Now why don’t you tell me what all this is about or I’m going to walk right out the door. You’re not arresting me, and if you do, I’ll call my lawyer.” To prove her point, she stood up.
The moment she did, Kinsey’s face darkened, all charm disappearing. The handsome detective took on a dangerous edge she hadn’t noticed before. The man was almost a closed book as far as her seer abilities went. He definitely had natural psychic walls, sort of like Parker. She got only brief glimpses of his aura. A sharp flash of red almost seemed to pop off him for a moment, but then it dissipated like mist. Red meant a lot of things, including anger. And she had no doubt the man was angry. She didn’t need any of her seer abilities to figure that out, though. Right now she could actually
scent
his fury. Something raw and sharp burst into the air, jarring her. He opened the manila envelope that had been sitting in front of him and dumped out a handful of glossy eight-by-ten photos.
Kat felt the color drain from her face as she stared at the pictures of blood and gore in front of her. It took a moment for her brain to compute what she was seeing. Body parts. Everywhere. All over what looked like a kitchen. Bile rose in her throat, forcing her to turn around. She slapped a hand over her mouth, trying not to throw up on the dingy tile floor. She clutched her stomach while gagging until she felt the detective’s presence behind her.
He held the small trash can she’d seen in the corner of the room in his hand. “Do you need this?”
Shaking her head, she swallowed a few times until she was sure she wouldn’t be sick, then sat back down. Thankfully, he’d put the pictures away.
The detective leaned against the table next to her seat, looking down at her. She knew what he was doing, trying to use his size and position to intimidate her. At the moment she didn’t care. Breaking her own rule of not talking more than necessary, she asked, “What was that? Or who . . . was that?”
“Scott Ford.” His face betrayed nothing.
She blinked once, still trying to grasp what she’d seen. “And you think
I
did that?” She couldn’t keep the incredulity out of her voice.
“Did you?”
“No.” She gritted her teeth.
“We know you were turned into a shifter not long ago.”
Her brow furrowed. She hadn’t publicly announced it, but it wasn’t a secret. If this guy actually thought she was capable of what those photos showed, she decided to prove she hadn’t done it. She could hear her father’s voice in her head telling her to get a lawyer, but she squashed it. She’d done nothing wrong. Well, two nights ago she hadn’t. “You want my DNA to prove I didn’t do that?”
The detective leaned back slightly, gauging her. “You’re not required to do that.”
“I know, but if it’ll help eliminate me as a suspect to find whoever did”—she motioned to the now closed envelope—“that, I’m willing to cooperate.” The second the words were out of her mouth, the door opened and Parker walked in.
“Come on, Kat.” Parker motioned with his hand.
Detective Kinsey shook his head and stood. “I can take her—”
“I’ve got her.” Parker’s voice didn’t leave room for argument.
As soon as she was out in the hall with Parker, his face softened. Luckily that muddy blue aura had completely disappeared so maybe he wasn’t worried about her anymore. “I’m sorry I wasn’t in there. Since you’re friends with December, there couldn’t be any appearance of impropriety. As soon as we get your DNA, you can leave. I’m sorry we dragged you down here, but you were on the video surveillance with him at the bar and your prints were in his truck.”
Kat swallowed at the words “video surveillance.” If she was on it, that meant Jayce was likely on it too. Something heavy settled in her stomach. She hoped Jayce hadn’t been behind that awful attack, but if he had been she really hoped the cops didn’t
The moment she did, Kinsey’s face darkened, all charm disappearing. The handsome detective took on a dangerous edge she hadn’t noticed before. The man was almost a closed book as far as her seer abilities went. He definitely had natural psychic walls, sort of like Parker. She got only brief glimpses of his aura. A sharp flash of red almost seemed to pop off him for a moment, but then it dissipated like mist. Red meant a lot of things, including anger. And she had no doubt the man was angry. She didn’t need any of her seer abilities to figure that out, though. Right now she could actually
scent
his fury. Something raw and sharp burst into the air, jarring her. He opened the manila envelope that had been sitting in front of him and dumped out a handful of glossy eight-by-ten photos.
Kat felt the color drain from her face as she stared at the pictures of blood and gore in front of her. It took a moment for her brain to compute what she was seeing. Body parts. Everywhere. All over what looked like a kitchen. Bile rose in her throat, forcing her to turn around. She slapped a hand over her mouth, trying not to throw up on the dingy tile floor. She clutched her stomach while gagging until she felt the detective’s presence behind her.
He held the small trash can she’d seen in the corner of the room in his hand. “Do you need this?”
Shaking her head, she swallowed a few times until she was sure she wouldn’t be sick, then sat back down. Thankfully, he’d put the pictures away.
The detective leaned against the table next to her seat, looking down at her. She knew what he was doing, trying to use his size and position to intimidate her. At the moment she didn’t care. Breaking her own rule of not talking more than necessary, she asked, “What was that? Or who . . . was that?”
“Scott Ford.” His face betrayed nothing.
She blinked once, still trying to grasp what she’d seen. “And you think
I
did that?” She couldn’t keep the incredulity out of her voice.
“Did you?”
“No.” She gritted her teeth.
“We know you were turned into a shifter not long ago.”
Her brow furrowed. She hadn’t publicly announced it, but it wasn’t a secret. If this guy actually thought she was capable of what those photos showed, she decided to prove she hadn’t done it. She could hear her father’s voice in her head telling her to get a lawyer, but she squashed it. She’d done nothing wrong. Well, two nights ago she hadn’t. “You want my DNA to prove I didn’t do that?”
The detective leaned back slightly, gauging her. “You’re not required to do that.”
“I know, but if it’ll help eliminate me as a suspect to find whoever did”—she motioned to the now closed envelope—“that, I’m willing to cooperate.” The second the words were out of her mouth, the door opened and Parker walked in.
“Come on, Kat.” Parker motioned with his hand.
Detective Kinsey shook his head and stood. “I can take her—”
“I’ve got her.” Parker’s voice didn’t leave room for argument.
As soon as she was out in the hall with Parker, his face softened. Luckily that muddy blue aura had completely disappeared so maybe he wasn’t worried about her anymore. “I’m sorry I wasn’t in there. Since you’re friends with December, there couldn’t be any appearance of impropriety. As soon as we get your DNA, you can leave. I’m sorry we dragged you down here, but you were on the video surveillance with him at the bar and your prints were in his truck.”
Kat swallowed at the words “video surveillance.” If she was on it, that meant Jayce was likely on it too. Something heavy settled in her stomach. She hoped Jayce hadn’t been behind that awful attack, but if he had been she really hoped the cops didn’t
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