by Dani Pettrey
She shut the closet door. She didn’t know what they had been then or what they were now. Everything seemed inside out between them.
“Here.” She tossed it to Reef, despite the strange longing to hold it tight.
“Thanks.” He pulled the bloody shirt over his head and tossed it on top of the washer.
Piper hopped up on the dryer, careful to keep her distance from the shirt. There was so much blood soaked into it. She winced at the loss of life, at the pain the poor woman must have suffered. “Tell me again why you didn’t call the police,” she said as Reef washed the blood that stained his chest. Landon would harp on the fact that Reef hadn’t called the police, she just knew it—surely as she knew Landon, or had known Landon. Things seemed so different now. He seemed so different now. Distant. Edgy. Withdrawn.
“Because I panicked.” Reef swiped his chest with a dry rag. “Tug and Ash thought I did it. They wouldn’t listen.” He pulled on Landon’s sweatshirt and stalked back to the kitchen.
Piper hopped down to follow him. “But didn’t you explain?”
“I tried, but . . . Wait a minute . . .” His blue eyes narrowed. “You believe me, don’t you?” He shook his head. “Of all people, I thought . . .”
Guilt seared her conscience. How could she even for a second believe her brother capable of murder? “Of course I believe you. I’m just trying to understand, so when Landon comes, I can explain it to him.” Landon would assume the worst, given the circumstances. If only her brother had called the police.
Verifying the crime scene was indeed secure and that the medical examiner, Booth Powell, was taking charge of the victim’s body, Landon headed for the McKennas’ property. He figured Reef would run to Piper. She was the one person in the world who’d believe him no matter what.
With a heavy heart, he climbed from his truck and walked the familiar path to her door. No festive occasion would greet him—not even a casual weekly meal. For the first time, he was approaching the McKennas as a law official, and it gave him pause.
Just as he lifted his hand to knock, the front door swung open, the evergreen wreath clanging against the glass.
“Thank goodness you’re here.” Piper yanked him inside.
Not the welcome he’d been expecting.
She wore a bright-pink set of flannel pajamas with some sort of design he couldn’t quite make out in the dim hall light. Her lush amber hair, still mussed from slumber, fell well past her shoulders.
“There’s been a terrible misunderstanding,” she said as they passed through the front room, where bunches of white and silver balloons still bobbed against the ceiling beside the swags of sparkling streamers. Four hours ago this home had been filled with laughter; now it’d been replaced by heartache.
“I need to speak with Reef.”
“He’s in the kitchen.” She stopped outside the swinging door. “The poor thing is so shaken.”
He’d just taken a woman’s life—he’d better be shaken up.
Piper laid her hand against his chest, her lithe fingers resting over his heart. Fitting, he thought dryly. It belongs to her.
“I’m so glad it’s you. That you are the one who came to talk to him.”
He wasn’t there to talk. He was there to arrest. He stepped past her into the kitchen, where the scent of her buttercream frosting still lingered in the air.
Reef sat at the kitchen table. His hands, clasped together on the table’s surface, were clean—as was the shirt he’d clearly just slipped on.
Landon looked back at Piper with disappointment. She’d actually helped him clean up evidence?
“What?” She frowned.
“Reef’s shirt.”
“It’s on the washer.” She pointed to the laundry room door.
“I need it.”
“Why? I told you it’s all a big misunderstanding.”
“It’s evidence, Piper.” He strode into the laundry room, exceedingly thankful to find Reef’s shirt balled on top of the washer rather than in it.
Snagging a plastic Ziploc bag from the cupboard overhead, he shoved the shirt inside and sealed it before further contamination could occur.
“You’re not listening to me, Landon.” Piper trailed him back to the kitchen, not an inch from his heels—just as she’d done as a kid. Back then he’d sworn she’d done it just to annoy him. Now she was dead set on getting his attention.
“Reef.” Landon stopped at the table’s edge. “We need to talk.”
Reef lifted his head, his dark-rimmed eyes bloodshot, his expression indicating shock.
Shock at what he’d done, or shock at getting caught?
This wasn’t Reef’s first run-in with the law, but Landon hoped it was his first taste of death, and hoped even harder that it tasted foul.
“I know that look. I know what you’re thinking.” Piper positioned herself between Landon and her brother.
He was thinking how badly he wished he could spare her from the pain Reef was going to bring on them all.
“You think Reef had something to do with tonight’s accident.”
“Accident? Is that what he told you? That there’s been an accident?”
“No. I mean the mix-up.”
“Mix-up? Piper, a woman’s been murdered.”
Reef’s head lowered, and a guttural moan rumbled in his throat.
Landon stepped around Piper. “Reef, I need you to come with me.”
“You’re taking him in?”
“Yes.”
“But he can explain.”
“Great. He can explain at the station.”
“Is that necessary?”
“He fled the scene of the crime.”
“Because—”
Landon held up his hand to silence her. “I need to hear it from Reef.”
She turned to her brother. “Tell him.”
Landon shook his head. “Hold it. Before you say anything, I need to advise you of your rights. Protocol has to be followed.” Landon indicated for Reef to stand, and he did so, his movements tremulous. Landon pulled out the handcuffs. As upset as he was with Reef, the painful fact remained that he was arresting his best friend’s baby brother, and it stung.
Reef nodded and turned to accept them.
“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law.”
“What’s going on?” The lingering gravel of sleep clung to Cole’s voice. He stood in the doorway, his hair tousled, his gaze suddenly shocked wide awake. He stepped inside, and Kayden followed.
“I’ve got to take Reef in for questioning. He fled the scene of a crime.”
“Kayden said a woman’s been murdered?”
“That’s correct. One of the Freeride competitors. Karli Davis.”
“And, Reef”—Cole’s eyes darted to his brother—“what happened?”
“I didn’t do it,” Reef said.
Cole gaped at Landon, confusion marring his brow.
The despair radiating in his friend’s eyes cut straight through him. He hated being the one to compound the McKennas’ pain. They were family. Maybe not biologically, but they were his family all the same. “I’m taking him to the station. We need to talk.”
“Does he need a lawyer?”
“I’d highly recommend it.”
3
Landon placed the tape recorder on the interrogation room table and slid into the metal chair opposite Reef.
He cleared his throat, and Reef looked up, a pale shadow of the exuberant hothead he’d been at the engagement party mere hours ago. He sat hunched forward, much as he had at Piper’s, his hands clasped on top of the Formica table, his thumbs twitching back and forth.
Slidell remained behind the two-way glass, no doubt keeping a critical eye over the proceedings.
“Let’s get started.” Landon pressed the Record button and slid the tape player forward. “You’ve been advised of your rights, Mr. McKenna?”
“Yes.”
“And you’re waiving your right to an attorney at this time?”
“I am. I didn’t do this.”
“Why don’t you start by telling me what happened?”
“Karli texted and asked if I wanted to have some fun.”
“What time was this?”
“Maybe an hour after I left the party.”
“Cole and Bailey’s engagement party?” It was important to be precise.
“Yeah.”
“She texted your cell?”
“Yeah.”
“And what was your response?”
“I said why not. Not much else to do around here.”
Landon ignored the hometown jab. “Go on.”
“I went to her room. We grabbed some beers and headed for the hot tub.”
“At the lodge?”
“Yeah. They’ve got one of those rooftop Jacuzzis. We drank some and hung out in the tub.”
“Anyone else up there?”
“Ash and Tug were in the tub when we got there, but then they headed in after maybe fifteen minutes.”
“About what time was this?”
“I don’t know. . . .”
Landon lifted his chin. “Take your best guess.”
“Eleven . . . ?”
“All right, and then what?”
Reef looked down, his hands shifting to his lap. “We decided to call it a night.”
“Why?”
Reef cleared his throat. “I was tired of playing her games, so I left.”
Games? He’d come back to that. “And went where?”
“Back to my room.”
“Can your roommate verify that?”
“Dillon? Nah, he was out for the night before I even got back from Cole’s.”
“So you go back to your room, and then what?”
“I turned on the TV.”
“But that wasn’t the end of your night?”
Reef shook his head. “No.” The word came out raw.
Landon reclined in his seat. “Why don’t you tell me about it?”
Reef stared at the door, then down at his feet. “I went back to see her.”
“Why?”
“I felt bad.”
Now they were getting somewhere. “About what?”
“Storming off.”
Landon straightened. “You stormed off? Had you two fought?”
“We had a disagreement.”
“Over what?”
“Her choices.”
“Choices that affected you?”
Reef shrugged.
Landon followed a hunch. “You and the lady have a prior relationship?”
“Wouldn’t call it a relationship. We hung out.”
“How long ago was this?”
“Off and on the past couple seasons.”
“So what ended it? Why the split?”
“No split. It wasn’t like that.”
Landon leaned forward, resting his arm on the table. “So what was it like?”
“I told you. We hung out.”
“Sexually?”
Reef nodded once.
Landon followed another hunch. “She hang out sexually with anyone else that you know of?”
Reef looked away, a quick burst of color flaring in his cheeks.
“I’ll take that as a yes. You know the names of these other guys?”
“Guy.” Reef bit out. “Far as I know.”
“And his name?”
“Rick Masterson.”
Landon kept his voice even, despite the shock reeling through him. “Rick Masterson, the Freeride circuit promoter?”
Reef sank back. “Yeah.”
“Isn’t he married? And about a dozen years older?”
“Last I heard.”
“So you and Karli fought about her relationship with Rick?”
“Again, not a relationship.”
“But you fought about him?”
“We didn’t fight. We disagreed.”
“About her affair with Rick?”
“About the fact that I wasn’t interested in being used.”
“What did she say to that?”
“I didn’t give her a chance to say anything, just left.”
“But you went back?”
“Yeah.”
“Because you felt bad?”
Reef exhaled, rubbing his hands along his thighs. “Karli never was one to show emotion, but she’d actually teared up. I felt I should go back and . . .”
“And?”
“Make sure she was okay.”
“What time was this?”
“I don’t know, maybe fifteen minutes later.”
“Walk me through what happened.”
“I stepped off the elevator and heard her scream.”
Landon cocked his head. “You heard Karli scream?”
“Yeah.”
“How’d you know it was Karli?”
“Trust me. I’ve heard her yell enough in competition. Besides, she was the only one up there when I left.”
“What did you do?”
“I called her name.”
“She answer?”
“No, and I couldn’t tell where she was. I called her name again. She didn’t answer, but I heard something in the ladies’ changing room.”
“Define something. What specifically did you hear?”
“A thump and some—I don’t know—sounds of movement.”
Landon nodded, prompting him to continue.
“I announced I was coming in, just in case someone else was in there. . . .”
“And was there?”
“Not that I saw.”
“What did you see?”
“Karli.” Reef squeezed his eyes shut, his face contorting. “She was lying on the floor, facedown. Blood was . . .” He swallowed. “I thought maybe she fell, slammed her head on something. I bent down and rolled her over, and that’s when I saw . . .”
“Saw what?”
Reef swallowed. “That she was dead.”
“How’d you know she was dead?”
“Her eyes were wide open. I could just tell. I saw the blood and tried wiping it up.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. I was just trying to stop it.”
“Stop what?”
“The blood.”
“But you said you knew she was already dead?”
“Yeah.”
“So why worry about stopping the blood?”
“I don’t know, man. I just needed to stop it, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t help her. I slumped to the floor and pulled her in my arms, and that’s when . . .”
“When?” Landon prodded.
“Ash and Tug came in. Ash screamed, and Tug asked what I’d done. I told him. I tried explaining I’d found her like that, but he was freaking out.” Reef raked a shaky hand through his hair. “I know I shouldn’t have left, but Tug kept yelling ‘What’d you do?’ I panicked, pushed past him and ran.”
“To Piper’s?”
“Yeah.”
“What did you do when you got there?”
“I scrubbed Karli’s blood off my hands while I explained what happened to my sisters. And then you showed up.”
“I want to make sure I’ve got this perfectly clear. You’re claiming that you did not kill Karli Davis?”
“No. I told you I found her that way.”
“With blood on her chest?”
“Yes.”
“What about the weapon?”
Reef blinked, staring off somewhere in the distance. “Weapon?”
“The eyewitnesses said you had a weapon in your hand.”
His eyes darted back to Landon as if he’d been awakened from a dream. “The knife.”
“Yeah. What can you tell me about the knife?”
“I saw it lying there and I picked it up.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. It just seemed out of place. I saw it on the floor beside her body, and I picked it up. I dropped it when Ash sc
reamed. Sounded just like Karli’s had, all high-pitched and squeaky.”
“Before Ash and Tug showed up, did you see anyone else? Anywhere on the floor?”
“No.”
“So you heard Karli scream, you heard scuffling, but when you entered the changing rooms you saw no one but Karli?”
“Right.”
“You saw no one enter or leave through the changing room door other than you, and then Ash and Tug.”
“Right.”
Landon leaned forward. “Reef, it’s vital to the investigation and best for you if you’re completely honest with me.”
“I was. You can’t honestly think I hurt Karli. Come on, Landon. You know me. You lived with us.”
A long time ago. “That may be, but evidence doesn’t lie. You can make this a lot easier on yourself and your family if you tell the truth. Lies are only going to hurt those you love.” He knew that firsthand.
“I’m not lying. I didn’t hurt Karli.”
“Karli wasn’t hurt, Reef. She was killed.”
“I didn’t do it. I didn’t kill Karli.”
Landon glanced back at the two-way glass behind him. He knew what had to be done. Time to rake Reef over the coals, even if he was his best friend’s little brother, even if it was the last thing he wanted to do.
“Reef, two witnesses place you at the scene of the crime, holding the murder weapon, with the victim’s blood all over you. Once confronted, you ran and tried to cover up evidence.”
“I didn’t try to cover up anything.”
“You washed critical evidence off your hands.”
Reef looked at his hands, fingers splayed. “I was just trying to get her blood off. My friend’s blood.”
“Your friend? A minute ago you said you were sick of playing her games. That doesn’t sound much like a friend.”
“We were going through a rough spot, but I cared for her.”
“You cared about a girl that was two-timing you with a married man?”
“I told you our relationship wasn’t like that.”
“I thought you said it wasn’t a relationship. That the two of you were just hanging out.”
“You know what I mean.”
“No, Reef, I don’t. Did you and Karli have a relationship or not?”