vents, carrying with it the scents