Page 72 of Perfect Fling
Mike picked up the phone in the room and dialed. “Put a rush on those prints.”
“Let’s go with my gut on this and assume she’s telling the truth. I can get more out of her than Sam, so will you let me in there now?” Cole asked.
“You can’t interrogate her like a cop.”
“I am a cop,” he reminded the other man.
“Out of your jurisdiction. But I agree. Your personal stake in this might get her talking—assuming she feels bad when she finds out what her sister’s done.”
Cole nodded. “Let’s go.”
Before they could walk in, an out-of-breath rookie burst into the room. “Prints you requested, boss.” He handed a file to Mike, who opened the folder, scanned the results, and nodded at Cole.
“Let’s do this thing.” Mike opened the door.
Sam and the woman across from him turned their way, as Mike, followed by Cole, stepped into the small room. A table, the two chairs, dingy walls, and not much else.
“What’s up?” Sam asked, rising from his chair.
“Seems she’s telling the truth.” He slapped the folder onto the table.
The other woman jumped at the loud sound. Cole would have felt sorry for her if this mess weren’t so serious.
“Itoldyou I’m not Victoria,” she said, pinning Sam with a triumphant look that had her cheeks flushed pink with victory. The other man actually squirmed.
She surprised them by rising from her seat.
Mike stepped in front of the door. “Where do you think you’re going?”
She blinked, startled that the answer wasn’t obvious to them. “I’m not the person you’re looking for, so I’m leaving.”
The hell she was. “Not so fast.” Cole braced his hands on the table. “You were still found trespassing, and we have questions about your sister, sosit.Down.” His voice rose and the woman flinched.
Cole realized his initial impression was right. She was nothing like her sister.
Before he could moderate his tone, Sam jumped from his seat so fast his chair hit the wall behind him.
“Back off,” the younger Marsden snapped at Cole. “This isn’t your interrogation.” The easier brother was suddenly every inch the defender, the in-charge cop Cole knew him to be.
“Everyone calm down.” Mike stepped to the table as Sam righted his chair. “Miss Farnsworth? This is Detective Cole Sanders. He’s NYPD and he has a—”
“You’re Cole? The same Cole my sister’s gone crazy over?” Her light blue eyes settled on his.
“What do you know?” Cole asked, controlling his frustration with her lack of answers. Sam was right. Scaring her wouldn’t accomplish his goal of getting her to talk.
“Why don’t you sit back down?” Sam asked, gesturing to her chair.
She lowered herself into her seat.
“Drink?” Sam asked.
Mike whipped his head around to stare at his brother.
“No, thank you. I’m fine.” She shot Sam a grateful look before glancing at Cole. “Before I answer your questions, I want to know what my sister’s been up to. You tell me that, and I’ll tell you whatever you want to know.”
Cole glanced at Mike, then Sam. “You don’t know? You haven’t been in touch with her?”
She folded her arms across her chest and waited. Apparently she was serious. They answered her first. Maybe there was more steel in Nicole’s spine than Cole had previously thought.