Chapter 11
Once they were in the parking lot, Craig was escorted to the deputy’s patrol car, and Major followed them to the station, where Everett Murdock and Sheriff Wyatt Macy were waiting.
Major had never met the Gargoyle, but his Gryphon recognized another shifter by his scent.
Everett introduced himself to both Craig and Major before the sheriff led them to the interrogation room.
Major was surprised when Murdock requested his presence, but then again, Mason probably shared with Everett Major’s ability to voice people.
Everett sat across from Craig, while Major stood against the wall. The sheriff had remained outside.
“Mr. Kilbrook, thank you for joining us. The sheriff was kind enough to allow me to meet you here instead of dragging you back to Atlanta. Do you know this woman?” Everett slid an eight by ten photo across the table.
“Not that I know of. I meet hundreds of fans, so it would be impossible to remember them all.”
“Does the name Carmen Lawrence ring a bell?” Everett left the photo in front of Craig.
“No. Is that her?”
Everett ignored him and asked, “Have you ever been to Springfield or Corona in North Carolina?”
Craig shifted in his seat, crossing his arms over his chest. “Not that I can recall, but I have filmed in Wilmington. If those cities are close to Wilmington, it’s possible I’ve driven through them. Detective Murdock, does this have anything to do with why I was attacked?”
“Where were you on January 5th of this year?”
Craig uncrossed his arms, then clasped his hands together on the table. “I would have to check my calendar, but I’m pretty sure I was home. The crew was scheduled to meet in Atlanta at the end of the month.”
“Can anyone corroborate your whereabouts?”
“Yes, my wife. What is this about?”
“I’ll need to speak to your wife before we go any further. What’s her phone number?” Craig rattled off her digits, and Everett jotted them down, then excused himself. Craig placed his elbows on the table with his hands in his hair.
Major read a long text from Tabitha as he waited until Craig looked up. Calling on his Gryphon, Major asked, “Craig, tell the truth. Do you know Carmen Lawrence?”
“No, I don’t. Like I said, I may have met her at some point, but if I did, I don’t recall it.”
Everett returned to the room. “Mr. Kilbrook, you aren’t being arrested, but you are a person of interest in the death of Carmen Lawrence.”
Craig scraped his chair back and stood abruptly. “Murder? But I don’t know her!”
“Mr. Kilbrook, sit down.” Everett didn’t have a Gryphon’s voice, but he was a shifter, and the directive was immediately followed.
A light clicked on for Major. “Detective Murdock, can I speak to you outside for a moment?”
Everett stood, slotted the photo into the manilla folder, and brought it with him. When they were in the hall, he asked, “Was that the truth?”
“Yes. If my suspicions are correct, you might be looking for Daniel and not Craig. They are close enough in appearance they could be mistaken for one another.”
Everett lowered his voice so that only Major could hear him.
“We haven’t exactly been forthcoming with Adams Brothers Studio, but we didn’t want to say anything until we had further information.
Here’s the long of it. Carmen Lawrence went into foster care at age four when her mother, who was a prostitute, lost custody.
This we found out from Toby, Brad’s foster brother.
At one point, Brad, the Mixon brothers, and Carmen were all in the same house.
She was their little sister for a few years, and she reconnected with them once they became adults.
Carmen had confided in Toby that she was pregnant, that the father was someone important, and he was going to take care of her and the baby.
“Fast forward to a month ago, and Carmen didn’t show up for work three days in a row.
Her boss couldn’t get her on the phone, so she drove to the house, and when no one came to the door, she called the police to do a wellness check.
They found Carmen, and considering there was a note, it was ruled a suicide by a drug overdose.
Her boss argued that there’s no way Carmen would have killed herself.
She was pregnant, happy, and looking forward to having a child.
Toby also argued she wouldn’t have committed suicide, especially not with drugs.
Carmen’s mom died of an overdose; therefore, Carmen detested drugs of any kind.
Hell, she became a social worker who tried to help street kids.
“Carmen confided in Toby, so it’s possible she also told Brad about the baby.
Where Toby and his brother kept their noses clean, Brad ended up working for Damian Cabretti.
Damian is not a good man. He’s wealthy, shady, and has more shell corporations than the Feds can keep track of.
I’m not saying Brad knows about Damian’s less than legal dealings, but if he does, that makes him guilty by association. ”
“Why did they think Craig was the father if she only told them he was someone important?”
“She named him in the suicide note.”
Major huffed. “And we know those can’t be forged. Since Craig is telling the truth about not knowing her, the cops must not have questioned him after finding the note.”
“Someone could have paid them off, but we now have motive for Brad going after Craig, even if he went after the wrong person.”
“Why did Toby come forth?” Major asked.
“My guess is the alleged suicide. Toby knew Carmen was anti-drugs. Her boss knew this. Brad did as well. If she was happy and detested drugs, this was murder. Toby said Brad didn’t show up to the funeral, which was red flag number one.
He went to speak with Brad, and the roommate said Brad left town a couple of days prior to the funeral.
When Toby saw on the news that Craig had been attacked, he put two and two together.
He figured Brad went after Craig, thinking he was the one who gave her the drugs seeing as Craig is married and more than likely wouldn’t want the wife finding out about his side piece and their unborn child.
” Everett rubbed a hand over his head. “Do Craig and Daniel really look so much alike that Daniel could have fooled Carmen into believing he was his nephew?”
“Yes.” Major confided in Everett what the Trio had found about their true identities and the scandal that instigated the brothers moving to the States. “This wouldn’t be the first time Daniel got someone pregnant.”
“But if it is him, why throw Craig under the bus?”
“From what I can tell, there’s not a lot of love lost between the brothers. Maybe Daniel is tired of being in his baby brother’s shadow. My question is why is Brad keeping quiet? Who is he trying to protect?”
Everett blew out a breath. “I wish you could travel back to Atlanta and voice him. That would make my job a lot easier.”
“You may get your wish. The movie is at a standstill. Let me call Mason and see if he can get someone else to guard Craig for a day, and if so, I’ll make the drive.”
“I’d appreciate it. For now, I’m going to release Craig and look into the brother. If the Trio finds anything else…”
“I’ll keep you posted.” Major followed Everett into the interrogation room.
Everett gestured toward the door. “For now, you’re free to go, but don’t leave town.”
“Do I need my lawyer?” Craig asked.
“It wouldn’t hurt to have him or her on standby,” Everett replied. “You need to call your wife, though. She wasn’t happy that you needed an alibi.”
Craig stood and walked out of the room with Major following. Before going outside, Major asked Craig to wait in the lobby while he checked the SUV for trackers. When he found none, he opened the door and gave Craig the all-clear.
“Why did you want to speak to the detective alone?”
“I told him I thought you were telling the truth, then he got a call and had to step away,” Major lied.
Craig was quiet until they reached the SUV. As soon as he was buckled in, he turned to Major. “Why would you believe me? You don’t know me.”
Major turned the engine on, put the vehicle in reverse, and backed out of the parking spot. “Because of the way you jumped my shit when I asked about Olivia. I figure a man has a good wife, he’d do anything to keep her, and that includes not putting his dick where it doesn’t belong.”
“Oh. Well, thank—”
Gunfire cracked the air, and their back tire was hit. “Fuck,” Major growled. The vehicle was equipped with run flats, plus it was bulletproof, but that didn’t mean they were out of the woods.
“What the hell?” Craig screeched.
“Hang on.” Another bullet hit the back window, and Major glanced in the rearview mirror to see a dark SUV similar to his own bearing down.
There were two men: one driver, one passenger.
It was the passenger who was shooting at them.
While keeping one hand on the wheel, he popped open the glove compartment and removed the handgun Mason insisted he carry.
Major then pushed the button on the steering wheel and announced, “Call Harlow.” Craig slouched down in his seat with his arms over his head.
After a couple of rings, Tabitha’s cousin answered. “Harlow here.”
“I have someone firing on Craig and me. We just left the DeKalb County Sheriff’s office headed back toward Stone Mountain. Call and ask for backup while I try to lose them.” A spray of bullets peppered the back glass.
“Got it. Stay on the line.” Harlow tapped at her computer. When someone answered at the sheriff’s office, Harlow announced, “Major Lazlo is being pursued by an armed gunman after leaving your office headed south. Request backup.”