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“No. Never.”
Webb wrote something in his notebook. Jace tried to read it from where he was sitting. He was unsuccessful.
“Okay, let’s go back to the night of the party. I want you to tell me about any time you spent with her that evening.”
“I mean…I saw her at different times throughout the night. I didn’t really spend time with her. We spoke. I think at one point, all of us made a toast, and me and her clicked our glasses together. That’s it, really.”
“You two were never alone?”
Jace shook his head. “Never,” he insisted.
Webb looked at his partner and frowned. “That’s not what we heard.”
“What did you hear?” Bobby asked. Will shook his head rapidly, but Bobby didn’t look in his direction. “Put your cards on the table, officer.”
“We have reason to believe you spent some time alone with the victim that evening. And if you did, that’s okay. We’re just trying to establish a timeline here. No pressure.”
Bobby chuckled and opened his mouth to speak but Will tapped his shoulder. And for once in his life, Bobby didn’t argue.
Jace took a deep breath. “Okay, I did see her without other people around. But it wasn’t like a one-on-one thing, I swear.”
“What does that mean?” Ackerman asked.
“I didn’t try to get her alone. We just so happened to end up in the kitchen at the same time. She was looking for more ice, and—and I was grabbing some chips or something. I don’t remember exactly.”
Webb set his pen on the table. He seemed frustrated. “You don’t remember why you were in the kitchen? I find that hard to believe. We toured that clubhouse. The kitchen was kinda out-of-the-way.”
“I don’t know, but I knew where it was and that’s where I saw her alone. That was the only time we were alone. I swear.”
Webb wasn’t satisfied with that. “And what did y’all do in the kitchen? Talk? Hug? Come on, man, walk me through it.”
“I don’t know. I think we just spoke again and made small talk. It must not have been much, because it doesn’t stand out in my mind.”
“I’m not gonna lie, guys,” Webb said. “I’m a little frustrated. For some reason, I don’t feel like I’m getting straight answers here.”
The guys looked on in silence. Finally, Jace broke the stalemate. “I’m telling you the truth, Officer. I—”
“He probably doesn’t remember everything because it was a long time ago,” Bobby said. “Do you remember every last detail from a random day three months ago?”
Webb sighed and gave a half-smile. “You’re absolutely right. I don’t remember random days. But I would remember a party where a good friend of mine was murdered. Maybe that’s just me. What about you?” Webb said to Ackerman like he was passing him the ball.
“Same,” he answered.
Bobby’s eyes narrowed. “Do you have any other questions for my son?”
“Jace, were you drinking or smoking at all that night? You won’t get in trouble if you say yes. I just need to know.”
“I had one drink. Jack and Coke.”
“Thank you. One more question: do you lift weights?”
“Sometimes.”
“Bench?”
“Yeah.”
“How much?”
