Slave: The Ghost of Cambria - Book Two

Chapter Four

Detective Hernandez didn't bother to ask if Tony De Luca had arrived, she simply walked down the corridor to Rooms B and C to let her eyes determine the answer. The lights weren't on in the first room as she passed, but the detective could see the glow coming from Room C.

Glancing in the small door window, she saw him. De Luca was a young man with tousled brown hair that lightly grazed the top of his eyebrows. His was an Italian name with features to match, but Hernandez thought she saw something else in his eyes. His skin was tanned such that she couldn't be sure if its base were Mediterranean olive or light Aztec. Dressed in a simple white crew-neck t-shirt, his arms were covered in dark tattoos, the shades of black ink extending down to his hardly muscled forearms. He owned a handsome face, but the young man was so physically fit, most people likely never noticed it in passing. The detective was not sexually attracted to men, but anyone could guess Mr. De Luca had turned more than a few heads.

If anything, Cole's assertion that De Luca didn't fit a jealous personality type wasn't based on the doctor's imagination. More to the point, Hernandez saw nothing in his eyes that indicated the presence of a predator. There was only light there, even in his anxiety - De Luca's bright brown eyes had yet to grow out of their boyish innocence.

From down the hall, the detective heard footsteps approach, and she turned her head to see the front desk officer approaching.

"That's Tony De Luca," he said rather loudly.

Hernandez silently nodded to the man, the turned her eye back to see De Luca staring up at her through the glass. She promptly took the handle and opened the door to enter the small room.

"Good morning, Mr. De Luca. I'm Detective Hernandez," she said, extending her hand.

He stood awkwardly and reached receive her handshake. The man's palms were clammy. He was as nervous as he appeared - another indicator that she wasn't speaking to a predator. A serial murderer wouldn't be capable of such anxiety.

"Please," she gestured for De Luca to re-seat himself. "Thank you for coming in this morning. I wanted to ask you a few questions about your employer, Kristen Cole."

"Okay," Tony answered with a deep voice and firm nod.

"This is a formal interview, and we prefer to record it, but if you wish for us not to, that is your right," she said with concerned eyes.

"No, I understand - it's cool," said De Luca.

"And if you would prefer a third person to be in the room with us while we speak, you are more than welcome to invite them," the detective said gently.

Her tone seemed to back-fire, and De Luca looked suspicious of the statement.

"Does that mean I need an attorney?" the young man eyed her with concern.

Hernandez smiled, at once wholly certain of who she was dealing with. She took a seat so that she didn't tower over the man as she answered his question.

"Well, by law I'm not permitted to instruct you that you don't need an attorney," she offered. "But I can say that if you decide you want to consult one before we begin, that is with your right. If you want your best friend or a parent to sit here with you, that's okay too."

Hernandez pursed her lips in a sly smile and shook her head almost imperceptibly to convey that he didn't need assistance. It was a violation to suggest it, but she already knew that De Luca wasn't guilty of murder. The detective didn't care to waste any more time allowing the young man's fears to delay the interview.

At the sight of her warm smile, De Luca visibly relaxed.

"No, that's cool. I'm good to go," he said.