Cost shook his head. “No, but he repeated a number of phrases I distinctly recalled saying to Shelley, so I’m sure it exists.”
“You want us to believe you’re innocent,” Cooper suggested. “If that’s true, an innocent man would be more than happy to help the police solve a multiple-homicide case if he had the means at his disposal.”
“Are you making my client an offer?” the attorney asked.
Cooper and Braddock exchanged a look before Braddock said, “If Dr. Cost is willing to help us gain access to the videotape in Nash’s possession, we would certainly be willing to forgo the solicitation charges as well as the drug possession charges. However, he will remain a suspect in all three homicides until we can eliminate him with evidence from that list.”
“What drug possession charges?” Parker demanded.
“For the Vicodin we found in his home as well as in his car,” Cooper explained. “Since he doesn’t have a legal prescription, that makes his possession illegal.”
“I’ll help you,” Cost volunteered. “Whatever you need me to do, I’ll do it. I didn’t kill anybody.”
“Carter,” his attorney argued, “we should hear the plan first.”
He shook his head. “Doesn’t matter. I’ll do whatever I have to.”
As the interrogation continued, CJ couldn’t focus on the discussion. Cost’s words kept replaying in her head.A video recording of the events that transpired in Shelley’s house the night she was murdered. She threw a remote at me.
Since there had been no remote with the VCR in the attic, and there was no television or VCR in Shelley’s bedroom and the living room TV had been broken for years and the remote long lost, that meant just one thing to CJ. There must be another piece of equipment that used a remote somewhere in the house. Maybe another video camera?
Which could mean there were more videos ... somewhere. All she had to do was find them.
Chapter Forty-Five
Bridge Street Town Center
Westin Hotel, 7:00 p.m.
Tyrone pulled back the drapes and let the light flood the suite. He needed the sun to go down. He needed to get out of here. He’d been hiding out since before noon.
This shit was getting too crazy.
That bitch CJ had called his cell phone four or five times. Did she think he was stupid? His ears at HPD had warned him that Cost had rolled over on him. Chickenshit bastard. Tyrone should have gotten that 300K from that weasel days ago.
Now that was never going to happen. And he wasn’t going nowhere near that doctor bitch. She wasn’t setting him up. No way. Hell no.
He needed to start liquidating some assets just in case things went any further south.
Cost would pay for this. He would wish he’d kept his ass on the east side of the Parkway when Tyrone got through with him. But first he had one more business matter to attend to. And that old bastard had better answer his damned phone this time. Tyrone was getting sick of his evasive shit.
Most of his eyes and ears had gone to ground. Hiding until the storm was over. Their fear left Tyrone far too blind to what might happen next. His best bet was to make a plan for disappearing. If he was forced to relocate from the 256, he needed all the cash he could get his hands on.
“You coming back to bed?”
Anticipation pushed a smile across Tyrone’s lips even when he had not one damned thing to smile about. He turned back to the king-sized bed. Admired the beauty of his lover sprawled naked across those crisp linens. Long, muscled legs. Sculpted torso.
Widow’s black-lace-and-silk dress, along with stilettos and stockings, were scattered across the floor. When they’d first checked into the room, Tyrone had stripped Widow naked and taken him over and over. They’d had drinks, ordered room service, then slept like the dead.
“Definitely.” Tyrone crossed to the bed. As he did, he watched his reflection in the big-ass mirror on the other side of the bed. He was black as night, every bit as lean and muscled as his lover. He crawled onto the bed like a sleek tiger.
Might as well enjoy himself.
He had some time before it got dark.
“You’re the King,” his lover crooned. “I’m your humble servant. Punish me.”
Tyrone slid his hands around that long, silky neck. “I’ll punish you.” He leaned down, put his mouth close to Widow’s ear. “Then I’ll make you scream for more.”
