Page 11 of Volatile Vice
Wouldn’t he?
“I spent the evening with a friend.”
“And this friend can verify you were with her?”
I blink. “Him. I was with him. And yes, he can.”
“His name, please?”
“Vincent Gallo, Jr.”
Mom goes rigid next to me. I’m not sure how much they know about Vinnie’s family. Do they even know Falcon was beaten within an inch of his life and almost killed by Miles McAllister? Has Hawk told them? Falcon and Savannah aren’t here. Do they even know what’s going on yet?
Harris takes notes. “Okay. I’ll need his contact information.”
I grab my phone because I haven’t memorized his number. I rattle it off. “He left in the middle of the night, though, and I haven’t been able to get hold of him since then.”
Harris lifts an eyebrow but continues taking notes. “All right. Do you know what time he left?”
“Honestly, no. I wasn’t looking at the time. I mean, I was asleep at that point. We…”
How much detail does he want? What happened between Vinnie and me was personal, and I don’t want to talk about it to strangers. And certainly not with my mother sitting right here.
“Take us to this morning, then.”
I nod. “I received a call from my mom this morning, around seven. I had just woken up—that’s when I realized Vinnie had left—and I was making coffee when my phone rang. Mom said she found a body in my bed here.” I glance toward the hallway leading to my bedroom, the image of the scene my mom described flashing in my mind. I’m again grateful that I didn’t have to see Brick’s body with his throat slit. Seeing his blood all over my bed was bad enough.
“Did you know the deceased?” Harris asks, his pen poised over the notepad.
I gulp. “Yes, his name is Brick Latham. He’s a lawyer. We had a date last night, but I canceled at the last minute. Maybe he didn’t get my text in time.” I hold up my phone. “You can see the text here. Anyway, he was helping me with some legal paperwork for a charitable foundation I want to create.”
Harris narrows his eyes. “Did you invite him here last night?”
“Yes.” I frown. “Except no. I broke the date. But even if he didn’t get my message in time, he wouldn’t have been able to get in the house. My mom and dad were out.” I turn to Mom. “Where was?—”
“I already told the detective that all the staff had last night off,” Mom finishes for me. “They usually get Friday nights off anyway, and we didn’t think it necessary for them to stay if we were going to be out late.”
“Can anyone confirm that you were at your house all night?” Harris presses, his tone making it clear he’s not convinced.
I begin to feel defensive, but I hold myself in check. This isn’t the time.
“Vinnie can, at least until he left. I was at my house the entire night. I didn’t come back here until my mom called me this morning.”
Detective Harris nods, jotting down notes. “When was the last time you saw Brick Latham?”
“A few days ago, here at my parents’ house. We met to discuss the charity paperwork. That was the last time.”
“Did he mention anything unusual? Was he acting strange or did he seem worried about anything?”
I close my eyes, trying to recall our conversation. “No, he seemed fine. We talked about the charity, his work, just normal things. He didn’t mention anything that seemed out of the ordinary.”
“Did you notice anyone watching you or following you recently?” Harris asks, his gaze unwavering.
Do I dare mention the Uber experience?
On a whim, I shake my head. “No, not that I can remember.”
Harris exchanges a glance with Officer Martinez before turning back to me. “Ms. Bellamy, do you have any idea who might want to harm Mr. Latham?”