Set Me Free (A Fugitive #2)(13)

I sniffed, pulling my back straight and reaching for the bear claw. The guys returned to the table and I handed one to Zach. After taking a couple of bites, he gave me a quick look and pulled the file from the edge of the table, flicking it open.

Alex's playful blues grew dark as he pulled the pages towards him. Sitting on the top was the large image of William Tenner. My eyes were transfixed on his pale, green eyes as Alex softly asked, "So this is him?"

The boulder in my throat was impossible to speak past, so I just nodded.

"You're sure?"

I met Alex's gaze and gave him a firm nod. "I'm sure." My eyes flittered back to the picture, my face bunching tight.

Alex cleared his throat and flipped the image over. "I know this must be really hard for you. I'm guessing you've tried to block the memories from your mind."

Unable to look up for fear of showing my tears, I sniffed and gave a short nod.

"But you're gonna have to recall everything that happened that night. We need your memories so that we can get a full picture, okay?"

His gentle voice was soothing. I let it wash over me and tried to still my frazzled heart.

"So, why don't I just ask you a few questions and we'll go from there."

"Okay." My voice was so tiny.

"I'm gonna record it, alright?"

I froze as he pulled out what looked like an iPod and set it up to record. He pressed the red circle on the screen and sat back. "It's June 26th, I'm talking with Lucy Tate about the night her parents were murdered."

"Wait." I sat forward. "Please delete that. I don't want...don't use my name." My hand slid towards the recording device, looking for the off button.

"Lucy." Alex's warm fingers stopped me. "You're the key witness. We have to use your name."

"I'm also the prime suspect and the key target of William Tenner. If this gets into the wrong hands, he'll kill me. It's better that he doesn't hear the name."

"Sweetie, from what Zach told me on the phone this morning, he already knows you're alive."

"I know, I just don't want to be linked to you...or Zach."

Zach moved so he could rest his hand on my shoulder. His fingers kneaded the tight muscles before sliding down my back.

"None of this will surface until the day we bring him down. I know finding out he's FBI somehow makes this more terrifying, but you don't need to be afraid. I'm the only one with access to this recording device. You're safe. And what you give me today can be used as evidence to bring this guy down. We need you, Lucy. We need you to be brave."

My mouth dried up like the salt flats, but for some reason my head bobbed.

"Okay, so let's start with the night of your parents' murders." Alex swallowed, his eyes filling with sympathy. "What time did it happen?"

I squeezed my eyes shut. Other than admitting the truth to Zach and Marlin, this was the first time I'd ever had to talk about that night in detail. I wasn't even sure if I could remember it all, but as I opened that wretched door and finally let the memories seep into my brain, the images returned with a clarity that sucked the air from my lungs.

I pulled in a sharp breath and opened my eyes.

"It's okay," Zach murmured in my ear. He continued to rub slow circles on my back. "You told me you'd just had dinner."

I gave Zach a fleeting smile before turning back to Alex. "I don't know exactly what time it was, but it was dark outside. We'd just finished eating and Mom sent me down to the basement to get ice cream from the freezer." Alex's face blurred as I pictured myself walking back up the stairs, the cold tub pinched between my fingers. "I was about to head into the kitchen when..." I blinked. I'd forgotten this part. "Mom and Dad were talking and he was really worried about something. I could hear it in his voice. I felt bad for eavesdropping." My breath hitched. "But then the doorbell rang." I licked my bottom lip. "I went into the kitchen with the ice cream and my dad gave me one of those reassuring smiles, the ones you just can't buy into. And then he heard the man at the front door and his face just changed," I whispered, reliving that terror-filled look in his eye. "Hide, he said." My voice vanished.

Hide. That was the last word he'd ever said to me.

My chin trembled and I covered my mouth with my hand. Zach squeezed the back of my neck, pulling me towards him and giving me a kiss on the side of my forehead.

"Where'd you hide?" Alex's voice was quiet, but firm, I knew I had to answer him. He wasn't quitting on this interview just because I was struggling.

"I ran back to the basement, but I wanted to see what was going on, so I just hid on the top step and watched through the crack in the door."

"Could you see everything okay?"

"I could see enough to get a clear picture."

"What happened next?"

My brain protested, spiking with pain. I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to relive it. My breath hitched and I pressed my ear to my shoulder, trying to wriggle away from it. My knee bobbed erratically and I squirmed in my chair.

"Lucy. Calm down." Alex tapped my arm. "Lucy, just breathe and talk your way through it."

I sucked in a long breath, held it for a minute then slowly expelled it. My eyes crept opened. "Mom started screaming. Dad was yelling at this guy to let her go."