Page 123 of Not Mine to Rescue

The deflection didn’t work. “It establishes a pattern.” Jim pulled out a notebook and took notes. I shared another long look with Kid. This was going to get messy. Worse? Once Honor found out I’d been dealing with Winter after we slept together, it was going to ruin everything. But if I lied and Honor was convicted for Winter’s murder, I’d never forgive myself. It was better if Jim knew. But what if he used that information to sabotage what me and Honor had?

Kid tried to read my thoughts as I hesitated, but unless I spelled it all out, there was no way for him to understand.

“In January, Winter came to the clubhouse looking for me. Before that, there was no contact except the party in December.” I kept it vague, testing the waters.

“That party was the second Friday of December.” Kid’s confession was a nudge for me to follow his lead. I relaxed a little knowing that the club had my back like that.

Jim scribbled notes. “When was the business event? And what business?”

The cops had been called, it was bound to come out in court. “January 18th at the strip club.” I said.

“Wombat kicked her out of the club the night before,” Kid added.

Jim’s pencil froze. His eyes shot to mine.

“You extracted Winter from your club on January seventeenth, and from a business on January eighteenth?”

“Yes.”

He set his pencil down. “And when in that span did you fuck my ex-wife?”

Well, maybe the truth was the wrong path to take. Kid’s shoulders shook. I’m certain he was trying his best not to eavesdrop, but his memory was too damn sharp. He had to remember me getting Winter’s number.

“On the seventeenth. Before I got the call to extract Winter from the club.”

Jim ignored the pressure-cooker of giggles that Kid couldn’t keep contained. “You fucked Honor, then went to your club and met up with Miss Fuller?” It was stated fairly bluntly.

But it was also wrong. “We weren’t an item yet. Your ex-wife is pretty independent when she wants to be.”

He was quiet for almost a minute. “Ah. She didn’t handle my news well, slept with you, then dumped you.”

It wasn’t exactly dumped, but... “I wouldn’t say it like that.”

“And you began a relationship with Winter?”

“No. God no.”

Kid cleared his throat. He had to be remembering the phone number I took. And even more importantly, Walt’s order to use Winter to get information on the local dealers.

“Okay, maybe I strung her along a bit. But I cut things off on February eighth. I have a witness. Her neighbor, Craig, I think. He owns a mixed breed Lab... Apartment 2B.” Details flooded back. The call, the fake tears. The feeling of violation when she clung to my legs. “And I only slept with Winter one time. Back in December. I want to be clear about that.”

“Any contact with her since that date in February?”

“No. But strange things were happening around the farm. Doors open, things broken. We caught Winter on camera the night my barn burned down.”

“We’ll need that evidence for Honor’s defense. It will prove escalation.”

“And she poisoned my dog.”

Jim’s eyes lifted. “Any proof?”

I shook my head. “Just speculation, but the timing fits. That’s why we put up cameras.”

His face softened. “I would guess your speculation is accurate. She shot Molly. Anyone who’d shoot a dog⁠—”

I cut him off. “Let’s be clear. She shot me. I just happened to be holding Molly.” It was mostly so Winter wouldn’t kill Honor’s dog, but Jim didn’t need to know that.

“Why?”