Chapter 26

"Were you at Jake's house Monday night?" Detective Palmer asked.

How to answer that? I wasn't so sure answering truthfully would shed the best possible light on me. In this particular moment, good lighting meant everything. I decided on telling a related truth that skirted around his question.

"Travis Black had the idea to walk to the wildlife refuge and see the sunset over the duck pond that evening." Technically true, even though we hadn't actually done that. I felt Boxy's gaze bore into me. Something told me I'd have to survive his inquisition, too, if I survived this one. "We met at Gas, Guzzle, & Go because he kept going on and on about their sushi. I passed on that."

"Smart thinking," one of the officers nearby muttered.

"What time was that?" Detective Palmer asked.

"About eight thirty. After the wildlife refuge, I came home about ten." Then it hit me. "That was when I noticed the lock on my door was harder to lock."