I Shouldn't Love Him
I Shouldn’t Love Him (Book 2) – Chapter 72

Manning

I sat in an interrogation room at the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station in shorts and a t-shirt. I rarely wore shorts, so they were the only clean thing I had left here. My jeans from last night were in a soggy ball at the bottom of my bag like buried evidence. I looked like an adult who had borrowed clothes from a camper.

With my hands on my knees, I absently fiddled with the bracelet that Lake had made for me. I wasn’t used to having things on my hands or wrists. She played with hers when she was uncomfortable, but I had no reason to be nervous. From what Gary had told me, what the cops wanted had nothing to do with me. It comforted me, but it wasn’t like I was entirely innocent. And it made me sweat. I got carried away with Lake in the truck. I always tasted watermelon on my lips. Feeling the humidity of the truck cabin. Heard the drumbeat of music. What if they smelled this fear on me?

Two men entered the small room, an older man with a hose hanging from his belt, and a tall, thin man in a suit. Neither did the cop from last night, and I didn’t know if that was good or bad. It turned out he was fine. He had me walk in a straight line, and when it became clear I was sober, we talked about my plans to join the force while he jumped the truck’s battery.

“Hello, Mr. Sutter,” said the burly man in uniform. “I’m Officer Vermont, and this is my colleague, Detective Krout.” I shook their hands.

“I’ll be honest,” I said, “I don’t know why I’m here.”

“We will get there,” he said. “Need anything before we start?” Water? Coffee?”

“Of course.”

What I wanted most was a cigarette. My head hurt all over from lack of sleep and now this. The bracelet looked like nothing more than a hair on my wrist, but I hadn’t forgotten it was there. It was a special circumstance, though. I’d stop tomorrow.

“Any chance I smoke?”

Vermont laughed as Krout stood at a table against the wall , separating the paper cups with a coffee urn.

“It’s not a TV show, son. But nice try.

The gray, concrete room, lit by a single lamp, looked a bit like a set. Not to mention short and fat and tall and skinny would have made a great pair for a prime time courtroom comedy. I kept it for myself. I respected the police. They may have had the wrong person, but they were just doing their job.

Krout placed three waters and coffees on the table. My mouth got sticky from cravings, so I went to get some water.

“do you have any guesses?” » Krout asked.

It was the first thing he said.

I swallowed my water in one gulp and put the cup down.

“About?”

“Why are you there.”

“Gary relayed what you told him.”

Gary had convinced the cops to wait for me at the door, their presence upsetting the kids.

“Was there some sort of robbery last night?”

“A house in the city, kind and honest people,” Vermont said.

“We just have a few routine questions for you, but it is our duty to review your rights.”

I drank coffee while he read me my rights. I had nothing to worry about, and the more the process went on, the more it became a thing. I wiped my mouth with my sleeve.

“I’m fine. We can continue.

“For the record, would you please state your name, age and occupation.”

“Manning Raymond Sutter. Twenty three years. Camp counselor, construction worker, and whatever else pays the bills.

“Where are you based?”

“Long Beach, California.”

The detective made notes in his file.

“did you grow up there?”

“No. Pasadena.

“Do you have any family in California?”

“My mother is still in Pasadena, I think.”

“What about your father?”

I wiped my temple, my hair growing hot.

“I’m not not sure. Last I heard, he was transferred to Pelican Bay, but that was a long time ago.

Krut looked up.

“Penitentiary?

Why?”

Having a father in prison probably didn’t sound so good. F**k me from afar, no surprise there.

“die.”

“I see.” Detective Krout’s pen continued to scribble on the page. “Tell us about your evening.

I huffed. It was simple, really. At least, what they would know.

“I was in camp most of the night. We ran out of alcohol, so since I was the only one sober, I was asked to go on an errand. I went into town, got some and went back to the campsite.

“What time did you leave?”

“I’d say just before ten.”

“And you came back right after taking the alcohol?” Krut asked.

“Because that’s not what we heard.

“It took me by surprise, that they had heard something. I swallowed to buy myself a second, then remembered the officer from last night. Of course, they knew I wasn’t coming back right away. I had been with one of them.

“Yeah. No. I had car trouble, so it took a little longer.

“No one seems to know what time you got back. According to one source, you said you’ll be right back, but by the time your peers fell asleep at one in the morning, you still hadn’t returned. We figure, being generous, it’s half an hour into town and half an hour back. If you left just after ten o’clock, you should have been back well before midnight.

“Like I said, I had car trouble. It wasn’t my truck, believe me, that piece of metal had its problems. You can go take a look. Better yet, ask your officer.”

Both men’s eyebrows fell.

“Which officer?”

There was no way they didn’t already know. Otherwise, how did they identify me as a suspect?

“I forgot his last name. He found me on the side of the road, made sure I wasn’t driving drunk, then took me away.” Krout sat back

down in his seat with a sigh.

“I haven’t seen any trace of it.”

I shrugged my shoulders.

“Maybe because there was nothing to say. I wasn’t doing anything wrong.

I wanted to drink again, but I was afraid they would read this. I resisted and ended up coughing.

“Can I have some water?”

Vermont and Krout exchanged a look.

“Was Anderson on duty last night?” Krut asked him.

“I don’t know off the top of my head, but he’s most likely sleeping right now.” He turned to me. “We’ll be sure to talk to Officer Anderson.” What was the truck you were driving?

“Ford breaks. Seventy-nine, I think. It belongs to—Vern. Do you know him? He works at the camp.

Vermont ignored me.

“Color?”

“White.

“And that’s all? From there you drove away and the truck broke down?”

“Yes sir.”

“Where was it?”

“About a km from camp.”

Vermont patted the end of his pen on his notepad, nodding his head. No one spoke for a few moments. Krout looked at his watch and got me a refill, which I immediately swallowed. “The fact is,

Mr. Sutter,” said Vermont, “that we have two witnesses that place your vehicle in the neighborhood where the crime occurred, at the time it occurred. Not too far from Phil’s bar. But I don’t see any reason why you should have been near that residence. This n I’m not on my way back to camp.

Damn, it had been such a blip in time, I hadn’t even really thought about our drive around the neighborhood. Lake came to mind first. She’d hung out of the window and I’d let her, like a f*****g idiot. I’d gotten too caught up in her, our last night together. Did they know about her? As long as they didn’t know, I was fine. I hadn’t done anything wrong. I shifted in the plastic chair, suddenly realizing how hard it was.

“I went for a drive. I’ve never been to the area, so I was curious.

The men just looked at me. It was the truth, though.

“Why didn’t you mention it?” » asked Vermont.

“I guess I forgot.”

Vermont sighed as he looked over his clipboard.

“Two different neighbors say they spotted a noisy white truck in front of their homes. Same plates as yours.

I couldn’t go more than ten miles an hour. With the headlights off. To me that looks like someone filming the neighborhood.

The lamp above our heads grew brighter. I wanted my heart rate to slow down; I needed my intelligence. Sitting a little straighter, I said:

“I don’t really have a good explanation for that. I just love this time of night. The peace. Stars.”

“Not peaceful at the camp, in the middle of the woods?” Krout asked, his voice a little harder, more ironic.

“Can’t you see the stars up there where it’s dark? Should we go there? look for in town? I massaged my face.

“It looks bad, I agree, but it’s not like that. It’s just… there are kids everywhere- high, I needed some time to myself. I work in construction. I’m not used to being around all these kids.

The officers let me wander, probably hoping I’d trip myself. J I caught my breath.

“They say anything else?”

“Like what?”

I shook my head. I just needed to know about Lake. If anyone had seen her.

“I’m just trying to understand – I mean, I didn’t do anything wrong. I did not do it. You can search the truck. My cabin. All I brought here with me was a bag, not like I could put any stolen items in it. What did the thief take?

Vermont looked at Krout.

“Nothing. He was interrupted. The woman who caught him described him as tall with black hair and black clothes. “

So it wasn’t really a crime?”

“Of course it was ,” Krout said. “Someone came into a family’s home and confronted the woman. Her children were there. What we need to understand is who and why. “

Someone Was he injured?

“

“Luckily not. The woman snatched his wallet and he ran away. She’s fine. He knew enough to pick a lock. No major damage was done. Do you know how to pick a lock? “

No .”

Of course I did, damn it. My breathing became shallow. I needed more water, but it didn’t seem like I was getting a refill

. “Can I have an aspirin or something?”

“In a minute.” Krout looked through his notes. “The niece from Vermont was at Phil’s, that bar you visited last night. She identified a tall, dark-haired man and your vehicle, so we know that you were there.

I waited for the bomb to drop. Who was the girl in your car?

I screwed up big time. Lake was innocent. Last night I made a few mistakes. I wasn’t thinking straight. Now, in the light of day, I saw how bad it was. Messing with her could have lasting effects on her. If they brought her in, it would traumatize her. People would talk. Its bright future could be tarnished. His father, he was f*****g going to murder me, and who knew what kind of emotional punishment he put Lake through.

“We haven’t talked to Phil at the bar yet,” Krout continued, “but we’ll get to that. I guess he’ll remember you. .

Dark hair.”

I nodded without thinking. Just say it. Just ask me who she was. I didn’t know how I would respond, but the anticipation was killing me.

Krout straightened his file on the table.

“That’s all I have for now. We’ll have to keep you here though. We’re looking at other suspects, then we’ll need you for an lineup. I didn’t know

what to feel. There was some other suspects, that was good. The lake hadn’t been mentioned. Good too. But I was too apprehensive to feel relieved; it didn’t seem like they believed me. “We’re going home

today ‘Today,’ I said. ‘They’re packing the buses as we speak.’

‘There’s not much we can do about it, Mr. Sutter,’ said Vermont. ‘It’s Manning, I meant. Mr. Sutter was my a*****e father who was in prison for a real crime and who I wanted nothing to do with. “I didn’t do that,” I said. “I swear.” “If that’s true, then

that will go by itself,” Vermont replied automatically, as if he had heard it a thousand times before. “In the meantime, we will confirm your story with the officer on duty last night. Is there anyone else we should talk to? Someone who saw you coming or leaving? Perhaps vouch for your whereabouts? »

Lake She was the only one who knew where I was last night. That I was innocent, at least of what they accused. But there was no way in hell, no way, I would drag him into this. I couldn’t put him through that, and I was pretty sure it would do more harm than good anyway.

I swallowed for what felt like the millionth time in an hour. My throat was raw. “I think I would like to speak to a lawyer.”