true colors - jb & ag 《completed》

{seventeen}

''You questioned Ariana, didn't you?" Justin pushed off the table and sprung to his feet.

"I'd shut up and be happy I'm letting you go." Kagawa stood, arms crossed, by the open interrogation room door.

Justin glared at the man and forced himself to relax his hands. "What did she say?"

"She gave you an alibi for the time of the robbery." The chief stepped to the side. "Now go, before I change my mind."

Justin walked out of the tiny, windowless room and let out a heavy breath.

"By the way, I checked into who posted those flyers of you, but the security cameras in town didn't reveal any new information."

Justin gave a tight nod. He doubted Kagawa had lost any sleep over it.

"Deputy Simms will give you a ride to pick up your motorcycle." The chief shut the door and then turned to him with a smile that might have been genuine. "It's a gorgeous bike. Where'd you get it?"

For once, the question didn't sound like an accusation. "My grandpa Willard left me his collection. The rest are stored in the garage at Bieber House."

"Oh yeah?" Kagawa's brows arched up. "What else you got in there?"

"A couple Harleys, a BMW café racer, and a 1963 Triumph Bonneville."

"No! A Steve McQueen edition?"

Justin almost smiled when the chief's eyes lit up like Christmas morning. "Yeah. They all need work." Justin shrugged. "Maybe after I inherit the house, I'll start working on them."

His cop face sliding back into place, Kagawa's jaw set and his brows lowered. "When's that?"

Working hard not to get defensive, Justin began to stroll toward the door where Deputy Simms waited in his cruiser just outside. "When I turn twenty-one, the house becomes mine along with a trust my grandparents left me."

"That's why you came back here." Kagawa walked beside him, and they both paused at the glass doors.

"Partly." Justin met the chief's eyes, almost wanting him to dig deeper. When the time came, he would need this man to do his job. Maybe a part of the chief knew Justin had returned to find the true killer, and that his son was on the list of possibilities. That's why he wanted Justin gone. But that wasn't going to happen. "Well, this has been fun, and the saltines and water I had for lunch were fantastic, but a little more nourishment is in order."

Justin pushed against the door, but Kagawa stopped him with a hand on his arm. "Be careful with Ariana Grande." He cleared his throat before continuing. "She's a good one."

And you're not. The unspoken words hung in the air between them. Justin met the chief's stare and had to unclench his jaw before he could answer. "I'm well aware."

With a curt nod, the chief released him. Justin pushed into the windy evening and took a deep draw of the crisp fall air before sliding into the backseat of the cruiser. As they took off, he watched the sun sink toward the horizon, the sky exploding with red, orange, and gold—flushing the treetops in glorious pink. The fiery colors reminded him of Ariana's cheeks when he'd held her in his arms. He could paint her face from memory, the way she'd looked at him that night.

Whatever she'd told the cops had saved him. His lips lifted in an astonished smile that quickly dissolved into a grimace of determination. He'd risk anything for her, but he couldn't allow her to do the same. The closer he got to the truth, the more dangerous he became. His chest tightened like a vise around his heart. He knew what he had to do.