There was no way I was offering refreshments. This wasn’t a tea party.
“Is your husband home?” His gaze traveled up the staircase.
Why did he need to know if Patrick was here? Did he think my husband was hiding? Or did this stranger want me to be home alone? I studied the detective’s face. Tiny lines creased the sides of his pale blue eyes. Obviously, he’d never had an injection. That added to his good-looks in my opinion. He watched me too. What was he thinking? That I was a murderer? Or that I needed more Botox and fillers? Again, he made me nervous.
“He’s working,” I said with my voice still a bit shaky.
The detective looked relaxed on the sofa as he leaned back. “He’s an architect, right?”
My heart sped up. “Yes, that’s right.”
How did he know that? Whether or not he was relaxed as he interrogated me was the least of my worries right now. In case I needed to run I still hadn’t taken a seat. What would Patrick think if he walked in and saw this man lounging on the sofa?
The detective’s stare fixed on me as he proceeded to the next question. “Ms. Baxter, we’re looking into a disappearance.”
I had to stay cool. Of course, on the inside, I was completely freaking out. How did they know the man was missing? Britney had to have told him. There was no other explanation. That bitch. I’d never met anyone so evil.
“What does that have to do with me?” I asked.
Did I sound too bitchy? Was I remaining calm? I had no idea. It was as if I was in a tunnel and the walls were closing in on me.
“We found your phone in the area where he was last seen. We just wanted to find out if you saw anything.” He pulled my phone from his pocket and handed it to me.
Okay, remain calm. This wasn’t so terrible, right? Just because he’d found the phone there didn’t mean I had anything to do with the man’s disappearance.
“I don’t recall anything unusual,” I said.
He studied my face for a moment. Was he trying to figure out if I was telling the truth? I wouldn’t talk without a lawyer. I had said all that I would say.
“But you were there and lost your phone?” he asked.
A burning wave of nausea gripped my stomach. Being sick in front of the detective would almost certainly reveal my guilt. Keep it together, Alexsis.
“It was stolen,” I said without hesitation.
What did he think as he stared at me? Could he read through my lying? I thought I’d been convincing. There was no way to prove I wasn’t truthful. My dream of being an actress in Hollywood was coming true. This wasn’t exactly how my daydreams had played out though. Acting innocent of a crime wouldn’t earn me a shiny gold statue.
“When and where was the phone taken from you?”
“Shopping at Barney’s.” Why had I admitted that? What other answer could I have given? “I may have misplaced it while shopping and someone picked it up.”
“But you didn’t actually see anyone take it?”
“Of course not. I would have called the police if I’d seen someone.” I forced a smile.
After a long awkward pause, he pushed to his feet. “Thank you for speaking with me. If you think of anything, please call.”
Had he bought it? It seemed as if he believed my lie. But things weren’t always as they seemed.
After reaching the front door again, the detective paused and turned to face me. Now that I stood close to him I realized just how much taller he was than me. He had at least a foot on me, so I guessed his height at six foot three. His fit physique and height was just as impressive as his face but made me feel vulnerable. With penetrating dark eyes and full lips that curved to one side with each dazzling smile, Detective Brooks seemed like the type who could charm a confession out of the most innocent.
My anxiety spiked again. With a flick of his wrist, he handed me a business card. His name and number were on the front. What other option did I have but to take it? This all seemed more real now that I held the card. I couldn’t pretend that this man had never been in my home.
“Thanks for finding my phone.” I offered a smile and hoped it seemed genuine.
He flashed a lopsided grin. Was he suspicious? I thought I’d done an excellent job of hiding my feelings. He couldn’t possibly think I had anything to do with the man’s disappearance. Except I’d had a whole lot to do with his demise. I wanted to do everything possible to keep him from finding out. Just as the detective was walking out, he stopped again. Get out of my house already!
He stared me right in the eyes. “It’s crazy how people can just come up missing and no one ever sees them again.”
“That is scary.” I tried my best not to let my voice shake.
After a brief pause, he stepped off the porch. Before he had a chance to return, I closed the door. My hands shook as I fumbled with the lock. I’d secured the door faster than Britney had tossed out the cheap handbags from my closet the first time I’d invited her to my house.
I leaned my head against the door, closed my eyes, and released a deep breath. Thank goodness he was out of here. I raced over to the dining room window and peeked out to make sure that he was actually leaving. He sat in his car for a moment. Get out of here. What was he doing? Please don’t let him come back to the door.
After a few more nail-biting seconds, the detective pulled his Crown Vic away from the curb and headed down the street. When his vehicle faded into the distance, I released a pent-up breath. Thank god that was over. For now. How long before he came back to pay me a visit? I pulled out my new phone while studying the old one.
Britney would hear about this. I’d let her know what a dirty thing she’d done. Although… what was the point? It wasn’t as if she’d care. She wanted to murder her husband’s assistant. It wouldn’t bother Britney in the least to get rid of me too. However, I’d already dialed, and it was too late to end the call now. Britney picked up on the first ring.
“It’s about time you called me, bitch,” she said.
“You’re the bitch,” I said. “How could you do that to me?”
“Do what to you?” she asked in her typical artificially sweet tone.
“Send the police to my house,” I snapped.
“What the hell are you talking about? I didn’t call the police, not yet anyway.”
I knew she was smirking when she said that.
“You didn’t call the police? Are you messing with me?” I asked.
Chapter 6
“I didn’t call the fucking police. Now quit your screeching and tell me what you’re talking about. Enunciate so I can understand please. That accent is getting thick again.”
Was she being honest with me? Lying came naturally for Britney, as was the case for all sociopaths. She could look me straight in the eye with a smile on her face and tell me the sky wasn’t blue. Even worse, for a split second, I’d question if she was right.
“A detective showed up at my front door. He was asking about the homeless guy. Apparently, the detective found my phone in that alleyway.”
Britney scoffed. “I knew you were mad at me, Alexsis, but I didn’t think you’d try to screw with me like this.”
In usual Britney fashion, she’d turned this around to make it all about her. Like the time she purposely tripped me, and I sprained my ankle. She’d gone on and on about the stain on her living room rug from the wine I’d spilled during the fall. I’d even bought her a new rug.