Letting You Go (Stone Lake 1)

I should have been there…

I climb out of the car and walk toward the station on shaky legs. I feel like there are a million eyes on me, but I don’t look around to actually see if there are. I open the door to the police station and walk to the front desk. I look around the room and see several cops that I’ve seen in town all sitting at desks. I swallow down the bile that rises when I see some men in suits standing talking to the sheriff. One has a jacket on, and the jacket says FBI on it. Atticus said that he was told they were coming in and were going to take control. Are they here for Gavin now?

Probably.

That’s another reason I’m so desperate.

“Can I help you?”

I look at the man at the front desk. Stone Lake is a small town, but I don’t know him. I can’t even place him. I don’t know why that’s important right now, and I don’t guess it is. I just… I thought maybe if I knew someone here, it would help…

I wring my hands together, my stomach churning. I pray I don’t get sick. Considering the last two days that’s entirely possible and somehow, I don’t think throwing up on the cops will help either Gavin or me.

“I’m here to give a statement.”

“A statement?”

“Yes.”

“What are you wanting to give a statement about?”

“I’m Luna Marshall, Gavin Lodge’s girlfriend, and I’m here to give a statement on his behalf.”

“I’m afraid that doesn’t matter right now. You’ll have to talk to his public defender. This is out of our hands,” he says, his face going hard.

Panic hits me again.

Doesn’t matter? Talk to his public defender?

If I don’t give this statement now, I’ll never get the chance. My parents will lock me up so tight that I’ll never see daylight again.

I have to do this now.

I notice out of the corner of my eye that the men in suits and the FBI-coat-guy are looking at me. I have their attention.

Oh God.

“You have to listen to me,” I say, speaking louder, hoping they hear me… hoping anyone will listen to me. “I need to talk to you about Gavin Lodge.”

“Lady, I don’t know what—”

“I can prove he’s innocent. I can prove that you’ve arrested and charged the wrong person in Jules…” I get choked up when I say her name. A familiar pain lances through me, but I push through. “In the murder of Julie Sampson,” I finally finish.

“You have proof?”

The question comes from the guy in the jacket. I look up at him and I don’t know why, but I get the feeling that he wants me to have proof. He looks almost… friendly.

“I do,” I tell him. “He couldn’t have murdered Jules, because… he was with me.”

“You can prove that?”

“Yeah.”

He puts his hand on my back and looks at the sheriff. “I’ll be conducting this interview. You’re welcome to join, or not. I don’t really give a damn,” he says, and I can tell the sheriff isn’t happy. There’s some major friction there. Suddenly, I’m even more glad the guy in the coat is here.

Maybe he will help.

Chapter Sixty

Gavin

“Good news, Gavin.”

I look up as Detective Dern comes through the door. I’m leaning against the cell wall, sitting on my mattress, which is so paper thin that I can feel the steel underneath it. I like Detective Dern. He’s been decent to me from the beginning, I get the impression he believes me. He thinks I didn’t kill Jules or any of the other women. The problem is I don’t have any proof, that coupled with the fact that the people who they deem as my “family” have all testified against me…

I’m fucked.

“I doubt it,” I tell him, staring at the wall, refusing to let hope rise. I gave up hope a couple weeks back. I haven’t heard from Luna. She didn’t even come to my arraignment. She said she believed in me, but apparently that has changed. I’m truly alone. I rake my hand through my hair, pulling my head down to my knees. The smell of the orange jumpsuit they had me put on smells musty. It’s the same smell that haunts me in this cell. I know Detective Dern is trying to help me, he doesn’t want me to give up hope, but it’s too late.

Maybe it always has been.

“Chin up, Lodge. Things are about to get a whole lot better for you.”

“Is the guard going to be cuter when he does the body search on me this time?” I joke, though there’s no humor in my voice.

There’s actually nothing in my voice, because there’s nothing in me.

I’m empty.

Detective Dern opens my cell door.

Is he going to give me another one of his heart to heart talks? I don’t think I can handle that right now.