Free Another Man's Treasure (a romantic thriller) (Palmyrton Estate Sale Mystery Series Book 1) by S.W. Hubbard

and stupefied.
    “Coming, I’m coming!” I shout as I lumber toward the door.  Since no one but Jill knows I’m home, it must be her, returning with more mail.  I fling open the door without looking through the peephole.
    Tyshaun stands on the threshold.
    Delighted, I throw open my arms to welcome him.
    He pushes past me and kicks the door shut.  Contorted with scorn, his face looks like something you’d see in those violent videos that PTA moms sign petitions against. 
    I back away.  “Look, Ty, I’m sorry they arrested you.  But as soon as I woke up and talked to the police I told them—“
    “Told them what, Audrey?”  Tyshaun fills my tiny foyer.  He’s never seemed so big before.  “When that red-haired cop came to let me outta jail, he told me he still likes me for beating and robbing you.  He said he had to let me go for now, but soon as he gets more evidence he’s gonna lock my ass back up.”
    “What do you mean?  Why?”
    “He thinks you’re lying. Thinks I’m threatening you or summin’ like that.”  Tyshaun’s fierce glare bores into me.  “Why you do me like this Audge? All you had to do is tell him who really hurt you. ”
    I feel a hot flush surge into my cheeks.  “I don’t know who attacked me, Tyshaun.  The last thing I remember is driving down Elm Street, looking for a parking spot.  Everything after that is a blank.  When I realized Detective Coughlin had arrested you, I knew he was wrong.  So I did lie.  I told him that I remembered seeing the skin on the mugger’s leg, and that it was white.”
    We stare each other down for a moment. Then Ty hangs his head and scuffs his sneaker on the floor.
    “Really?  You did that for me?”
    My fingers trace the stitches on my forehead.  I know Ty didn’t do this to me.  “I wanted the cops to stop chasing the wrong person. If you were locked up, then the guy who really attacked me is still out there.  But I shouldn’t have told Detective Coughlin that the person who kicked me was white.  I don’t know—he could have been black, white, brown, anything.” 
    Ty peers at me from under his hoodie.  “Audge, I been thinking that what happened might be ‘cause of the drugs we found.  Maybe the dealer thinks you stole his stuff.”
    “But if he came and took it back, why would he think I stole it?”
    Ty scratches his head.  “I don’t know, man.  This is fucked up.  I been askin’ around on the street and nobody knows nothin’ about anyone using that old lady’s house as a stash.  Maybe we shoulda told the cops about it as soon as we found it.” 
    “I thought about telling Detective Coughlin when he interviewed me in the hospital.  But I was so drugged up—I wanted to think about it first before I said anything.”
    You’d be surprised how little time there is to think in the hospital.  Between the steady stream of doctors, nurses, therapists, visitors and meal deliveries, I hardly had a minute to myself.  And when I was alone, my brain was either fogged by drugs or wracked by pain.  But always back there lurking was the need to grapple with this little lie that seems to be growing bigger and bigger. 
    “So tell him now,” Ty says.
    “I have to figure out the right way.  I don’t want to say anything that might make him suspect you again.” I reach out and touch Ty’s arm. “I did the best I could to protect you.  I guess lying to the police isn’t as easy as it looks.”
    He shifts his weight uneasily.  “I couldn’t believe I was back in jail again,” he says softly.  “And this time, I didn’t even do nuthin’.”  He sighs.  “Jill was right.  If I’d’a went with you to the bank, none of this woulda happened.”
    “It’s okay.  But why can’t you tell Detective Coughlin who you were with that night?  If you’re trying to protect the girl, I could talk to Coughlin first.  Ask him to meet with her privately.  No one else would have to know.”
    Suddenly the