Page 23 of You're the Reason

Hammond had his notebook out and jotted something down. “If you work for Jon, why did he say you were just visiting when he picked you up from the station?”

No doubt he was trying to catch him in a lie. They’d done this dance before, and Hammond had usually won. Only before, Seth had actually been lying, and this time there was nothing to catch. “He just hired me on Saturday and offered me this place to stay.”

“Do you have any work ID that would collaborate with your story?”

“I don’t officially start for—” Seth checked the time on his watch and winced. “Thirty minutes ago. If the alarm hadn’t gone off yet, how did you know I was here?—”

“Someone reported seeing a break-in.”

Seth scanned the area. Who? They were pretty hidden back in this parking lot. No direct line of sight to any window or building. And the big oak trees by the road made a drive-by unlikely.

The black nose of a Sonata was parked along Henderson. He could just make out someone sitting in the driver’s seat but no details.

“Is this your car?” Officer Hammond pointed to Seth’s car parked a few feet away.

“Yes, sir.”

“Where are the keys to it?”

“With the apartment keys.”

“Which would be up in the apartment.”

“Actually, no.”

Hammond paused his writing and eyed him as if he’d found a hole in his story.

“I set my keys down to do some quick chin-ups to release a little... energy before work. First day jitters and all that.”

“A chin-up bar in your apartment.”

“No, in the studio below. Jon said I could set up my workout equipment in there. I was distracted when I left and hurried to my car after fifteen reps and locked myself out.”

“I want to believe you, Seth.” Officer Hammond pulled his phone from his vest. “If I call Leah, will she back up your story?”

Seth winced. “She was going to put her phone on Do Not Disturb.”

When the officer just lifted an eyebrow at him, Seth shrugged. “She’s tired because of the baby. I woke her up.”

“And if I call Jon?”

“He’s at the factory. He may or may not pick up. He didn’t answer for me.”

“Sorry, Seth. It looks like you get to sit in my car until I can get a hold of one of them.”

Seth hadn’t bothered arguing, he just walked over and placed his hands on the car for a pat down before he’d climbed in. At least this time, Hammond hadn’t cuffed him.

Now he sat in the cruiser as the rain fell in the still open window of the MIM and hoped no important papers would get wet. Jon was just going to love him after today.

The rain picked up, and suddenly Seth was glad he was in the dry car. He peered out the window to watch Hammond, who stood with a woman under the small overhang. He tried to make out who it was, but the water cascading down the window made it impossible.

Whoever it was unlocked the door to his place and strode in. What did she think she was doing? It might not be a great apartment, but it was his.

A moment later Hammond pulled the door open and motioned for him to follow. They hurried through the now open door to the studio and climbed up the half dozen steps to the main area where he’d set up his workout equipment. It wasn’t much but it was scattered all over the place. A few dumbbells here and there, a bench, and a full set of free weights next to a weight rack, which also served as his chin-up bar. He hoped to install the pegboard by the end of the day, but right now, that wasn’t looking good.

And sure enough, his keys sat on the floor next to the chin-up bar just as he’d said.

“Good news is that with your stuff here and your keys right where you said they’d be, I’m keen to believe your story.”