Jaden (Jaded #3)(61)

“And we can answer that.” The officer’s tone was no-nonsense. “We have him. He was driving recklessly, and one of our squad cars picked him up. Your boy’s in the drunk tank, and then after that, he’ll be brought up on other charges. He didn’t come in willingly.” She skimmed a hard eye to me. “Nothing from you? You have nothing to add about this guy?”

I shook my head. “Like I said, he was a creeper, but that was it.”

“Well, this creeper had about fifty surveillance photos of you.”

Bryce reacted first. He stepped forward. “Wait. What?”

“No way.” Corrigan shook his head, but there was doubt there. I saw it, and when he glanced at me, it transferred to me.

Memories of Ritt were coming back to me, but there was nothing that stood out. He was odd at times, and he hit on me when he knew I wasn’t interested, but surveillance photos? I shrugged, looking at Corrigan and then Bryce. I didn’t remember anything that would’ve indicated something like this.

“Sheldon?” the female cop asked. “Are you thinking back to anything?”

“Yeah and no. This is a complete shock. I—what? Surveillance of me?”

She nodded, a grave expression on her face. “At your house.”

I sucked in my breath. My house?

“At your dad’s house.”

Oh my god.

“Here. The night you guys came here. He was down the street. He caught the whole thing on camera. There are others too, but basically he’s documented almost everything except what’s been going on within the walls.”

“This doesn’t make sense.”

“Guys like these usually don’t.” She sighed. “All right. I think we have what we need. If you guys think of anything else, let us know.” She lifted an eyebrow at Corrigan.

His jaw clenched. That was his only reaction.

She added, “I shouldn’t have to say this, but I’ve been warned it would be helpful if I did.” She took a breath. “So here goes: If there are any bruises on him because of you, you will only be helping his defense and not us. Do not lay a hand on that boy, if and when he’s released from our custody. Okay? I repeat, do not lay a hand on him. And besides, there are no pictures of Sheldon before Grace’s murder so right now we don’t think he had anything to do with it, but still.” She held a hand up, following her partner out the door. Then she added, “We’ll be having a chat with him once he’s awake and sober.”

Once the door closed, Corrigan stared at it. His arms were still crossed over his chest, and his shoulders were rigid, bunched forward.

I recognized that stance. It was when he was about to do something bad, something to get himself in trouble.

Bryce moved so he was standing beside him. Neither looked at the other, but I knew, I felt it in my gut, that they were thinking the same thing. Then Corrigan grunted, so softly so only the three of us heard him, “Well, f*ck that. Once he’s out, we’re having our own chat.”

He looked up, and Bryce nodded.

Then they turned to me. I lifted my chin in a silent signal. I was in.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

“So, that’s it?” Carolina asked me a week later. It was my first venture out in public since the official announcement from the police that I was no longer a suspect. The media had changed. Half still condemned me as the killer, quoting that I was the smartest killer there was. I had killed her, and I was going to get away with it. The other side had raised pitchforks up in my defense. I needed to sue the police force. My good name was ruined. My life was destroyed. I’d never be able to shed this image.

Neither appealed to me.

I wanted the attention to end. That’s all I wanted, and that hadn’t happened, which meant we all remained in Denton’s house. Corrigan and Bryce had started to come around with Mena. She wasn’t the hated enemy, and Corrigan told me that his fraternity brothers found Mena in a heated debate, defending my honor on campus last week. They joined the fight, and the students calling for my head on a plate dispersed after that.

Was that it? I came back to Carolina’s question and shrugged. “I was a suspect, and now I’m not.”

“But—” She stopped running and gaped at me, her mouth hanging open. “Sheldon!”

Spying a bench nearby, I plopped down. I shook my head at her. “How did you talk me into running?” My damn body was aching everywhere, even my cheeks. How could cheeks get sore?

Carolina was jogging in place in front of me, pulling one arm across her chest to stretch. Black running tights, a pink top, her blond hair up into a ponytail—I started to sneer. Sometimes Carolina was too perfect.

But she’s a good friend to you so shut it, woman, I chided myself immediately.

“With the evidence they found on Guadalupe’s assistant’s phone, they’re the main suspects.” My stomach rumbled, and yes, even that ached a little bit. I started to look around. Maybe I could grab a smoothie or something. “Ritt’s supposed to be released on bond today. Corrigan’s slipping out to grab him. He wants to have a talk. Bryce, too.”

Oh, snap.

I just opened that Pandora’s Box, and I could feel Carolina draw upright. Corrigan and Bryce. I had uttered those names, and I readied myself, knowing an onslaught was coming.