Page 60 of Wild Escape

"You’ll get your chance to prove that."

A defeated frown tugged his lips. After a hesitation, he dropped to the sidewalk and ate the pavement.

Jack pounced and ratcheted the cuffs around his wrists. "You're under arrest for breaking and entering. You have the right to remain silent…"

JD and Faulkner lifted the dirt bag to his feet and escorted him to the squad car. Jack shoved him in the back.

With the perp secure, there were fist bumps all around. Erickson and Faulkner drove him back to the station.

JD and I followed in the Porsche.

In the conference room, we filled out after-action reports, then paid Wyatt a visit in the interrogation room. JD and I took a seat across the table from him. I put printouts of still frames from the surveillance footage at the gas station on the table, along with stills from the Murphy’s security camera and the Caldwell’s.

His eyes found them, but he didn't react. "That's just me filling up. Is that against the law these days?”

"No, but breaking and entering is. It's funny. This gas station is just around the corner from the Murphy residence. The home was robbed in between the time you and your buddies left the station and came back."

Wyatt said nothing.

This is when I got creative. "I'm going to give you an opportunity here. We have your co-conspirators in custody." It was complete BS. "Right now, they have you as the leader of the pack.”

Wyatt's eyes rounded.

"What, did you think your friends wouldn't sell you out? You're all looking at a lengthy prison sentence. This is more than just robbery.” I put a picture of the surveillance footage from the Caldwell residence on the table. "You're all looking at attempted murder. That’s 20 years to life, mandatory minimum."

His jaw tightened, and sweat misted his brow.

"Now, you need to come clean about everything. Cooperate, and maybe you can get a reduced sentence.”

Wyatt jittered with nerves. He thought for a long moment. "We didn’t break into the Caldwell residence, and we certainly didn't try to kill the guy.”

I gave him a doubtful look. "Maybe you should take a look at those photos. It looks like the same crew to me."

He studied the images again briefly. "I'm telling you, I don't know who that is,” he said, pointing to the frame from the Caldwell’s. “But it's not us."

"This is you at the Murphy house," I said, pointing to the photo.

His lips tightened.

"Right now, it's your word against your co-conspirators. Since you're not talking, you're going to be the odd man out.”

"What kind of deal are we talking about?” he said in a deflated breath.

"You tell me what I want to know, how everything went down, how many houses you hit, who shot Mr. Caldwell, and I'll take it to the prosecuting attorney."

“None of us shot Mr. Caldwell. We weren’t there.”

I said nothing, but acted like I knew everything.

“Who else are you talking to?”

I remained silent.

“What is Sadie saying?"

I tried to act like it wasn’t new information. "I've already heard her story. I want to hear yours."

His face tensed with conflict. After a long moment, Wyatt admitted, "Okay, look, we hit the Murphy’s place. But I had nothing to do with the break-in at the Caldwell residence. I swear. I don't know if Sadie and Jared were involved or not. If they were, they never told me about it."