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I shrugged. “Oh that.”
“Yeah, that,” Nate said, leaning closer.
Drew looked interested but didn’t say anything.
Great. I was a lot less likely to get information from him if he thought I’d formed some sort of relationship with Malcolm.
“He recognized me,” I said with a wave of my hand. “You know. Same old shit.”
Louise cringed. “Sorry, Harper.”
“We can go somewhere else,” Nate said.
I released a half laugh. “If I avoided every place that gave me shit, I’d live in my car. I even get it at home with my mother.” Remembering how I’d left things with my mother had me lifting my beer back up to my lips.
“Still, it’s not right.” Louise patted my arm. “I’m sorry you have to deal with it.”
“Did that kid have a gun?” Drew asked bluntly, his neutral gaze on me.
“Jesus, Drew,” Nate protested.
“What the hell?” Louise demanded.
“It’s okay,” I said, glancing over at Louise. “I’ll answer.” I turned back to Drew and held his gaze with my cold detective stare. “He had a gun. I saw it with my own two eyes. I even recognized the make—a Glock. He fired the gun at me, but his aim was off, and he missed. I’d already drawn my weapon, so I fired in self-defense. It hit him in the chest, and he fell. I tried to contain the scene while the store owner called 911. I checked for a pulse, but the kid was dead, a bullet straight to the heart. The gun was still at his side. I. Saw. It.”
“But the responding officers didn’t.”
I shrugged and picked up my beer again, taking another long drink. There was no defending that. I’d spent the past four months trying. Someone took that gun, but I had no idea who they were or why they did it. And now that I was on the outside, I had no way of figuring it out.
Jesus. I needed something stronger.
“She’s gotten enough shit,” Louise said in a cold tone, glaring at Drew. “So if you’re going to give her more of it, you can get the hell out of here.”
“They invited us,” I reminded her dryly.
“I don’t give a shit,” she shot back, still locked in a staring contest with Drew.
Drew broke the stare and released a shaky laugh as he looked over at Nate. He flicked a finger toward Louise. “This one’s got balls, huh?”
“That’s ovaries, thank you very much,” she said with a huff. “And my ultimatum stands. You’re either her friend or you can take your shady ass somewhere else.” She picked up her beer bottle and looked down at him. “It’s a wonder I’m sitting with a Jackson Creek PD member anyway.”
He laughed. “And I can’t believe I’m slumming with a Lone County deputy, but when your options are limited, you’ll even hang out in the bar of an organized crime boss.”
Her eyebrows lifted slightly in acknowledgment.
“It’s not up to me to say what happened or didn’t,” Drew said evenly, then his body seemed to release some tension. “It’s a tough job and you have to make tough calls. Even if you thought you saw a gun and shot, it’s understandable. You can get killed in the blink of an eye.”
“You’re taking her side now?” Louise asked skeptically.
“I’m not taking anyone’s side,” Drew said, leaning back in his chair and picking up his beer bottle. “I just wanted to hear her version.”
“The Jackson Creek PD hates me,” I said, giving him the side-eye. “I think you’re required to hate me out of solidarity.”
He grinned. “Chief Larson may be able to tell me what to do when I’m on the clock, but he sure as hell can’t tell me what to think.” He shrugged. “And trust me, I don’t always agree with his calls. Especially on a case from today.” He tipped up his bottle and finished it.
Was this my opening? It couldn’t be this easy, could it?
No, I needed to earn his trust more. Small talk. “How long have you been on the force?”
