A flash of anger shot through him. He was not going to let that be used against him.
Before he could say anything the door to the small room was flung open, and his brother stormed in. “You haul my brother in here, accuse him of being the Nursery Rhyme Killer, and you don’t even give me a heads up?” Nick growled.
Nursery Rhyme Killer? Why did that sound vaguely familiar?
“You know we couldn’t tell you, Nick,” Detective Dawson said calmly.
“We’re family, youcouldhave told me, you just chose not to. Let’s go, Luke,” Nick turned to him. “They don’t have enough to arrest you, they’re fishing. Let’s go. Now.”
Luke stood slowly. He felt like the world had been suddenly filled with fog and he was left to navigate through it not being able to see where he was going.
“Don’t leave town, Mr. Sleigh. We’re not finished. We’ll want to talk to you again,” Detective Bennett told him.
“You want to talk to him again you can call our lawyer.” Nick grabbed his arm and physically dragged him from the room, slamming the door behind them. “What did you tell them?” he demanded.
“Nothing. At least I don’t think so. But they have my fingerprints and DNA.” It sounded like the cops had already decided he was guilty. They had forensics and eyewitnesses. How was he going to prove he didn’t do this?
“They have circumstantial evidence. You ran into Megan and her son in the street. That’s not enough for them to arrest you.”
“I met one of the other victims,” he told his brother.
Nick cursed but said, “That’s still not enough to arrest you.”
He wanted to believe that.
Hereallydid.
But how could he?
If the cops had made up their minds, they would find a way to arrest him. He could spend the rest of his life in prison for something he didn’t do.
How had this night gone from perfection when he walked into that restaurant to see Summer looking even more stunning than usual waiting for him, to a complete and utter disaster?
February 19th
7:13 A.M.
Summer hadn’t slept a wink last night, she’d been too busy worrying about Luke.
She knew why the cops had taken Luke in for questioning because Aggie had told her, but she was having a hard time comprehending it.
After Luke had left with Jonathon and Allina, she had sat in the restaurant in shock, unable to move, unsure what to do with herself, until Aggie had shown up. She wasn't sure how long she’d sat there. She was vaguely aware of the strange looks she was getting from the staff and other patrons, and she thought a waiter might have approached her at some point, but she’d been unable to get her brain to function.
Then Aggie arrived. Her friend had gently taken her arm and guided her outside. As Aggie had driven her home, she had explained that the cops were questioning Luke about some murders.
Summer didn’t understand.
She didn’twantto understand.
She couldn’t believe it was happening again.
So many memories from the past kept flooding her head.
The knock at the door. The detective standing there. The conversation that followed. Being told that her husband was a murderer. She had denied it so vehemently, angry at the insinuation.
Now the first guy she had agreed to go on a date with had been accused of murder.
She was surprised she hadn’t been a mess of tears.