✔Paint Me a Murder | Book 1

Chapter 17: Suspicions

"Did you kill Hank Williams? Was it a gang-related crime? Are the police letting you go?"

Someone shoved a camera and microphone in Kazimir's face as they yelled multiple questions at him. He tried to keep his head down and walk away, but they bombarded them outside the police station. Kazimir almost wished he could go back to the suffocating interrogation room as the snowflakes pelted his face. He adjusted the dark sunglasses Daniel provided them both and ebbed closer to the parking lot. Daniel and Emmett tried their best to keep the pesky cameras away and reach his mustang, but it proved to be difficult.

Who informed the media of Kazimir and Emmett's arrests? Someone from the station had to have leaked it to them, right?

Those nosy librarians wouldn't have been able to identify them from so far away in the fog. Kazimir wasn't sure who brought them. He just wanted to get away from the flashing cameras and endless questions surrounding Hank's murder.

Nobody anticipated the media circus gathered outside, especially not Kazimir. Daniel Coleman sure knew how to do his job though. He got Kazimir and Emmett released in no time. Turned out the police hadn't obtained enough evidence for charges to stick, just like Emmett claimed.

"I'm innocent," Kazimir said as he faced the cameras, despite how Daniel advised them to keep quiet.

Kazimir recognized the young reporter who shoved her microphone up in his face, almost knocking him in the nose. It was Milada Van. She'd been covering Hank's murder ever since it got released to the public, and Kazimir had always been her prime suspect on every news report. She was quite passionate about uncovering the truth hidden in all of New Syracuse's lies, from what he'd witnessed. Hank's murder was no different.

While Kazimir was grateful that Hank's death was being taken seriously, he hated how so many people suspected he could be capable of such a heinous crime. Hank had been a good friend of his, and he'd never harm him. It broke his heart how they shouted such cruel profanities at him amid the crowd.

"How about you, sir?" Reporter Milada Van moved her microphone over to Emmett. "What's your involvement in his case? Are you part of Kazimir Vassiliev's defense team?"

Emmett pursed his lips, holding back whatever he wanted to say. "No comment."

Daniel helped them push through the nosy crowd. Their hateful words hurt Kazimir's heart. Nobody wanted to be called a murderer when they weren't. The citizens of New Syracuse wanted to paint the streets with his blood. They wanted their own warped sense of justice. Not the real truth.

Amid the crowd, a purple head stuck out to Kazimir. He thought his eyes deceived him until Samantha faced them. A bandage covered her eye socket. Her cherry lips twitched in a smirk before she disappeared back into the crowd. Kazimir turned to Emmett, hoping he'd seen her too. But it was clear that he hadn't been paying attention. His focus was on maneuvering through the crowd and dodging Milada Van's cameraman.

Once they reached the inside of Daniel's mustang, warm heat embraced them and the lawyer reversed out of the parking lot before they could trap them in. Kazimir shivered, rubbing his hands together. A country tune blared from the radio speakers, but the lyrics went in one ear and out the other. All Kazimir could focus on were the posters condemning him to hell and their blasphemy insults. And Samantha.

"I saw Samantha in the crowd," Kazimir told them.

"What? Are you sure it was her?" Emmett asked, mouth gaped.

"Positive," Kazimir answered. "She still has her hair dyed purple and she had a bandage over the place her eye should be." He grimaced.

"Well, shit. We'll just have to keep watch for her to make sure she doesn't try to hurt you," Emmett replied. "I'll keep you safe, I promise. We all will. And if the police do press charges, Daniel and I will fight like hell to keep you outta jail."