The Colt & The Cobra - THE SPECTER SERIES [book six]

Chapter THIRTY SIX

Annoying..

He is irritating and rude, a sharpness to his attitude and a haughtiness to his tone.. Then again, he probably thinks the very same thing about you.. You aren't exactly being nice..

You try taking a softer approach.. "I think there has been a mistake, Mr Paxton--"

But softness changes nothing..

"No mistake.. You were with Oliver Reid the night he disappeared.. Were you not?" He doesn't bother to look up from his papers..

You snap your mouth shut..

The interrogator sighs in exaggerated frustration.. "Let's try this again.."

He slides a picture across the table and you look down to inspect it.. "I know you were with Oliver Reid the night he disappeared.."

Before you is a picture of you and Oliver at Mimi's gallery, his arm is hooked around your waist and you are smiling.. A fake, forced smile, that now that you see it, it's almost painful.. It's like looking at a different version of yourself..

An insane version of yourself..

So much has changed since that moment..

"That was the last time I saw him.." You confirm before sliding the picture back across the table top.. There is no sense denying it..

He tips his head to one side.. "But it wasn't the last time you spoke to him.. Was it?"

You shift in your seat.. "I had nothing to do with this--"

"I have the phone records.. Reid called you at.. 11:49.. So.. Three hours after 'you last saw him', the two of you spoke, for six minutes.." The scrutiny of his hawklike stare and the Arctic temperatures of the AC make you intensely uncomfortable..

Flustered and freaking out inside, you do your best to hold it all together on the outside, nodding once.. "That sounds about right.."

"Six minutes is a short conversation.. What did you talk about in those six minutes, Mikki?" He probes..

"I don't exactly remember.." You evade.. Actually, your final conversation with Oliver is the last thing you do remember with any certainty.. Anything after that..

Who knows if it was all in your head or a great big fucking lie.. Distinguishing fact from fiction, reality from hallucination, it has become so tangled in the web of your thoughts that you couldn't possibly know the truth..

Hunter breathes a low breath of irritation.. "Of course you don't.. So then, you can't tell me you didn't arrange to meet up with him again.."

"No.. I didn't meet up with him anywhere--" You rub your eyes tiredly, unable to keep up with his switching tangents..

He hums doubtfully.. "Hm, but you just said that you can't remember--"

"Why are you asking me about this?! I didn't fucking abduct Ollie.."

He leans forward on his elbows curiosly.. "Who said anything about an abduction?"

"Well, obviously.. People don't just disappear on their own!" You roll your eyes..

He smiles tightly.. "My thoughts exactly Miss De'lucca.."

You snap sick of being framed as some kind of villan, pushing up to your feet.. You have had enough "This is fucking ridiculous.. I had nothing to do with Oliver going missing, and I really hope you find him.. But you still haven't even told me what the fuck is going on here! If you're not going to give me some answers then I'm leaving--"