But Not For Lust by BJ Bourg (comprehension books .txt) 📕

“Nikia, it’s Clint Wolf,” I called. “I need to talk to you about Ty.”

The door instantly swung open. Nikia stood there staring down at us, fidgeting and licking his lips. “Where’s that mean wolf you had with you last time?”

“He’s home.”

“Well, that’s good. At least now I don’t think you’re here to kill me.” His voice cracked when he spoke. He coughed to clear his throat. “I…um…I heard y’all found him. Is it true what they’re saying?”

“And what’re they saying?” I asked pointedly.

“Well, I heard he was killed—murdered.”

“Yep, this is a homicide investigation,” I said, lifting an eyebrow. “That’s why everything you say from here on out is very important. You wouldn’t want to go down as an accessory to murder, am I right?”

He shook his head hastily from side to side. “Oh, no, I didn’t have nothing to do with no murder! I ain’t going down for no killing!”

“That’s good to hear.” I sighed, as though happy to hear that he wasn’t involved. “I know that’s not how you roll. Do you mind coming down to the police department? You might be able to help us figure some things out.”

“I don’t know if I can be of any help.” He licked his dry lips. “I don’t really know anything. I saw the man walking in my neighborhood on Sunday morning and I did the right thing and called it in, but that’s all I know.”

“Okay, well, if you insist.” I took a step forward. “We can do this inside your house, but I’ve got to warn you—anything I see in plain view is fair game.”

“Um, how long do you think this’ll take?” he suddenly asked, glancing over his shoulder as though he were trying to remember if he’d left any drugs or other paraphernalia lying around. “I mean, if I agree to go down to the police department?”

“It shouldn’t take more than an hour.” I shrugged. “Maybe less. It all depends on how much you can help us. We’ll give you a ride back, so you don’t have to worry about driving.”

After quickly locking his door and closing it behind him, he rubbed his hands together. “Okay, I’m ready.”

  CHAPTER 47

On the drive to the police department with Nikia Billiot, Susan and I made small talk with the man, trying to get him to feel at ease with us. I didn’t like talking to him, considering the type of person he was, but in order to obtain information from suspects, witnesses, and victims, detectives had to be cordial to all types of people—the good, the not so good, and the absolutely despicable.

We arrived at the police department a short time later and I pointed the way to the interview room, letting him go first. Once the three of us were seated inside, I advised him of his Miranda rights and began asking him about the night he saw Ty. I pressed him on his description, asking if he was positive about the articles of clothing Ty was wearing.

“Yep, that’s what he was wearing,” he said with a nod of the head. And he happened to be right.

“Where were you when you saw him?” I asked, studying my notes as though trying to find the answer.

“I was sitting on my steps smoking a cigarette,” he said.

“How far away do you think he was?”

“Oh, I’d say ten or twenty yards.” He thought about it, and then nodded. “Yeah, I played football in middle school, and I’d say he was about twenty yards away.”

“And it was dark, right?” I asked.

“Yep.”

“So, if you were twenty yards away and it was dark,” I began slowly, “how did you see the tear in his shirt?”

“Well, from the lights on the street.”

“Are you sure?” I pressed.

“As God is my witness,” he said, placing one hand over his heart and raising the other.

I thought about backing away from him so I wouldn’t get struck down with him, but resisted the urge.

“You know, you shouldn’t swear on a lie, especially when invoking God’s name.” I pulled out my phone and showed him the photo I’d taken of the power pole in front of his house. “Recognize this?”

He stammered and shook his head.

“This is the power pole in front of your house,” I explained. “As you can see, there’s no light on it. It was pitch black out there when Ty came walking by, so—I ask again—how on earth were you able to see the rip in his shirt?”

“I…I don’t know, but I know I saw it.” He shifted in his chair. “Maybe a car passed by and the headlights lit him up. Or maybe the moon was out at that time. I don’t know how to explain it, but I know I saw him.”

“Wouldn’t you remember if a car drove by at the precise time Ty Richardson—a man who was missing—went strolling by your house?” I leaned back and shook my head. “Come on, Nikia, I need you to stop playing games with me. This is serious business. Did you—or did you not—see Ty walking past your house on Sunday morning?”

Nikia swallowed hard. “I saw someone who looked a lot like him. I…I really thought it was him. I mean, I still think it might’ve been him, but when they said he was found on the other side of town, well, I guess I started to doubt myself.”

“So, are you saying you’re absolutely certain you saw someone walking by your house, but you’re not sure it was Ty?”

He nodded. “That’s right. I could’ve been mistaken about it being him. And I’m not real sure about what he was wearing.”

“Oh, no,” I said with a subtle shake of my head, “you were not mistaken about that.”

“Huh?”

“You described exactly what