Sweet Little Lies

Chapter Twenty-Six

"How did you know Detective Waterford?"

Harry leaned back in the chair, "I didn't."

Sharp eyes watched him, studying his every move, trying to decipher his tells, if he had any at all. The detective across from him was unfamiliar. Which meant dangerous ground. The Styles family - along with every family in the circle - held a lot of power over the Queenstown police force. Every family had their ins, the detectives or officers who would give them information, who were on their payroll. Waterford was Harry's.

"You didn't know him?" She flipped open a folder on her desk. Smoothly, she took the top page and slid it to Harry's side. A photograph. Of him and Detective Waterford. "Can you explain this then?"

Through years of training, Harry's face stayed unmoving. His mind was moving a mile a minute, taking in as much information as this detective was trying to do to him.

Harry shrugged, "I didn't know him."

"Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"Tell me, Detective..."

"Gold."

"Detective Gold." He drawled, pushing the photograph back towards her, "do you remember every face you see?"

"Maybe not." She replied, then leaned her elbows on the desk, "But I have a hard time believing that you don't."

"You seem to know a lot about me." Harry mused.

"I think you're a very interesting person, Mr. Styles."

"Enlighten me."

Silence descended on them, the tick of the clock on the wall echoing around the room. Detective Gold sat back in her chair, mirroring him.

"Harry Styles. Heir to the technology empire your father and grandfather built before you. Worth about one point five billion dollars. Queenstown native, lineage going back over a century ago. Only child to Patrick and Mona Styles. Graduated from Bishop Queens private school with top honors at eighteen, and attended the local uni studying business. Bachelor in three years, masters in one, then immediately went full time at your father's company.

"No record, but has a propensity for fighting. Top draw at The Hollow, boxing division. Never lost a fight. No DUI's, drug possession, illegal arms, prostitution charges, unlike others who grew up with your type of money. Clean as a whistle." Her head tilts to the side. "A slew of public sightings with models, socialites, and celebrities. Short lived dalliances, I suspect. Up until this last summer when you started dating a miss Ivy Malone of Malone Whiskey, and within six months you were married. Congratulations, by the way."

He nodded in acknowledgment, no emotion passing through his features.

"It's really too bad the wedding night was ruined by Detective Waterford's death." She added, "That must have been hard to come home to. Especially after your new home burnt down the same night."

"It wasn't ideal." Was all Harry said.

The corners of her lips turned up, "So strange that all happened in one night."

He didn't say anything right away, and Detective Gold continued to stare at him. Did she think she would win like this? Harry could admit she was much different than the usual breed of pigs in this city. Many were easy to buy, and more were easy to manipulate. Detective Gold was young for a detective, maybe thirty. Probably amongst that type of cop who wanted to "clean up the city". There were always those who tried, but eventually they all fell to the established order of things.

"Is that a question?" Harry asked.

"Do you have any enemies, Mr. Styles?" She said after a few beats.