Chapter 14 #2
He was fingerprinted and his mug shot snapped, all digital and faster than Oliver expected.
After that, he was instructed to surrender his belt, shoes, wallet, and phone.
He was given canvas slip-on shoes that felt loose on his feet.
He wondered how many other people had worn them before him.
He signed numerous forms, and then he was permitted to stand at a phone hanging on the wall while Carter hovered nearby.
Fortunately, he knew Dave’s number, and he punched it in, hoping he’d pick up for a strange number.
“Hello?”
A small gasp of relief bubbled out of him. “It’s me.”
“Oliver.” Dave’s voice cracked. In the background, Oliver heard several people talking. “How are you? Are you okay?”
“I’m in Glenmont. Just had my mug shot taken, so I get to check that off my bucket list.”
“Babe…”
“Are you okay?”
“Christ, don’t worry about me,” Dave said. “I’ve got the committee together at your grandmother’s place.”
Oliver laughed, but it came out thin and strained.
“Babe…” Dave whispered.
Oliver rushed to fill the space before the silence could break him completely. “I’m glad you’ve got everyone there.”
“We’ll get you out,” Dave said. “I’ve got names of criminal lawyers, and Dieter’s already started making calls.”
“Lucia told me a couple of names after she took me in, but I can’t remember them.”
“She’s here, I’ll ask her.”
“Two minutes,” Carter said.
Oliver cleared his throat. “I don’t have much longer. Dave…I love you.”
“God, babe, I love you, too. We’ll get through this. I’ll be over there as soon as possible tomorrow morning. And once we know how much bail will be, we’ll get that posted and get you home.”
“Christ, bail money. I can’t believe we’re talking about this just before our wedding.”
“One day at a time. One hour at a time if needed.”
“Yeah, I know.”
Carter moved closer, stern expression softening slightly. “Time’s up.”
“I have to go. I love you.”
“I love you, too. I’ll be there tomorrow.”
They said goodbyes, and Oliver hung up the phone. He wiped his eyes, glancing at the detective. “Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me,” Carter said. “Just following the law. Come on.”
Carter walked him to an interview room and left him there on his own. He stared at the walls and shifted in the uncomfortable chair. He put his head on his arms. It felt like hours passed. Would they leave him in there all night? Was this what passed for a jail cell in Glenmont?
He thought about Dave, tried to remember his face, but his brain was tired and all he could come up with was his soft beard and brown eyes.
Oliver counted his breaths. Arraignment within forty-eight hours.
Bail posted, if Dave was able to get the money together.
Each step in the process helped steady him.
There had to have been some kind of evidence for a judge to have signed the arrest warrant, but what?
What had they found that had brought him to this point?
Now they would be able to question him for as long as they deemed necessary, then place him in a holding cell.
How had things become so goddamn complicated?
And dangerous? Three people were dead. Three people he’d personally met, and shared an amazing experience with, all brutally murdered.
He didn’t know the specifics around poor, nervous Vera’s death, but since he was currently being held as a person of interest, he had to assume it was similar to what happened to Lucien and Dominic.
And where was Samira? Had she been murdered as well and her body simply not found?
It had to be the mummy committing the murders, but why? Where was it hiding between the attacks? And most importantly of all, how could it be stopped?
The door opened. Oliver lifted his head, blinking against the light. Carter dropped several case files on the tabletop and flopped into the seat across from him, the chair creaking under him. He folded his hands over his stomach and watched him.
“I didn’t do it,” Oliver said. “I didn’t do any of it.”
“What do you think you haven’t done?”
Oliver unclenched his jaw. “If you’re trying to get me to slip up and confess, you’ll have to work a bit harder.”
Carter sighed and opened a folder. He started laying out photos, carefully watching Oliver’s reactions.
They were disturbing, horrific. Vera’s body lay in a bathtub, one arm at an impossible angle, her bruised and bloodied legs hanging over the side.
Blood splattered the tile surround and covered the inside of the tub.
Her throat was nearly black with bruising, head unnaturally canted to one side.
Open and lifeless eyes stared out at him.
“Oh my God.” Oliver turned away, stomach clenching and bile burning the back of his throat. He could still see the photos, even with his eyes shut. “I—I was just talking to her.”
“We know. She made a video of you and your little sidekick telling her to let you into the room.”
Anger surged, quick and hot. He glared across the table.
“We weren’t telling her. We were asking her.
We left the door open so she would feel safer, and we agreed to let her make a video of everything.
Did you watch it all the way through? Did you see how Dylan threatened me?
Have you questioned him? He’s a hell of a lot stronger than me and seems to have quite the temper. ”
“We did watch it. And we saw you threaten him as well.”
“Threaten him? I didn’t threaten anyone!”
Carter sat back, hands flat on the table. “Do you lose your temper like this often?”
Oliver clasped his hands on the table. He mentally counted to ten.
His leg had been bouncing under the table, and he stilled it.
One day at a time, one hour at a time, even one minute at a time.
He dropped his hands to his thighs. “No. I do not. And I did not lose my temper with any of the people in that room. I’m not a murderer, and I didn’t steal Amenmose’s body. ”
“Who?”
“The mummy. That was his name.”
“Uh huh.”
“Have you talked with Dylan?”
“We have. And we’re going to bring your friend in for questioning as well.”
“Robin has nothing to do with this, either. Leave them alone.”
“We’ll see about that.”
Oliver shook his head. “They didn’t do anything.”
“Uh huh. Care to tell me why someone saw you and your fiancé poking around behind the library the night anyone last heard from Samira Farouk?”
“What? I didn’t know that. She’s missing?” Sweat slicked the small of his back at the lie, his armpits stinging with it.
“She is. Sure you don’t know anything about that?”
He decided it would be easier to admit being there to meet her. “I don’t know about her missing, but she did leave a note on my car while I was being questioned here at the station. She wanted to meet me outside the library but didn’t say why. When Dave and I got there, we didn’t see her.”
“I see. No sign of her at all?”
“We called her name but didn’t find her. We even went around behind the library in case she wanted to meet up back there, but she was nowhere in sight. Do you know where she is?”
“Interesting you went behind the library to look for her. Guess where we found her phone?”
Oliver swallowed hard. “I don’t know.”
“In the woods behind the library.” Carter leaned back again. “Why would you go to the back of the library?”
“I told you, we thought she might have meant for us to meet her back there.”
“There aren’t any good meeting places back there.”
“I didn’t know that,” Oliver said, hearing the pitch of his voice rise and unable to stop it. “I’ve only been attending classes there a few weeks, and it was the first time I’d been to the library.”
Carter sat forward. “All right, Mr. Berridge, you know the routine. Let’s go over all of it again.”