But it was too late now, so together they climbed out of the Tahoe and approached the house, ignoring the doorbell in favor of pounding on the front door.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Friday, May 24

Ninety minutes later, Beau Cambridge sat in the chair across the table from Alyssa and Cord in the smallest interrogation room they had. It wasn’t the room Alyssa would’ve chosen – especially given her concerns about Cord’s potential volatility – but it was what was available, and the closet-like atmosphere seemed to intimidate Jersey’s boyfriend far more than the detectives did. She was okay with that. Whatever worked.

Sweat dripped down his forehead, splashing into his eyes, and every few seconds, he reached up to wipe it off. Though his posture indicated he was cool, calm, and collected, the physical evidence pouring off him stated otherwise.

Alyssa scooted her chair in closer, purposely crowding into Beau’s space. As she did, she saw Cord’s fists clenched in his lap, but aside from the ticcing in his jaw that told her he was holding onto his temper by a fine thread, his face remained impassive. ‘So, Beau, let’s play a game, shall we?’

He blinked but otherwise remained quiet, so Alyssa continued. ‘Let’s say you’re at a frat party, and…’

Beau’s face paled at frat party. ‘I won’t be hitting college until August, so what would I be doing attending a frat party?’

‘That’s a great question. What would you be doing at a frat party? Yet, I have witnesses who not only put you at one, they put you at the one. You know the one where a girl went missing. You might’ve heard her name. Rachel Otis?’

Looking smug, he crossed his arms over his chest. ‘You’re lying. No one there knew me, and I didn’t even know I was going. I was just cruising the area when I saw the party and decided to crash it.’

Alyssa remained silent and stared, waiting for Beau to catch his own blunder. It took him about ten seconds.

Immediately, he began squirming in his seat, his head snapping back and forth until he realized what he was doing. ‘Who saw me?’ he asked weakly.

She almost told him to gauge his reaction, but it was clear he hadn’t seen Leigh Ann. ‘So, for the record, you’re admitting you were at the frat party, Saturday, May 18?’

The way his eyes darted all over the room, Alyssa knew the wheels were spinning as he tried to decide the ramifications of copping to the truth. ‘Okay, listen, I was there, but I swear I don’t know anything about a missing girl. I don’t even know anyone by that name you said.’

‘Rachel Otis disappeared from a party you attended a day before your own girlfriend went missing near the same area. Pretty coincidental, don’t you think?’

Beau again wiggled in his chair. His left eye twitched, and his head jerked toward the door as if he was making sure no one else was listening. ‘Like I said the other day, I don’t know where Jersey is. I swear to God.’ Right hand up, he lifted two fingers in the traditional Boy Scout oath. As if he were the epitome of a Boy Scout. Fingers still in the air, he added, ‘Hell, maybe the two are off together. Has anyone thought of that?’