AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No doubt,” André agreed. “Why, though? What motive would anyone have to hurt him? I’d say it could have been a random thing were it not for Mr. Eckert. From what we know now, someone tried to get you, failed, and a new hit man was called. Why is someone working so hard to get you, Xavier?”
Xavier shrugged. “Like I said, I’m just a premed student. I work, I study, I volunteer with Meals on Wheels, and I play video games with Carlos.”
Again, no lie there. He never said that he didn’t know. Just implied it. Molly kept her expression impassive but smiled on the inside. Good job, Xavier.
“Did the man posing as Paul Lott go into your house?” André asked.
Molly glanced at Burke, who was watching André through narrowed eyes.
“Why do you ask that?” Burke asked.
“Because after I called the Houston police to find out what they knew, they got a warrant to search the Morrow home.”
Both Xavier and his mother gasped. “What?” Xavier demanded. “How?”
André met Xavier’s eyes. “Partly the reason that you feared calling 911. Partly because the white guy who died was shot by someone else while in the hospital. You have an alibi for that time frame. You were on the road with your mother and all these other folks, so you’re not a suspect. The man who shot him showed the hospital front desk a fake ID, and he may have worn a disguise. Must have also had a silencer, because no one heard the shot. Houston PD is looking for him now. The blood type found in your house matched that of the dead white guy. They’ll follow up with DNA to do a positive ID. We took prints from the BMW SUV and we’ll compare them to the prints Houston pulled from your house. I repeat, you have an alibi for the time of his murder, and you’re not a suspect. Breathe, Xavier.”
Xavier sucked in a harsh breath. “What about running and not calling 911?”
“Not a crime,” André said. “You were afraid for your life. And even if you had shot the guy, it would have been self-defense since he broke into your home. Houston PD found the door he busted to get in. Not that I’m saying that you shot him. Just if you did.”
Xavier’s chest rose and fell as he breathed deeply. And said nothing more.
Thank goodness.
André turned to Gabe. “I’ll be in touch about the break-in at your father’s house.”
Their Houston visitors turned to Gabe with matching glares. “You never said anything about your dad’s house getting broken into,” Xavier said indignantly.
Gabe blew an exhale up his forehead, making his curls dance. “I forgot. Hell. So much has happened and it was only discovered last night. I just... forgot.”
“So did I,” Molly admitted. “Someone broke in and trashed Rocky’s house. Slashed cushions and destroyed paintings. They made an awful mess.”
“Your mama’s paintings?” Cicely asked, one hand splayed over her heart. “Oh no.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Gabe said, his shoulders slumping. “Not much left.”
André pushed to his feet. “I’ll be getting out of your hair now. Burke knows how to reach me if you think of anything else or want to take us up on the safe house.”
Burke rose. “You’ll update me on the search for Paul Lott’s imposter?”
André met Burke’s gaze directly. “I will. Heads-up, I expect Houston PD to be sending someone to talk to your guests. I told them that Xavier and Carlos were the victims here. They might be a little heavier handed in their interrogation approach.”
“We’ll be ready,” Willa Mae said, leaving no question in anyone’s mind that it would be so.
André shot her a smile. “Call me if you need any assistance.” He hesitated. “I considered Rocky a friend. Helping you is honoring him, so I hope you’ll trust me if things go sideways.” He lifted a shoulder. “More sideways, anyway. ’Night, folks.” He departed, followed by Joy, who pulled the door closed behind them.
Xavier immediately turned, pressing his forehead to his mother’s shoulder. He was shaking, poor kid. He’d held it together like a pro. Molly didn’t think she could have done any better.
Retaking his seat, Burke held up one hand for them to be quiet and then nodded when his phone buzzed a minute and a half later. “Joy says he’s gone. I gotta say, I was not expecting that the dead white guy had been shot by someone else.”
Xavier lifted his head, revealing the tears streaking his face. “I didn’t kill him,” he whispered. “Thank God.”
Molly breathed her own sigh of relief. She hadn’t wanted Xavier to carry that burden for the rest of his days, whether he’d been justified or not.
Cicely, Willa Mae, and Carlos all hugged him, Carlos looking over at Burke as he did so. “André seems all right.”
Burke smiled. “He is. And he’s right about the self-defense. But it doesn’t look like it’s going to be an issue.”
