Free Cold Case at Carlton's Canyon by Rita Herron

I’m not a drunk,” Amanda countered.
    He shot to his feet, rage seething from his every pore. “You bitch.”
    Justin shoved him back down. “You make another move toward her and your butt will be in jail.”
    Sumter made a low sound in his throat, then snapped his mouth shut.
    “We have to ask you some questions about Kelly’s disappearance,” Amanda said calmly, showing no trace that his attitude affected her.
    Sumter scowled at them, then scraped a hand through his already tousled dirty-blond hair. “I don’t know anything.”
    Justin took a quick inventory of the inside of the apartment. It was just as rundown as the outside. Faded paint on the walls, worn furniture and stained carpet. The place reeked of cigarette smoke, stale beer and fast food.
    A coffee cup filled with muddy sludge sat on the chipped coffee table and unwashed dishes filled the sink.
    The man was not only a drunk but a slob.
    “We heard that you wanted to get back with Kelly,” Justin cut in sharply.
    “I had a thing for her a while back,” Sumter said, tugging at his ratty T-shirt. “But I’ve had other women since.”
    “Still, you wanted her back,” Justin said. “Her fiancé told us that.”
    Sumter’s eyes narrowed to slits. “She was too good for that jerk.”
    “He seems nice to me,” Amanda said. “Like he really loves her.”
    “ I loved her,” Sumter said. “And she promised to love me forever. Then Fisher stole her from me.”
    “We were just kids back then, Terry,” Amanda pointed out. “Everyone moves on from that first love.”
    Terry glared at her through glazed eyes. The man must have been sleeping off a hangover when they’d knocked. And the place reeked of pot.
    Perhaps the reason he’d run?
    “But you didn’t move on, did you?” Justin asked.
    “Yes, I did. I told you I’ve had other women.” He smiled, a cunning evil in his eyes. “In fact, I don’t have trouble in that department.”
    “Having other women doesn’t mean you forgot Kelly or that you stopped wanting her.” Justin took a menacing step toward him. “The reunion was coming up and so was Kelly’s wedding. You figured you’d make one last attempt to win her back, so you called her and asked her to meet you.”
    Terry dropped his head slightly. “I did ask her, but she had other plans.”
    “Plans that didn’t involve you. Plans to marry Raymond Fisher,” Amanda said.
    Justin poked Sumter with his finger. “That made you even angrier, didn’t it?”
    Amanda’s voice hardened. “So you sent her a text pretending it was from someone else and lured her out to the Old River Mill Road.”
    “I did no such thing,” Sumter snapped.
    “You ran her off the road, then dragged her from the car,” Amanda continued.
    Terry shook his head no, his expression adamant. “No...”
    “What kind of car do you drive?” Justin asked.
    Terry glanced back and forth between them as if he suspected they were trying to trap him. “A pickup truck,” he said. “I use it for work.”
    “What color is it?” Justin asked.
    “Black,” Terry said. Realizing he might be in serious trouble, he gave Amanda a pitiful, lost-boy look. “Amanda, you really can’t think I’d hurt Kelly. You’ve known me for years. You know I’m not capable.”
    “I know you have a temper when you’re drinking,” Amanda said. “And judging from your breath and the empty bottles in your kitchen, I’d say you’ve been doing a lot of that.”
    “Did you know Tina Grimes?” Justin asked.
    Sweat beaded on Terry’s forehead. “Tina? What the hell are you asking about Tina for?”
    Amanda folded her arms across her chest. “She also went missing months ago—”
    “Jesus, you think I took her and killed Kelly?” Sumter’s panicked gaze darted toward the door. “Hell, you’re crazy, Amanda. I’m not some serial nutcase.”
    “Just answer the question,” Justin said firmly.
    Terry clamped his mouth shut. “I’m done talking. I want a lawyer.”
    * *