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that, but please understand that I only ever put up with your bullshit for her.” Eli stands up straight to remind me of the difference in height and looks down at me. “Back off, man. I can do a lot more to help her right now than you can.”
    I shake my head, taking two steps backwards as a smile spreads across my face. “Yeah, well, I’m home now, so things are in their place. You’ve crawled back into your bottle. I’ve crawled back into her bed.” I shrug, staring into Eli with challenging eyes.
    Eli’s jaw clenches as he draws in a slow breath. “Aiden, I promise you if I had been there with her last night she wouldn’t have been out in her studio, so she would have had a real alibi.” Eli raises his eyebrows, returning the challenge.
    I push my forearm into Eli’s throat, slamming him into the wall. We’re both on fire with rage, both at a loss for words. Detective Glass enters the room. “Aiden Roth, twice in one day. What the hell are you doing in here? And why are you assaulting one of my district attorneys?”
    I grudgingly release Eli and step back. “Hey Brandon; we were just having a chat.”
    “Aiden, don’t push me. I’m not in the mood to deal with your impulse issues. It was bad enough I had to have you thrown out of the crime scene. You need to be in the hallway.” He comes to a stop at the window, peering in at Shay. He begins to size her up then glances in our direction, twisting his expression. “Gentlemen, really, much ado about nothing.” He disappears into the room.
    “Fuck him; he doesn’t know her.” I catch myself saying out loud. I look at Eli and he digs a smile into one side of his cheek.
    “I will agree with you there,” Eli says as he watches her with fondness.
    I’ve got to put an end to this shit, or I’m going to lose her for good.

Chapter Nine
Innocent Until Proven Bitchy
    Shay
    The door opens and I freeze. He’s beginning his study on me, creating my  portrait parle . It’s time I do the same: size up the enemy.
    Tweed suit, old but well kept. No wedding ring, no hair, no facial hair—just nicks from his razor—was probably once handsome, good shoes but worn, fingernails clean but not manicured, glasses that look like some hybrid military issue sticking out of his pocket. Only needs them for reading, or is too proud to admit he needs them at all. Sad, jaundiced eyes, probably due to the amount of alcohol he has consumed over his lifetime. Classic hard-working detective a few years from retirement. He just wants the truth. I decide that’s what he’ll get regardless of Eli’s legal advice.
    Wishing I could see inside his mind, I try to figure out his thoughts of me. What assumptions has he made other than that I’m a murderer?
    “Miss Baynes.” He hasn’t taken his eyes off me since he entered the room, as though I may dissipate in a puff of smoke. He rests a thick folder on the corner of the table and motions for me to sit. “I’m Detective Glass.”
    Still lost in my own image in the mirror, trying to reverse engineer his impression of me, his words seem distant until I hear the sound of the chair scraping across the floor. I sit, trying to decide how I will respond.
    Eli’s words are creeping up on me, so for the time being I’m going to let the detective do the talking.
    “Do you know why you are here?” He sits, sliding the folder in front of him.
    Oh he thinks he’s so clever, trying to lure me in to spill everything, but as I see it there is no reason not to be truthful. “Not really.”
    “You have no idea at all why we would want to question you about Mr. and Mrs. Messner.” He leans forward, unblinking, as though he’s diving into my thoughts.
    “Yup.” I don’t blink. It’s strange; I should be terrified, but something inside me is taking over, making me feel as though I’m in control. Essentially he is the one deciding whether or not I go home today, yet I feel completely steady and unafraid.
    “Well, then let’s get