The Blackout Girl ✔️

chapter thirty-three

Chapter Thirty-Three

Lexi had promised to bring the clothes in for analysis within the next couple of hours. The forensics office was already preparing for their arrival. Considering the timely nature of the circumstances, there was no doubt in Nolan's mind that this evidence would be rushed during processing.

After she hung up, Nolan slid his phone back into the pocket of his blazer and looked at Delaney once more. She was in an interrogation room, and from this angle, she looked so much like her niece. She was nervous, tapping against the hard wood of the table with trepidation.

He was alone in the hallway. Kaytee was talking with Price upstairs, and the rest of the unit was off doing various tasks. He was left to inspect the woman who sat a few feet away, awaiting a thorough questioning.

For a woman who had been on the run for several days, Delaney was put-together. She must have showered recently, and despite the clear toll stress and exhaustion had taken, she was composed. Calm. She bore the signs of giving up. Living a life glancing over one's shoulder couldn't be healthy. It was only a matter of time before she stopped hiding.

Nolan wasn't sure what he thought the killer would look like. They had a profile to track their suspect, and a few ideas pointed to who they would be searching for, but nothing in a case file could amount to a real, live human being.

The evidence was there. There was enough to convict her if this went to trial, but Nolan still felt restless. There was much to do before they reached that point, and he couldn't calm down until this investigation became nothing more than a report stuffed in Price's filing cabinet.

Kaytee materialized next to him, her hands raised as she pulled her hair into a ponytail. "What did we miss?"

"Nothing," he said. "She hasn't said a word or tried to engage. She seems like she's out of it."

Price nodded. "Sounds about right. I'm gonna see what I can get out of her before she demands a lawyer."

"Do you think we can get a confession?" Kaytee asked.

"We'll see," Price said. "Here's hoping."

With a purpose, he strode into the small room and pulled the door shut behind him. It slammed shut with a loud noise, officially locking them into the confined space. Nolan and Kaytee reached for identical headphones, sliding them into place as they watched, waiting.

Delaney gazed up at him, her lips pursed. "Who the hell are you?" she sneered.

"I'm Agent Price," Price replied. "And I suggest that you watch your tone with me."

Delaney huffed, much like a child would.

"You're under arrest for the murders of five men, and one of them is your nephew, Quinton," he informed her, as if she didn't know already. "But I suppose you're well aware of that fact."

"I didn't kill my nephew. I didn't know those men, either," she said through gritted teeth. "Are you done?"

Price lifted a brow, and as he spoke, the sound echoed. "That's interesting because you seemed to have an established relationship with Bobby Black. Apparently, you two had more than a few rendezvous."

There was a small twitch to the corner of her mouth, but that was the only indication she was fazed by being caught in a lie. Delaney shifted, her movements stopped when her cuffs held her back from getting comfortable. They probably hurt, but she wasn't the type to whine.

"Maybe I knew him," she conceded. "Whatever. We fucked, it was fun, that's it. Doesn't mean I killed him."

"But it means you lied to me," Price argued. "If you can't even be honest about something as simple as that, how can I be certain that you're telling the truth when you say you aren't a murderer?"