“He was there that night?”

“No one saw him. He was there with Danielle two months ago. The guy who works there remembered them.”

“Everybody remembers Danielle,” I said.

“We have another statement that Danielle occasionally saw a john named Eddie. Might be this guy, might not.”

“Who told you that?”

“Friend of Danielle’s. Audrey Wright.”

Why hadn’t Audrey told me about that, I wondered. No one told me shit. Whatever happened, I was on the outside of it.

“Seems weird, though,” I said. “That she would go there.”

“Why?”

“That motel looked so crappy. I guess I thought she’d be more . . . expensive.”

“You never know what people are into,” he said. “Or where they go to hide.”

“I guess,” I said.

“So you didn’t know about Eddie. What about Brandon Young, Danielle’s boyfriend?”

“He wasn’t really her boyfriend,” I said.

“Okay, what was he?”

“A friend, you know, a good friend.”

“They were sleeping together.”

“Yeah. But it wasn’t serious. He was trying to look out for her.”

“Oh? How?”

“He gave her advice, but she didn’t listen to him. He said it was the only time they ever got in a fight.”

“When was this?”

Fuck, I thought. Ash didn’t know. Brandon hadn’t told him.

“Nothing, I mean, Danielle was really stubborn, it wasn’t—”

“Where are you getting this information?”

“Brandon told me,” I said. “Look, he’s a good guy—”

“Charlotte. Tell me about the fight.”

I started to cry again. This time Ash was impatient. He didn’t try to comfort me.

“He’s got a history of aggression,” Ash said. “He was sleeping with the victim. And he has no alibi. If you have information I need to know it.”

“It’s not him,” I said. “No way.”

“Why no way? Because you like him? How well do you know him?”

“I just met him, at the memorial service.”

“Charlotte, you need to be careful around these people. What if he did it? You want to protect a murderer?”

I thought about last night, the connection I’d felt with Brandon. Not the sex, but the way he talked to me . . . there was no way it could be him. I couldn’t believe it.

“He wouldn’t have hurt her,” I said.

“Charlotte, what if you’re wrong? Look, you don’t have a choice. Tell me about the fight.”

“This is not why I called you.”

“You called because you want to help. Right?”

“Yeah.”

“All right, tell me what he told you. It’s not your job to protect him. All you have to do is tell me the truth. Tell me what you know. It’s simple.”

I was too confused and exhausted to resist anymore. I relayed the gist of my conversation with Brandon. I had to admit it looked bad for him. But I couldn’t believe Sally wasn’t involved in some way. If Danielle was that mad at Brandon for suggesting she sell the land, there was no way she would simply change her mind with Sally. I pointed this out and Ash nodded, taking notes.