Page 76 of One Vote for Murder
“Is that right? Weren’t you the man who asked me to have bathroom sex just a bit ago?” He laughed gruffly.
I winced. “Yeah, I’m a little drunk.”
“Me too,” he admitted.
I sighed and grabbed his hand. “I love that you made that suggestion, Max. I’m not rejecting you, okay? I simply want to be sure you’re sure. Cuz if we keep moving forward together, I ain’t gonna be able to let go.”
His expression became very serious. “Good. Don’t let go. Don’t ever let go, Royce.”
“I don’t plan on it.” I kissed him gently, loving the warm heat of his mouth on mine. “Let’s go home, Max.”
****
The next morning, I got the gut-wrenching call that Kyle Segrott had died during the night. I’d really hoped he’d make it, and I felt sick to my stomach at the grim news. All indications were Kyle had succumbed to anaphylactic shock, but because he’d died less than twenty-four hours after admission to the hospital, the ME was opting to do an autopsy.
I was sick thinking how devastated Kyle’s twin brother, Pervis, must be. I’d hoped against hope that Kyle’s young age would work in his favor, but it seemed not. I’d obviously heard about people dying from anaphylactic shock before but had never known anyone personally until now. Death by a food allergy had seemed like a very far-off possibility. I hadn’t given food allergies the respect they deserved, and I wouldn’t make that mistake again.
I was surprised when Pervis showed up at the station the following day. He was a wreck with puffy red eyes and mottled skin. My heart ached for him because, of the two brothers, he’d always been the more passive. I wasn’t sure how he’d fare without his more aggressive brother calling the shots.
“I’m sorry about Kyle,” I said to him as we stood in the lobby of the station. “Such a tragic accident.”
Pervis’s mouth hardened. “Thank you for your condolences, Sheriff, but… I don’t believe for one minute that Kyle’s death was an accident.”
I lifted my brows. “No?”
He glanced around uneasily. The only person in the waiting room was an elderly woman named Tabitha Harlow. She came in about once a week to tell us about a Peeping Tom she was positive roamed her street. We’d looked into it many times and couldn’t find any evidence of this creeper. Still, she came in every Wednesday and flipped through the magazines for a few hours until someone took her statement. I suspected she was just lonely and liked the attention.
Pervis gave Tabitha a suspicious glance. “Do you think we could talk in private, Sheriff?”
“Uh… sure.” I moved to the door that led into the back of the station. “Let’s go to one of the interview rooms.”
“Yes, that would be better.” He gave one last distrustful look toward Tabitha and followed me.
I got him settled in interview room three, and as I sat across from him, it wasn’t lost on me he was sweaty and agitated. “Now, how about you tell me why you said Kyle’s death wasn’t an accident.”
Swallowing hard, Pervis said, “There’s absolutely no way Kyle ate anything with peanuts. He didn’t eat a thing all day. I was with him every minute.”
I frowned. “Is it possible maybe you ate something with peanuts and there was cross-contamination?”
He shook his head vehemently. “Absolutely not. I couldn’t begin to eat I was so nervous for Kyle.” Hestopped talking abruptly, and his bottom lip trembled as his eyes filled with tears.
“I’m truly sorry, Pervis.”
He nodded, managing to fight back the tears. He cleared his throat and said hoarsely, “Neither one of us ate or drank anything but water at that political event. And before you ask, we didn’t share the water. I had my own bottle.”
“Maybe Kyle ate something and you just didn’t notice.”
“No.” His hands on top of the table clenched into fists. “That didn’t happen. I… I think that’s what someone wants you to think though.”
I narrowed my eyes. “So, just to be clear, you’re suggesting someone purposely hurt Kyle?”
“Yes,” he whispered.
“Who?”
“That’s what I need you to find out.”
I leaned back in my chair, stomach churning. Kyle had been an unassuming type of guy. While he’d had more of a driving personality than Pervis, neither one of them was exactly a mover or shaker. It was hard to imagine Kyle drawing the ire of a cold-blooded killer. “Why would anyone want to hurt Kyle?”
