Week 206 – My brother? Are you sure it’s not his cousin you want? They’re practically identical twins.

Walt watched as the tiny woman in front of him stared at him in shock, processing what he’d just told her.

He was annoyed that they hadn’t known she would be here, annoyed with her for trying to knock him out with a lamp, annoyed with himself because he could tell from the way she tenderly rubbed her wrist that he’d hurt her. He’d thought it was her brother trying to attack him and used an appropriate amount of force to take down a two hundred pound man, but for this tiny little thing he was hoping he hadn’t broken her arm.

Becca Sharp eyed him like he was an idiot. She was barely five feet tall, she had a mane of fiery red hair, yellowy brown eyes that were framed by bright red lashes that made it look like flames were leaping right out of them.

“You think Brody killed someone?” she demanded. “Brody? My brother who cried for a month when some irresponsible pet owner didn’t have their dog on a leash and it chased a ball onto the road and Brody hit it with his car? My brother who volunteers at a children’s palliative care house to try to cheer up dying children? My brother who fosters rescue dogs and helps rehabilitate them? My brother who helps build houses for Habitat for Humanity? He killed someone, is that what you’re saying? Really?” She poked him in the chest with more force than he’d thought her tiny body capable of.

Walt couldn’t help but smile at the absurdity of this little thing poking a police officer who had to outweigh her by over a hundred pounds and had over a foot of height on her. Not to mention he’d just had her in handcuffs and could certainly put them back on her and drag her down to the station for assaulting a police officer.

Or cuff her to the bed and have hot sex.

The idea surprised him and he quickly shoved it away, reminding himself why he was here. These murders were certainly no laughing matter and sex with the suspect’s sister was a ludicrous idea.

“Are you laughing at me?” she growled. Then she stepped back and sagged against the wall as all the fight apparently drained out of her.

“Let me see your arm,” he said, holding out his hand.

“No.” She pulled her sore arm against her chest, protecting it with her other hand.

“Let me see it,” he repeated, if she didn’t he’d call an ambulance and hope that she didn’t file police brutality charges against him.

“I said no.” She glowered at him but he could see the fear and the pain lingering in her amber eyes, as the adrenalin started to drain from her system leaving her exhausted and shaky.

“Let me see it, honey.” This time he gently took her small wrist in his hand and carefully probed it, watching her wince and chew on her bottom lip. “You should get this x-rayed. I’m sorry, if I’d known it wasn’t our suspect in here I would have reacted differently.”

She looked surprised at his apology, and well she should be, he was well known for never admitting he was wrong let alone apologising. “My brother? Are you sure it’s not his cousin you want? They’re practically identical twins,” she said.

His gaze sharpened. A cousin? Was it possible they were after the wrong man? If they were they needed to track down Brody and this cousin, because one thing was certain he did not want to attend another murder scene where a young woman had been hacked into pieces. Whoever the killer was they needed to get him off the streets and fast.