Bed & Breakfast Bedlam - Abby L Vandiver Page 0,4
make me seem more like a law abiding citizen. And flaunting it might help me appear more unfettered. Although, I still had to put my hands behind my back because I couldn’t seem to control them from trembling. My mouth wasn’t having a hard time spilling lies, but the rest of my body seemed to rebel against it.
“My mother is a biblical archaeologist,” I said.
Why did I say that?
I licked my lips again and shook my head. “And I-I’m just the run-of-the-mill, garden variety type. Why?”
He wrote down something in his notebook. I tried to stand on my toes to see what he was writing.
“If you don’t have any other questions,” I said and adjusted my knapsack on my shoulder. “I was just getting ready to leave.”
“There was a break-in at Track Rock Gap last night,” he said and looked up at me from his notebook. “Do you know anything about it?”
“Track Gap?” I said trying to appear confused.
“Track Rock Gap,” he corrected. “Don’t tell me you haven’t heard of it?”
Should I lie? I already had so many lies that I’d had to keep up with.
“Yes. I’ve heard of it.” I decided on the truth. “Why?”
“Because your car was reported being seen there yesterday.”
A knot rose in my throat.
Oh my God, I really am going to jail.
“We pulled it up on the security cam.” He looked down at his notebook and flipped through a couple of pages.
“Ohio FYE 2965. That’s your license plate?” He looked past me at my car.
“Yes,” I said hesitantly.
“It was recorded around three o’clock yesterday. It shows you outside the gates . . .”
How could I be so stupid and not realize the place had surveillance cameras.
“Wait!” I blurted out. Suddenly it hit me. I felt a smile coming on. “My car was spotted at three o’clock?”
“Yes and -”
“In the afternoon?”
“Yes.”
He’s wasn’t talking about when I was there last night.
He didn’t know. He didn’t know about last night.
I breathed in and exhaled a sigh of relief.
“Oh yes. I was there.” My words flowed. “Thought I’d take a look at it, but it was locked up tight. No visitors I understand?” I raised my eyebrows.
“No. No one’s allowed on the land. We were wondering did you see anyone else there. Or have any idea who was there last night?”
“No.” I took in a breath. “No. I have no idea.” I ran my hand over my face. “Okay, then. Is that all?”
“Just one more question.”
“Alright,” I said even though that’s not how I felt.
“Where were you last night?” He looked me directly in my eyes.
Crap, I thought. Can he tell if I lie? Had he been trained at Quantico to detect liars?
“I don’t know,” I decided to lie anyway. “Sleep I guess.”
“You don’t know where you were?” He arched an eyebrow.
“Your question is kind of vague. Last night encompasses a lot of time,” I said. “Do you mean after six? After nine?”
“After nine.”
“In bed. Asleep,” I said and nodded, lips tight.
“Are you sure?”
“I’m positive,” I said. “I have no reason to lie.”
Ha! If he only knew.
“I only ask because the woman at the desk,” he turned and looked back toward the motel, “said she saw you come in covered in dirt.”
I frowned. “Yeah. I don’t think that happened.” Then I looked directly in his eyes. “Why would she say something like that?”
He kept his eyes locked on mine. A smirk appeared on his face. For some reason that smirk made me nervous.
“I don’t know why she would say that,” he said finally. “Okay, well, if you remember seeing anything or anyone at Track Rock Gap while you were there, give me a call.” He closed his notebook and reached into the same inside jacket pocket and pulled out a business card. He handed it to me. “We’re just trying to figure out if the person who broke in last night had come by earlier as well.”
“I sure will.” I held up the card. “I’ll call if I think of anything,” I said. I opened the back door and threw my luggage inside. I slammed that door, turned, smiled at him and jumped in the driver’s side. I took the satchel from around my and neck and pushed the card he’d given me down in an inside pocket and threw it on the passenger seat. Then I pulled out of that parking lot so fast that I think I left tire marks.
I glanced back over at the parking lot before I turned the corner and saw that FBI man