nearly laughed when the detective’s eyes widened with shock that he’d say such a thing.
“Was that on?”
“DVR.” Clint wasn’t stupid. He didn’t have a verifiable alibi. But the cop couldn’t say he wasn’t at home—alone—watching a recording, eating fried chicken from the grocery store deli.
“Did you record an intimate night between you and Liz Scott?”
“Don’t answer that.”
Clint ignored his lawyer. “Liz and I shared many intimate nights together. We were dating.”
“That’s not what I asked.”
“Don’t answer,” his lawyer advised again.
Clint dismissed the warning. “Liz and I liked to watch ourselves.” No crime in that.
“Did you text the video to Tate McGrath?”
“Don’t answer that.” His lawyer repeated himself.
Clint made a show of patting his pockets. “You know, I lost my phone. I had it in my car when I ran into the store to pick up dinner, then”—he held up his hands—“I don’t know what happened to it.”
Detective Valdez glared at him. Clint used the same story Tate had told—about a missing phone and the texts sent to Liz breaking up with her.
“So you didn’t send the video to Tate?”
“Did the video and texts come from my client’s phone number?” Finally his lawyer said something helpful.
Detective Valdez’s glare intensified. “No.”
“Then why are you questioning my client?”
“Because he made the video.”
“Liz made it with me. Maybe she sent it to Tate to make him jealous.” Clint shrugged and gave the frustrated cop a smile that only made him glare harder.
“Did you also make a deepfake video superimposing Liz’s face over another woman in a porn video?”
He laughed. “What? A deepfake? I don’t even know what that is.”
Photoshop had nothing on what computer-savvy nerds could do to a video. The one he’d had made was so good, even he believed it was Liz getting fucked. It made him hard just thinking about it.
The cop didn’t believe him. “How did your lawyer get ahold of you tonight if you lost your phone?”
“The same way you did. He called the house. I know it’s old-fashioned, but I still have a landline.” And several prepaid cells.
“You’re facing serious charges and allegations from the women you work with. Aubrey wasn’t the only one you made a sex video with and sent to her coworkers.”
“I never did that.”
“It just miraculously appeared in every employee’s inbox?”
“She craved attention of any kind. Even her threats to kill herself were ways that she tried to get attention. She had a twisted mind and a destructive streak. She loved the drama and getting people’s sympathy. She tried to blame me for everything and get everyone on her side, fawning over her, when all I ever did was try to help her.”
“Yet Aubrey’s story is similar to the four women’s stories who came forward at your work. It’s similar to what’s happening to Liz right now. It’s a pattern that repeats for the women who have the misfortune of knowing you.”
“What can I say, I have a type. They all leave happy, but when I move on, the jealousy comes out.”
“Is that why Aubrey warned Liz away from you? That’s why she had a restraining order? That’s why Liz now has one against you?” The detective handed over the form.
His lawyer read it alongside him.
“She did this because she wants Tate to believe she’s in danger when that is the furthest thing from the truth. But I bet she’s got Tate’s full attention.”
“They’re closer than ever.” The detective’s eye glinted with pride that he’d delivered that gem.
“But will it last with all this Liz drama? I don’t know why women feel the need to create chaos to keep a man’s attention.”
“I don’t know why you think anything you do will break them up. Taunting Liz. Sending the videos. Showing up at the McGrath ranch and assaulting her. Do you really think she’d want you over Tate, who cares about her enough to protect her from you?”
“He only wanted her after I had her.”
“Yeah, and you wanted him to know you had her first.”
Clint couldn’t help the smile. “She picked me over him the first time Tate and I met in the bar. I bet he’s pissed about that and still wondering if she doesn’t really prefer me.”
“She doesn’t. She’s living with him and never wants to see you again.” Detective Valdez tapped the restraining order. “Whatever you think you’re getting out of this, you’re wrong. She loves Tate. He loves her. All you’re doing is proving to her that Tate’s the better man.”
He stood so fast he toppled the chair, and slammed his