Murder with a Twist by Allyson K Abbott Page A

sorry for the intrusion, but have you?”
    Sweat was running down the sides of Theo’s face now and he was shifting nervously from one foot to the other. “No, I haven’t,” he said, and I knew instantly he was lying because his taste grew rancid. “I don’t like to do that anywhere but my own place, you know?”
    Cindy let out a snort of derision that made Theo blush.
    â€œI do know,” Duncan said, smiling at Theo and ignoring Cindy. “In fact, I’m the same way. I’ll do anything to be on my own pot. There has been a time or two when I had an emergency and had to do it somewhere else and, let me tell you, I hate that! Did that ever happen to you?”
    Duncan’s voice was relaxed and jovial, and for a split second it worked; Theo looked relaxed and the glimmer of a smile started to form. He gave a half nod and started to say something, but stopped himself. The frightened look returned and the bubbles were coming fast and furious.
    â€œDid that ever happen to you here?” Duncan asked. Cindy’s expression morphed into something scary as she stared at Theo. “Because if that’s never happened to you here,” Duncan pressed on, “we wouldn’t find your fingerprints inside that roll of toilet paper in the bathroom, or on the spindle it’s sitting on, right?”
    It was intriguing to watch the emotions play over Theo’s face and experience the kaleidoscope of sensations it triggered in me. Cindy was glaring at Theo; Will kept shifting his gaze from one person to another, looking utterly confused.
    Theo, whose eyes were bugging, looked like he was about to drown in his own sweat. Suddenly he blurted out, “I didn’t take the money and I didn’t kill him, either! It was Cindy.”
    â€œShut up, you lying little—” Cindy spat out, her voice a veritable conflagration of anger.
    â€œI’m going to stop you both right there,” Duncan said. He then recited the Miranda Warning and when he was done, he focused on Theo. “What do you want to tell me?”
    â€œShut the hell up, Theo,” Cindy warned. Her fists were opening and closing, as if she wanted nothing more than to cold cock Theo. Despite the disparity in their sizes, I had a feeling she could do it with ease.
    â€œShe made me help her,” Theo said, casting a nervous eye at Cindy, who was standing with both hands clenched, giving Theo a death stare. “But I didn’t steal the money and I didn’t kill him. Cindy did. I just helped her cover it up by faking the hanging thing.”
    â€œYou lying bastard!” Cindy seethed. “I’m not going to stand here and listen to this.” She shifted her angry gaze at Duncan. “I don’t know what Theo is trying to do, but he’s obviously not right in the head.”
    â€œShe told me that if I helped her, she’d be my girlfriend,” Theo said.
    Will, whose look of confusion had only grown, gaped at Cindy. “Cindy, is he telling the truth?”
    â€œOf course not!” Cindy insisted irritably. “He’s obviously deluded. He must have a crush on me or something and he thinks we stand a chance as a couple.” She shot a glance at Theo and sneered. “As if I’d sleep with someone like him.”
    â€œBut she did,” Theo said. “She did sleep with me, and I can prove it.”
    â€œThis is ridiculous. You are ridiculous,” Cindy said, and she turned as if to leave.
    â€œI videotaped the whole thing,” Theo said.
    Cindy stopped dead in her tracks.
    Duncan said, “You’re not going anywhere, Cindy. There is another detective and a uniformed officer outside that door who will see to it.”
    Cindy turned around and glared at him, her lips pursed, her face pinched.
    Will said, “Jesus, Cindy . . . you slept with him?” The look of horror and disgust on his face left no doubt as to his feelings on the