Murder Deja Vu

off.”
    “No way.” Incensed, Reece forgot and took a deep breath. Pain shot through him. He groaned, jamming his head back into his pillow. “Christ, that hurts.”
    “Take it easy,” Jeraldine said. “We’ll get to the bottom of this.”
    “Yeah, right. Like they did in Cambridge?”
    “Forget Cambridge,” Clarence said. “We’re not there. The police will be in here soon, so tell me what happened in Carl’s office.”
    Reece felt like a coiled snake, ready to strike. He forced his body limp. “I was on my way out the door of the office when he shot me. I shouldn’t have turned around.”
    “Right, honey,” Jeraldine said. “Good thinking. Then he would have shot you in the back and you’d be dead.”
    “But—”
    “No buts, Reece. We don’t have time for this,” Clarence said, his tone sharp. “Tell us what the fuck happened.”
    This was a side of the investigator Reece hadn’t seen. He cleared everything from his mind except the last few minutes in Carl’s office. “Carl admitted to two murders. Karen and the first murder in North Carolina, but not the second. He said he was obsessed with Karen and couldn’t stand it when he found out she’d screwed everyone with a dick.”
    Reliving the conversation hurt Reece worse than the pain in his chest, and he swallowed the knot in his throat. “He had years of resentment built up toward me. Said I was too perfect. I never saw myself that way.” He fought the feeling of despair. “You know what else he said? Since I knew the ropes, it’d be easier for me to go back to prison. Can you believe that?”
    “I was a cop for a long time. Not much throws me.” Clarence leaned across and patted Reece’s arm. “Nothing you can do about it now. It’s history. We’ve got to get you out of this.”
    Reece wanted to ask how when the door burst open. Dennis Tobey and another man came into the room. Reece knew right away he was a fed. Short cropped hair, navy suit, navy striped tie. The wardrobe, along with the attitude, must be written in the manual, to be followed without question.
    “You’re not his lawyer,” the man said to Clarence. “You have no business being in here.”
    Jeraldine stood, placing herself between the man and Reece. “I am his lawyer, and I say he has every right. So does my client.”
    “Humor me,” the man said. “Just this time. Otherwise, take it to court.”
    “He stays,” Jeraldine said. “Or you can take it to court.”
    Clarence stood there, wrapped in an air of defiance. The man shrugged. He turned to Reece, who wasn’t sure he had the strength for whatever loomed on the horizon. His body ached, and sadness overwhelmed him about Dana and Carl and the two guys in the room who were going to slam him back in prison.
    The man pulled out his badge. “Special Agent Michael Larkins, Mr. Daughtry. You know Detective Tobey. We’d like to hear your side of the story.”
    Reece looked at Jeraldine.
    “I’m here,” she said, then turned to the federal agent. “I’ll decide what he answers and what he doesn’t, Agent Larkins. Go ahead. Ask your questions.”
    “I won’t talk until you tell me Mrs. Minette won’t be charged with anything. Period.” Reece saw Jeraldine give him the evil eye, but he didn’t care.
    “You’re really not in a bargaining position,” Larkins said. “I’ll do my best, and that’s all I can promise.”
    Reece wanted to take a deep breath, but he remembered what deep breaths felt like. He relaxed and closed his eyes for a minute. He was so tired. His thoughts wandered back to his house in North Carolina, his animals, and Dana sitting cross-legged on his dock in the pre-dawn light. She got up and sat on his lap, bottom damp and cool, warm hands on his face. She whispered something in his ear, but he couldn’t make it out. The voice filtered through a haze from far away, calling his name. Reece opened his eyes to Jeraldine hovering over him.
    “Reece,” she said. “I’m here.”
    He blinked from the light. “I see that, Jeri.” His voice rumbled rough with sleep. He couldn’t remember closing his eyes. Larkins and Tobey stood like two sentries, looking impatient. How long had he been out? “You guys still here?”
    “Yup,” Larkins said. “You conked out for a few minutes, but we’re still here, waiting to hear your side of the story. Now, do you want to tell us what happened?”
    “Where’s Dana?” Reece asked Jeraldine, ignoring Larkins.
    “She’s fine,