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Sam’s eyes narrowed slightly. “Speaking of involvement, Danika, why exactly did you provide Hank with an alibi? Was it for him or for yourself?”
The question hung heavily in the air. Travis’s nervousness was palpable. He looked like a cornered animal. Danika’s face paled, her mouth opening but no words coming out.
Sam pushed further, his tone more pointed. “We know April had a meeting that night shortly before she was killed. Someone who didn’t want to be seen meeting with her. We figure she was trying to extort money.”
Sam left plenty of room to make Travis sweat. If his theory was true, then Travis met with April at the owl sanctuary so no one would see them.
“Not surprising,” Travis said.
Lucy sniffed the air, sensing the rising tension. Travis glanced at the dog, his resolve faltering.
“You know, plenty of people in town have Ring doorbells, and we’re hoping to figure out who drove out on that road by looking at their recordings.” It really wasn’t true, but Sam figured the threat of it might get Travis talking. He was right.
Travis’s eyes darted between Danika and Sam, a war of emotions playing out on his face. Sam’s steady gaze finally broke through his defenses.
“Travis, we need the truth,” Sam pressed. “What happened that night?”
Travis exhaled sharply, his shoulders slumping. “Okay. I did meet with April, but I swear, I didn’t plan to kill her.”
Sam leaned forward. “Go on.”
Travis ran a hand through his hair, visibly grappling with the memory. “She said she’d stop the protests if I paid her. It was ruining the business, so I agreed to meet her. But I didn’t want anyone to see us together, so she suggested the owl sanctuary.”
Sam’s eyes narrowed. “So you and Danika went out there together?”
Travis shook his head, avoiding Danika’s gaze. “No, just me.”
Sam sensed the inconsistencies but decided to keep Travis talking. “And what went wrong?”
Travis shrugged. “We argued over the price. She was asking for too much. She was… She was crazy, Chief. Then she pulled out a gun. We struggled, and it went off. I never meant for the owl to get hurt. It was an accident.”
Sam studied Travis’s face. “But you didn’t shoot her? You used a log instead?”
Travis’s eyes flickered to Danika, who now had tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t club her.”
Sam’s gaze was unwavering, fixed on Danika. Her eyes, brimming with tears, conveyed a storm of emotions. “Tell me what happened, Danika,” Sam urged gently, sensing the floodgates about to open.
Danika took a shaky breath, her voice trembling. “I… I knew about Hank and April. I saw them in the diner and followed her afterward. To the owl sanctuary.” She swallowed hard, a tear trailing down her cheek.
“And then?” Sam prompted her, his voice soft but insistent.
“I stayed hidden,” Danika continued, her voice gaining a desperate pitch. “I saw Travis arrive, and they started arguing. It got heated… then April pulled a gun.”
Sam leaned in, his focus intensifying. “What did you do?”
Danika’s hands wrung together nervously. “I panicked. I couldn’t let her shoot Travis. I picked up the nearest thing I could find—a log. I thought… I thought I’d just knock her out, stop her…”
Her voice cracked, and she paused, gathering herself. “But when I hit her, she… she fell onto that rock. It was horrible.” Fresh tears streamed down her face.
Sam’s expression softened slightly. He understood the weight of her unintended actions. “You didn’t plan to kill her?”
Danika shook her head vehemently. “No, never! It was just a moment of madness. I wanted to protect Travis, to stop the madness.”
“But then you wiped the gun clean, left the scene, and lied about being there.”
Danika burst into tears.
Sam sighed deeply. “You understand I have to arrest you for this?”
