Cut and Run (Lucy Kincaid #16) - Allison Brennan Page 0,128

cabinets and tile samples.

“I don’t know what else I can tell you,” Clemson said, pushing papers aside and stacking tiles that didn’t need to be stacked.

“I’ll get right to the point,” Lucy said. Nate stood in the doorway looking intimidating, which made Clemson even more nervous. “Detective Reed is in Chicago. She had a nice conversation with Melissa Randolph.”

Clemson sat down. He paled, visibly shaken.

“Ms. Randolph came clean. That happens when someone is facing a felony.”

“F-felony?”

“Accessory after the fact in a felony case is also a felony,” Lucy said. “I’m letting the Bexar County DA work out a plea arrangement with Ms. Randolph. She didn’t know that she was giving you an alibi for murder.”

“Wh-what? I didn’t kill anyone.”

“Let me explain what happened. Your car was parked in the driveway of the house where Victoria Mills was murdered. It left at ten thirty. I went over and over the crime scene photos and the witness statements and talked to the witness who saw your car leaving the neighborhood that night. And when I looked at a map, I realized that you weren’t leaving from your house, you were leaving from Mills’s house.

“Evidence at the scene proves that whoever killed Victoria Mills got into the passenger side of a vehicle in the driveway.” She put a photo down of the blood drops on the drive. “When Detective Reed returned two days after Victoria’s murder to question you about your alibi—if you remember, you originally told her that you were home all night and didn’t hear anything—you ‘remembered’ that you met Melissa for drinks.

“According to Ms. Randolph, she was asked the day after Victoria’s murder to tell anyone who asked that she met you at Russo’s for drinks. Convenient, because Russo’s doesn’t have any security cameras. Or rather, they didn’t until a series of car thefts prompted the owner to put cameras in the parking lot. We went back and checked that night—neither your vehicle nor Ms. Randolph’s vehicle was in the parking lot at all the night Victoria was killed.”

It was true that Russo’s had put in security cameras; however, they didn’t keep the footage this long. It was a bluff Lucy played well.

Clemson didn’t say anything.

Lucy put down a photo of Victoria’s body in the pool. It was bloated from floating in the water all night. Clemson closed his eyes.

“Who did you pick up at the Mills house?”

He didn’t speak.

“Mr. Clemson, I’m getting a warrant to search your car. No matter how well you clean up blood, we will find it. Bexar County has the best CSI in the state. Did the killer touch the door handle? Inside or outside? The seat? Did a drop drip down between the door and the seat, hiding in the dark where you can’t see it? We will find it.”

“Kincaid,” Nate said, and cleared his throat. He turned his phone to her. She turned back to Clemson. “We have the warrant. We’ll secure the car until the crime scene team gets here. Save us some time and energy. Who did you pick up at the house?”

He still remained silent. He was thinking how he could get out of this. Sweat beaded on his forehead.

“You’re not getting out of this, Robert,” Lucy pushed. “Would you like to see the warrant? Because it’s very clear that we can search your entire car, and if I find one drop of blood I will get an expanded warrant for your house, your property, your work, and all your financial records.” She stressed financial because of what Clemson told Sean at the bar the other night.

His mouth opened and closed and opened and closed.

Lucy took another photo out of her folder but didn’t show him yet. “I want to make something clear to you. We are your best hope at staying alive. Because you know what happens when you disobey orders? The people you’re playing footsie with are dangerous.” She slapped down the photo of Stanley Grant at the courthouse. He died at the hospital, but one of the cops had been smart and took a couple of pictures at the scene before he was transported.

Lucy then slapped down a photo of the mass grave where the Albrights were buried.

“Talk, we’ll protect you. Remain silent, you’re on your own. One drop of blood, and I’ll have your arrested for murder.”

“Murder! But you said accessory—”

Finally, he speaks.

“Victoria’s blood in your car and you say you didn’t pick anyone up at the house? That tells me her blood is there because