Break the Silence (Detectives Kane and Alton)

“There were people, yeah, but I don’t remember anyone specific.” Jones looked into the distance then shook his head. “Nah, I didn’t talk to anyone. I was listening to some tunes.” He pulled a phone out of his pocket with earbuds attached. “Why? You think I killed Alex?” He chuckled. “How?”

“Maybe you spotted for him in the gym and dropped the bar on his neck.” Kane had dropped into his dangerous mode. “You had a motive to kill him. He had the coach bench you and that led to your suspension. If you take him out, a spot on the team becomes available.”

“I didn’t kill him. He’s not worth my time.” Jones grimaced and looked away with a disgusted expression. “And I play wide receiver, Alex played left tackle. You really think after what happened, I’d put my body on the line to protect Seth Lyons in a game?” He shook his head. “I hope the SOB gets what’s coming to him.”

Jenna leaned forward, noting the agitation in the young man. “Because he planted the pipe, or is there something else you’re not telling us?”

“You know, Sheriff, there are just some things a guy doesn’t discuss in the presence of women.” Jones stared at his hands. “Let’s leave it at that?”

A number of things ran through Jenna’s mind but she stood and exchanged a knowing look with Kane. “I’ll wait inside.” She headed for the door then leaned against the wall and watched as Kane asked questions.

Moments later, she noticed Seth Lyons heading her way and moved toward him in an effort to stop him seeing Kane talking to Jones. She searched her mind for a few questions she could ask him, anything to delay his movement along the hallway. “Ah, Mr. Lyons. Just the person I wanted to speak to.”

“Yeah?” Lyons gave her an insolent look. “What now?”

Jenna took her time taking out her notebook and flipping through the pages. “When did you last call Chrissie Lowe? I assume you called her to arrange a ride to the party. We know she climbed into a gray sedan.”

“I didn’t call and I don’t have her number.” Lyons huffed out a sigh. “I spoke to her in the cafeteria. I guess she made her own arrangements for a ride.” He moved into her personal space. “It’s all over, some guy raped her. Look at me, Sheriff. Do you honestly think I need to rape girls?”

Unfazed by his bravado, Jenna leaned in slightly and lowered her voice. “You’ve a bad reputation with women on campus, but no one has made any complaints against you. I’m starting to believe you have someone on the faculty protecting you.”

“I don’t need protection.” Lyons clamped his hand around her arm and glared down at her. “But maybe you do. My dad is a very powerful man with friends in high places. Everyone has secrets, Sheriff, and if you keep harassing me, I’ll find out yours, and come next election you won’t get any votes.”

Straightening, Jenna met his smug expression. His grip on her arm painfully ground the bones together. He was enjoying intimidating her, and with no one in the hallway to witness his behavior, it would be her word against his. She slid her Glock from the holster and pressed it against the zipper of his jeans. “Didn’t your daddy ever tell you not to threaten a woman with a gun? Take your hand off me, turn around, and walk away before I arrest you for assault.”

“Okay, okay. Jesus. I’m sorry.” Lyons dropped his hand and backed away, hands held up in surrender.

Jenna holstered her weapon. “I’ll be watching you, Lyons.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Lyons hurried toward the library.

Jenna turned to see Kane walking toward her. She stared at him. “Well?”

“What was going on with Lyons?” Kane turned to stare after him.

“I wanted to stop him from seeing you with Jones and asked him a few questions he didn’t like. He grabbed my arm and tried to threaten me—”

/> “He did what?” Kane gaped at her with an expression of disbelief. “What did he say?”

Jenna shrugged. “It was nothing and I handled it. What did Jones say?”

“His girlfriend, a freshman, left mid-semester after she was dragged into a car and raped.” Kane’s expression looked like the sky before a thunderstorm. “Jones tried to make her report it but she refused to say who’d raped her. Not long after, Lyons made a comment about Jones’s girlfriend, saying she was ‘tasty.’ When Jones confronted his girlfriend about it, she packed up and left college.”

Jenna swallowed hard. She’d just experienced the evil side of Lyons. “Did he give you the girl’s name?”

“Nope.” Kane pushed his hands into his pockets. “He said she’d been hurt enough and he’d deny he told me.” He looked at her. “It would be reaching to get Lyons charged with rape after so long. If he’s been doing this for some time, we might be able to get a group of women to come forward, but one on one without a shred of evidence will be hearsay at best.”

“Uh-huh.” Jenna chewed on her bottom lip. “Nothing Jones said convinced me he isn’t responsible for Jacobs’ death.”

“There is one thing.” Kane’s brow furrowed, making his eyebrows join in the center. “If Jones and Jacobs were enemies, it isn’t likely Jacobs would allow him to spot him. I don’t figure Jacobs would put himself in such a vulnerable position.”

“Hmm, that’s a point.” Jenna’s cellphone chimed and she glanced at the screen. “It’s Wolfe.”

“I have permission for you to search Alex Jacobs’ locker, but I figure unless Seth Lyons agrees, you’ll need a search warrant for his bedroom. It’s Lyons’ room too, and his father owns the house. Another thing: Kane mentioned it was bleached and clean as a pin. I figure we’d be wasting our time doing a sweep this late in the game; these guys are way too smart to leave any evidence.”

Jenna sighed. “Roger that. Send a copy of the doc to my phone; we’ll go see the security guy again and get access.”

“It’s on the way.”