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The sobs seemed to weaken her, and Kali sagged against Cullen. He helped her to the table and had her sit.
“I’m sorry,” Austin said, but Leigh blocked him from going closer to Kali. “So sorry. You have to believe me when I tell you it was over with Alexa.”
“I don’t have to believe anything you say.” Kali spoke through the wet sobs, and Cullen located a box of tissues for her.
“Please,” Austin tried again. “Let me make this up to you.”
But Kali didn’t answer. She buried her face in her folded arms on the table and continued to cry.
“When did you break up with Alexa?” Cullen asked Austin, knowing that it was something Leigh also needed to know.
Austin cursed, groaned and squeezed his fists on the sides of his head. “Right before the party. She called me and said she wanted to have sex with me in your bed.”
Cullen wanted to curse, too. Hell. That was something Alexa definitely would have done.
“She sent Austin a naked picture of herself,” Kali provided, thrusting out the phone to Cullen.
That caused Austin to groan again, but he sure as heck didn’t deny it. And Cullen could see how this had played out. Alexa had probably thought this was the way to get back at him.
Cullen took the phone from Kali and passed it to Leigh. “Did you see Alexa at any time during the party?” Leigh asked, scrolling past the naked photo to get to the texts.
“No, I swear,” Austin insisted. “After she texted me, I told her I had no intentions of having sex with her in Cullen’s bed or anywhere else for that matter, and I let her know that it was over. Then, I blocked her because I didn’t want to have her texting or trying to call me during the party.”
Leigh continued to scroll through Austin’s phone. “You had this text conversation with her about the same time you said you were on the patio having a smoke,” Leigh pointed out.
Austin was scowling when he whipped toward her. “I was having a smoke and texting her. You can see—I ended things with her. I ended things with her,” he repeated, this time to Kali.
“I don’t care,” Kali snapped. “I never want to see you again.”
“Unfortunately, you’ll have to,” Leigh said to Kali. “I’ll need to interview both Austin and you. And take this into evidence,” she added, holding up the phone. She looked at Austin. “Do I need a search warrant to examine the clothes you wore to the party last night, or will you give me permission to have them sent to the lab?”
Austin stared at her a long time. “You’ll need a search warrant,” he snarled. “Since I find myself without a phone, text Doug for me,” he added to Cullen. “Tell him I’ll meet him at the Dark River PD. I won’t be saying anything else to Sheriff Mercer until he arrives, and I damn sure won’t be giving her my clothes unless he says different.”
Doug Franklin was a lawyer friend of theirs and had been at the party the night before. On a heavy sigh, Cullen sent him a text as Austin stormed out.
“I don’t want to go to the police station right now,” Kali muttered. “Let me just sit here for a little while and try to steady myself.” She pulled off her engagement ring and practically shoved it into Cullen’s hand. “Give that to him and tell him I hope he chokes on it.”
“That should be fun,” Cullen mumbled, slipping it into his pocket, and he stepped out into the hall with Leigh.
“I doubt they’re flight risks,” Leigh whispered to him, “but I want to go ahead and take Kali in after I get a deputy here to keep tabs on Jamie.” She sent a text to arrange for a deputy to come to the hospital.
Cullen couldn’t blame Leigh for wanting to get Kali in for questioning. The sooner they got answers, the better. Well, Cullen thought it would be better, anyway, and he hoped the woman he’d kissed less than an hour ago didn’t have to arrest his friend for murder.
Leigh was no doubt trying to contain it, but the stress was starting to show, and Cullen gave her one of those arm rubs she’d given him earlier.
“That shouldn’t feel good,” she said, her voice still a whisper. “It can’t feel good,” she amended with her eyes lifting to meet his. She groaned. “This is really turning into a nasty mess.”
Cullen figured he was part of that mess. A complication added to the fact that Leigh now had two suspects. Or rather three since she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Jimbo McNash yet. Cullen was hoping the thug would just confess to the murder and the attacks just so the investigation wouldn’t be looming over them. Then, Leigh and he could...
Well, he didn’t know where they’d go from there, but one thing was for certain. He needed to figure out a way to keep her in his life. Along with getting her in his bed.
Her phone rang, and she slid Austin’s cell in her jeans pocket so she could answer it and put it on speaker. “This is Saylor again,” the PI greeted.
“What can I do for you?” Leigh asked.
“I got your number from Deputy Yancy when I called your office. Thought you’d want to know that Bowen had a look at the rest of the surveillance photos of Alexa, and he was able to ID the other man she met with.”
Cullen leaned in so that he wouldn’t miss this.
“My internet’s working so I just sent the photos to you,” Saylor added. “But you’ll recognize the man, too.”
“Oh?” Leigh asked.
“Yeah,” Saylor verified. “Because it’s your deputy Rocky Callaway.”
