For Auld Lang Syne (Navy Book 1)

Chapter 19

"So you just took charge of the situation. Tell me, did you know what McIntire and Hilliard had planned when they had you lead the man into the library? Did you know that they were going to shoot the man in the head, killing him?"

Devon looked at the young police officer in front of her, doing her best to keep her calm façade in place, but it was proving hard to do. This was obviously the first serious crime scene that the man had ever worked, and when the lead detective on the scene had asked him to get everyone's statement the man had dove into the job with sadistic joy.

Devon wondered if Kellan had already had the pleasure of talking to this man. If so, they would have to analyze this little man's power play later. She hadn't seen either Josh or Kellan since she left them in the library.

When the police had descended it had been chaos as everyone wanted to have their say. Kurt had been taken to the hospital while everyone else had been escorted back into the living room where, one by one, they had been questioned about what had happened.

It had been amusing and a bit frustrating to watch how Ford, Annabelle, Hal, and Bree had been handled with kid gloves, allowed to give the briefest of statements, and then permitted to leave. Not that Annabelle's statement had been brief or even remotely factual. This was why the police officer interviewing her was currently having such a hard time believing that she did all that she said she did. Annabelle had taken Devon at her word that she would be able to call herself the heroine of the hour and she had done that very thing.

Now, everyone had left but Devon, her parents, and the McIntires, who were hoping to get the chance to talk to Josh before he left.

The officer in front of her gave a dramatic sigh as he leaned forward. "Look, Ms. Tatum, I want-,"

"Dr. Tatum, it's Dr. Tatum and I know very well what you want." Devon said in a clipped voice.

James put his hand on Devon's shoulder to calm her down, and she took a deep trembling breath as she tried to do that very thing.

"No, I did not know what they had planned, I did as I was told," she explained for what felt like the millionth time.

"Who told you what to do?" the police officer asked with a hard stare.

"Josh." Devon gave a weary sigh.

"Mr. Mcintire." the annoying little man clarified.

"Lieutenant McIntire." Devon corrected.

"Lieutenant? Is he a police officer?" the man asked in an amused tone angering her even more.

"No, Navy," she spat and when she heard Jenny and Pamela's intake of breath she realized what she had said, and she closed her eyes in dismay.

"Navy, what does he do for the Navy." The police officer was unaffected by the news.

"You'll have to ask Lieutenant McIntire that question." She wouldn't give him any more information about Josh.

"My son is a Navy SEAL, officer," James said the pride evident in his voice. He had held the secret long enough and now he was no longer willing or able to do so.

"So, McIntire found the time to give you exact instructions on what to do so that he could shoot this man?"

Devon had never wanted to hit anyone so much in her life, and having grown up with Bree that was saying something.

"Yes." She kept it simple.

"He found the time, with all of the screaming and shooting, to tell you exactly what you needed to do." He sounded skeptical that it would have been possible.