“I’m borrowing this office,” he remarked as he walked behind the desk and sat in an old chair that squeaked.
“Your offices are in Inverness?” Isabel asked.
“That’s right, Miss MacKenna.”
“Please call me Isabel.”
Matthew called out from the other room, “Inspector, they’re waiting for you whenever you’re ready.”
“We have a suspect in custody we believe is the man who was with Jacoby.”
“Where is he?” Isabel asked, astonished by the unexpected news.
“In one of the rooms down the hall.”
She jumped to her feet. “Here? He’s here?”
“There’s no reason for alarm,” the inspector said. “He’s handcuffed to a table and can’t get near you. Don’t worry.”
Michael saw the look on Isabel’s face, took her hand, and tugged her back into the chair next to him. “I don’t think she’s worried, Inspector. I think she probably would like to have a minute alone with him.”
“I don’t believe in violence,” she said. Unless someone tried to shoot me, she thought. ‘Who is he?” Michael asked.
“Oscar Ferris,” he answered. “We caught him up here. We’ll be transporting him to Inverness soon,” he added. “Thanks to some quick work by the FBI, we know he flew to Boston from Inverness and was met by Leon Jacoby. Surveillance cameras show Ferris and Jacoby at the airport, leaving together. Ferris used his own passport,” he thought to add.
“Has he told you anything?” Michael asked.
“Not yet, but he will,” the inspector promised. “Ferris isn’t a stranger to trouble. He’s got quite a long crime sheet.”
“You’re certain he’s the man I saw?” she asked.
There was a large computer monitor on the desk. He turned it toward Michael and Isabel and pushed the key. And there he was. Slouched in a metal chair, the suspect had a sullen look on his face.
He had bright orange-red hair and when he looked directly into the camera, she could see how cold his eyes were. He didn’t look all that old, but the years of crime had already hardened him.
“Is he the man?” the inspector asked.
“Yes, I think so. I only saw him for a second or two, so I can’t say with absolute certainty that he’s the one.”
“We were able to send his photo to Detective Walsh in America. He has assured us this is the man he fought with and whose gun he took. It was Jacoby who shot at you.”
“When are you going to question him?” Michael asked. “I’d like to go in with you.”
Sinclair was amenable to the idea but said, “You may ask questions, but you can’t touch him. I know you would probably like to strike him or give him a couple of jabs because he and Jacoby tried to kill your . . .” Sinclair glanced from Michael to Isabel and then back to Michael again. It was apparent he didn’t know what their relationship was and therefore didn’t know what to call her.
Isabel could have said something, but she remained silent. She was curious to find out what category Michael would put her in. Friend? Lover? Or distant relative? She shivered at that thought.
Although her sister was married to Michael’s brother, Isabel was in no way related to Michael. Thank God. She’d be breaking nearly every commandment if she were. He could call her a hookup, she supposed. No, a hookup was for one night, and she’d slept with Michael more than once, so that
wouldn’t work. Might as well call her what she was. Easy. She almost nodded but caught herself in time. That’s exactly what she was with Michael. Easy.
“Isabel is a friend of the family.”
Are you kidding me? A friend of the family? She could feel her face heating up. He couldn’t say she was a close friend or just a friend? No, he had to make it even more impersonal. A friend of the family.
Okay. If that’s the way he wanted it, then that’s the way it was going to be.
“Inspector, may I go in with you?” she asked.
“No.” Michael’s voice had a real bite to it. Sinclair was more diplomatic. He told her no in a calm, reasonable tone.
“Then may I watch and listen to the interview?’ she asked the inspector, completely ignoring Michael.
“Yes, of course. Just sit back and watch the monitor.” He tilted the screen to her and walked out of the room.
Michael stood and followed him. “Stay in this room, Isabel,” he said, and when she didn’t immediately agree, he turned back to her. “Promise me.”