Her voice was a constant shriek now.Splotches of red appeared in her neck.She was trembling from head to toe, unable to believe that she had lost control of this situation.
“Ma’am, with all due respect, Michael is an adult.He should be allowed to make his own choices.”
Caroline, aware that Kate had spoken the truth and found the angle that would allow her to crack through the shield she had formed around her son, whirled on Kate, teeth bared, eyes rolling like a charging bear.She put her hands on Kate and shoved hard.Kate stumbled backward, and Marcus moved, grabbing Caroline, spinning her around and pulling her hand behind her back.“Hey!You don’t touch her!”
“No!”Caroline said, squirming and weeping.“No, please, no, God!You can’t do this!”
“Mom!”Michael cried.
A moment later, he appeared.He was on the shorter end of average height, but achingly handsome with full lips and blond hair.Hazel eyes and a sculpted body that no doubt made every girl at his high school swoon, not to mention a sizable portion of boys.
He put a hand on Marcus’s shoulder but removed it quickly when Marcus fixed a glare on him.“Can I talk to her, please?”he asked.“Just for a moment?”
“Talk fast,” Marcus warned.“Your mother just assaulted a peace officer.”
“No!Don’t say anything to him!”Caroline said.“Michael, please,please…” She sobbed.“Just go back upstairs!”
“Mom,” Michael said gently but firmly, like he was the parent and she the unruly child in the midst of a temper tantrum.“I’m going to go talk to these guys.I’ll be back when I’m finished, okay?”
“No, Michael.Don’t do it.They don’t care about shit.They just want to solve their case.They don’t care if you’re the killer or not, theydon’t.”
Kate thought of assuring her that they very much cared, but considering her ex-husband’s killer had gotten away with the murder, she wasn’t sure Caroline would believe it.
“I’ll be back, mom,” Michael repeated.“If you don’t listen right now, you’re going to be arrested.Please go back in the house and wait for me to come home.”
Caroline slumped.Her head fell forward and smacked against the door jamb.She didn’t say anything, but it was clear the fight had finally gone out of her.Kate nodded at Marcus, and he released her hands.Michael put an arm around her and led her into the house.When she crossed the threshold, she whirled around and shouted, “You better not charge him with shit!He didn’t do anything!You charge him with a crime, and I’ll sue you.I’llsueyou!”
“Mom,” Michael said.“Calm down.”
He led her further into the house.Marcus and Kate shared a grim look.Caroline’s fear was understandable but extreme.
Unless she had reason to believe that her son was, in fact, the killer.Then her fear was very justified.
CHAPTER TWELVE
Michael Parker maintained his dignified look as Marcus ushered him into the interview room.He sat with his hands folded and his head held high, staring straight ahead at where he thought the two-way mirror was with a look of quiet defiance.
“Kid’s got a better handle on his temper than his mom does,” Marcus observed when he joined Kate again.
“He does right now,” Kate replied, “but he has a history of violent behavior when it comes to Derek Hammond.I’m willing to bet the quiet, strong thing he’s got going on here will crumble under pressure.”
“Good idea,” Marcus said.“I’ll go in and sweat him a bit.Then you can come in and seal the deal.”
“Actually,” Kate said, “I’d like to try the opposite of that.”
Marcus gave her an iffy look.“Kate, don’t take this the wrong way, but he just watched his mom almost beat you up.I don’t think he’s going to find you very intimidating.”
“Okay, ouch, but also, that’s not the point.I don’t want to intimidate him.I want to make him feel comfortable revealing how he truly feels.”
“You think he’ll take the mask off for a pretty face?”
Heat climbed Kate’s cheeks.She turned away so Marcus wouldn’t see her blush.“Well, a gentle face, anyway.”
Marcus shrugged.“All right.It’s worth a shot.”
Kate stepped into the interview room.She smiled at Michael, and he returned a slightly sardonic smile of his own.
“Thank you for talking to us,” she said, sliding into the seat across from him.“And thank you for helping calm things down back at the house.”
