Tessa Stark: Desert Heat

Chapter Thirty

The room was so quiet after Tessa finished speaking, that a pin could be heard dropping. Judging by the majority of the expressions on the faces of the Whitmore family, they were finding it hard to believe her explanation, as well as her suspicions...and yet, the text messages sent between Hallie and Richard were irrefutable.

"My god, Richard. What have you done?" Stephen rasped as he got to his feet.

"Nothing! I-I didn't...didn't do anything to Hallie!" Richard hissed. "This girl doesn't know what she's talking about!"

"You know, you keep saying that, Senator," Cole put in. "You've been screaming it to high hell since the day Detective Stark walked into the sheriff's office. Why is that, I wonder?"

Richard made a choked sound in the back of his throat. "Why do you think, Dalton!  I mean, fuck me!  This girl is accusing me of murder!  Clearly, she's incapable of doing this job!"

"Incapable?" Cole repeated, handing Hallie's cell over to Tessa. "She nailed you slicker than shit, didn't she? Seems to me, you weren't raising hell because you think Detective Stark can't do her job. You're raising hell because you were worried she could do her job."

"And that, Richard, constitutes exerting outside influence over an official investigation. Not to mention withholding information during an investigation and obstruction of justice," the sheriff stated, holding out his hand toward Richard. "And I'll be taking the cell phone now. In fact, give me any cell phone that you have in your possession."

Reluctantly, and all but fuming, Richard pulled a second cell phone from his jacket pocket and handed both phones over to the sheriff, who then handed them to Tessa, prompting her to set her field notebook aside so that she could remove a small, clear evidence pouch from her bag. Dropping the phones inside, she sealed it shut and began filling out the evidence information printed on the front.

"Ed, I really can't believe you're actually harboring this nonsense even for a second," the senator gritted out.  "I did not kill my niece--"

"Dad, don't say anything else!" Trista warned, her large eyes watery. "You need to call the lawyers"

The senator gave a nod, his expression a mix of anger and...acceptance. "Right. I need to call my lawyers, Ed."

"You mean my lawyers," Ellen said, her voice as taught as a bow string and her eyes flashing with fire. "And no, you won't be calling them. And since you're wife is too well off for you to be given a public defender, I suggest you cooperate with the sheriff."

"Mom, stop!" Trista snapped. "You don't know if this is even dad's fault!"

"Of course its his fault!  Your father has never been able to keep his dick in his pants!" Ellen shot back, whipping her gaze around to her husband.  "So, what did you say to her, Richard? What did you promise her to get her to crawl into your bed! What did you say to your own niece to make her want to fuck you!"

"Ellen, its not...it wasn't like that!" Richard growled at his wife.

"Well, its all out in the open now, Rich," Stephen said from over by the large windows, where he was pacing back and forth. "So, maybe you should tell us what it was like. I'd like to hear what my daughter...I'd like to know the truth, while you have the chance to tell it."

"Yes. And this is your only chance, Rich," Jodie stated. "Because no matter what happens after this, we'll be packing you up and putting you out before nightfall."

"Aunt Jodie, no! You don't know how much of this was Hallie's doing!" Trista defended.

"Trista's right," Cameran agreed somberly. "Hallie wasn't the angel you all like to think she was."