AllFreeNovel
Share Us
But Seth wasn't going to give up easily. He pummeled the ground with his free hand, kicking out, trying to throw Connor off.
"Let go of me! Knew you were after me! This is about Shiree, isn't it? I know it's about her. I've done nothing wrong! Let go of me!"
His shouted demands fell on deaf ears. A moment later, Connor had gotten his other hand behind him, and the handcuffs clicked closed.
"We're bringing you in for questioning," Connor muttered, shoving the man around and marching him back along the route they'd run. "Don't try anything else. Or you'll be staying in those handcuffs a long, long time."
"Don't oppress me," Seth threatened. His shoulders looked tense, and his head swiveled from side to side as if looking for an escape route.
Even though Connor was holding the handcuffs in a steely grip, Cami still felt worried that this man, who was evidently desperate, would try to break free again. It seemed like he had a lot to lose.
He knew about Shiree, that was clear. Cami had felt utterly shocked when he'd mentioned her name. He hadn't even waited for them to do it. He'd given them a clear and direct indication that he knew about this. She was sure that he was guilty.
Now, it was time to find out: of what?
CHAPTER NINE
As Cami waited for the final steps in Seth's processing as a suspect, she wondered with a clench of her stomach whether he would be their killer.
With no time to waste, they’d taken him straight to the closest suburban police department and were standing inside the back office. Just a few more minutes and he would be ready for questioning.
Even though the back office was crowded, the other cops were giving Seth a wide berth. Whatever he’d fallen into when Connor had caught him, it was still on his clothes and stinking the place out.
Had Seth run because he'd known that the evidence would point incontrovertibly to him?
Cami felt expectant as the police officers led Seth through to the interview room. She saw that his biker boots were still splashed with the mud and dirt from the alleyway. His jeans, not new to begin with, were scuffed and stained.
She hadn't realized, until she filed into the room behind Connor and sat facing him, how big and broad-shouldered Seth was, and yet again, she felt a flash of admiration for the courage, speed, and technique it had taken for Connor to subdue this man.
Sure, Cami's clever trick with the lights had gotten them out of a precarious situation, but that would have been meaningless if Seth had ended up outrunning them.
"Seth Armitage," Connor said conversationally, taking a seat opposite the glowering man. His behavior during processing had been appalling. He’d sworn, shouted, and struggled. As a result, he was still in the handcuffs, which the cops had attached to a steel bracket in the table. That, in turn, was firmly bolted to the floor.
"You can call me Mr. Armitage," Seth growled. "I want to know what the hell is going on."
"I think you know what's going on. Or were you just taking some exercise so late in the evening?" Connor asked politely.
"No!" Seth's voice was loud and powerful, echoing off the bare walls of the room. "I was not doing that, but when I saw you, I knew for sure that you were out to get me."
"And why's that? If you'd done nothing wrong, then why run?"
Seth glowered at him. "Why should I tell you that if I'm innocent? Maybe I was just trying to avoid being where I am now."
Connor nodded. "That's understandable, but you're here now. If you'd cooperated with us in the bar, we would have saved a lot of time. Now, it means that we have to hold you longer, because we clearly need a lot more detail on your doings."
"You can't accuse me of anything without any evidence," Seth grumbled. "And you have no evidence. You can't arrest me for that. You can't!"
"You've already been arrested for failure to obey and for assaulting a law enforcement officer," Connor said. "Other charges may follow. If you're innocent, then you'd better start telling us the truth. Getting angry won't help."
Seth stared at him with narrowed eyes, but Cami thought that Connor's logic had actually penetrated. At least, he was looking thoughtful, rather than coming back with defiant bluster.
"First, tell us this. Have you had any contact with Shiree Williams since you were served that restraining order?" Connor asked.
"That order was unfair!" The bluster was back again, Cami saw. She'd been wrong to think that it was over, as Seth now got into his angry stride again. "It was completely unfair. She should never have been allowed to obtain it. I was doing no harm to anyone. We . . . we met briefly because of work. She was an assessor at that time, and she came to my place to handle an insurance claim I had after a bike crash. I liked her. I messaged her nonstop because I wanted to meet up. I wanted to date her, but she was being stubborn and unfriendly to me. She was the one who overreacted and made like I was stalking her! It wasn’t my fault that I ended up getting angry, and she misinterpreted some of my messages."
"Always two sides," Connor said calmly.
That took the wind out of Seth's sails again, and he stared at him, looking confused.
