“No. As I assured him on the phone, he’s not a suspect. We’re gathering evidence right now, and from what we have, it seems, Mr. Adams, you have some messages on your phone you might want to show me?”
Oh. Oh fuck. They did have Hunter.
Swallowing thickly, I dug my nails into my cane handle and forced myself to take a few breaths. “I’ll be alright.”
“If you’re sure,” Hugo said.
“Just don’t leave, yeah?”
He laughed. “I’m not goinganywhere.”
I wanted to hug him, but that probably wouldhave made me look pathetic in front of the nice detective who was trying to solve my case, so instead, I turned toward Barnes’s voice and put out my hand.
“If I could take your elbow?”
He stepped up close and was careful as he guided me toward a long set of stairs, warning me right before we reached the top.
“You’ve done this before,” I said as I followed him down what my cane told me was a narrow corridor. “Most people forget, and I end up nearly falling on my face at the top of the stairs.”
“This isn’t my first rodeo,” he told me. He came to a stop, and then I heard the click of a lock and the smell of something like leather. “I’ve had all sorts of victims and suspects up here.” He walked a few more steps, then said, “There’s a chair right in front of you. It’s at a small, round table. There’s a bottle of water also if you’re thirsty.”
I found the chair, then sat, folding my cane and keeping it on my lap so I had something to do with my hands. This was all a lot.
“I’m not going to have to see him, am I?” I asked. “I figure you have Hunter here.”
“He isn’t here,” Barnes said. His chair squeaked as he sat. “We had enough to arrest him last night. He’ll be arraigned either this afternoon or first thing in the morning, and he’ll be able to post bond.”
My stomach swooped. “Will he know I was here?”
“We won’t tell him, but it’s safe to assume that he’ll know you were brought in for questioning,” heanswered matter-of-factly. “I can fast-track a TPO?—”
“A what?”
“Protective order,” he explained.
I blew out a puff of air. “I mean, considering what he did to my condo, that’s probably a good idea.”
Barnes was quiet for a moment, then asked, “What did he do to your condo?”
“How much do you know?”
He cleared his throat. “Ah, well. We know about the texts. We know he’s been stalking you, sending you threatening messages talking about revenge porn?—”
“Does it count as porn if we didn’t actually, you know, go all the way?” I blurted, then fought the urge to slap a hand over my face. Fuck, did I really have to say that?
“Ah, yes. I mean, any sort of retaliatory video involving any kind of sexual contact—even if it wasn’t full intercourse—counts as revenge porn. And it’s a felony.”
“Did you see the video?” I asked him.
“No. It wasn’t on the devices we confiscated, but we’ll be getting a warrant for any other phones, laptops, tablets, or computers he has before he’s released. You were in his place, yes?”
“Uh. Twice,” I admitted, feeling like a jackass forevergiving this guy more than one chance. “Sorry. I know that makes me sound like the world’s biggest dipshit.”
“It absolutely does not,” Barnes said, his voicelow and fierce. “None of this was your fault. And I know he’s been keeping a verbal knee on your neck about being able to turn him in. That’s what people like him do. They use fear, and it makes their victims feel shame.”
I swallowed heavily. I knew that. Logic had told me all along that Hunter was manipulating me into keeping quiet. But hearing someone else say it like that?
“So yeah. Where would you like me to start?”
