Every Song He Stole Was Mine novel · Chapter 5 of 24

Chapter 5: Sworn Statement

The officers did not shout.

That was almost worse.

One of them looked at the restraining order Dax held up and then at me, standing in the hall of the house I had lived in for six years.

"Ma'am, did you receive this paper?"

"Yes," I said.

"Then I have to place you under arrest for violating it."

Dax put a hand to his chest.

"I hate that it came to this," he said to the officers.

He said it loud enough for the neighbor's porch light to flick on.

I felt the drive in my fist.

I did not remember deciding to do it, but as the second officer reached for my wrist, I slid my hand sideways and pressed the drive into Tilda's palm.

She closed her fingers over it without a flicker.

"Hands behind your back," the officer said.

The cuffs were cold.

I looked for Kiera.

She stood in the studio doorway with her knuckles against her mouth and tears running down her face.

"Kiera," I said. "Tell them you invited me."

She did not move.

"Tell them. You texted me. It's on my phone."

"Jo," she whispered. "I don't know what you're talking about."

My phone was in my jacket pocket, and the officer took it out and held it up for Dax's lawyer, who had come in behind the police.

He scrolled through the messages.

Then he looked up and shook his head.

"Nothing from Ms. Lund," he said. "The number you're thinking of isn't in here."

"It's the last message. It was at ten o'clock."

"There's no message at ten o'clock."

I stared at the screen.

The thread was gone.

She had sent it, and then she had deleted it from her side, and the little ghost bubble on my side was gone too.

I had no idea how.

Dax watched me work it out.

His smile was small.

"You really believed she'd help you," he said.

They took Tilda in as well, since she had been standing in the studio with me, but they let her sit in the lobby while they processed me.

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