The sheriff pulled out the chair opposite Rian and tossed a file down in front of him. He'd been handed it when they'd walked in, obviously the file for the case. It looked too thick for a new investigation, Rian was pretty sure it'd been stuffed. He looked up at Rian, both men stared at each other without a word for minutes before Rowland started speaking.
“You know, I understand the closeness the club environment provides. I get that you see yourself as family and that you are loyal to one another. It’s fun right? The parties. The women. The feeling of being invincible?”
Rian sat back in his chair, his fingers tapped along the smooth cool surface of the table. “If you say so.” He spoke with a calm tone. “I think you’ve seen one too many biker movies personally, sir.” Rowland chuckled at Rian’s comment with a nod.
“Maybe you’re right. I do enjoy watching a good biker flick. Good guys versus the bad. There's always some battle, and in the end, the bad guys lose. The way it should be.”
“Let me guess, we're the bad guys in this movie?”
Rowland looked down at the closed file before him.
“Only problem with the battle, innocent people get hurt or killed. Like Brad Benjamin.”
“Not sure…” Rian started to speak, his words cut off by Rowland’s continued monologue.
“And then, you protect the monsters who did this horrible act. Who killed an innocent person. Regardless if you see them as family, they are killers.”
Rian’s brows furrowed at the accusation. Wait, what? He thought the club had something to do with the murder? Had he lost his mind? What would the club gain from doing that? Rian chuckled without actual humor and shook his head as he turned to sit straight at the table. “I don’t know who you’re getting your information from, but the club would have nothing to do with a killing. Especially someone like Brad. I mean, he’s possibly the most liked man in town.”
Rowland sat silent for a minute before he nodded his head. “Yes, he was. Which makes his murder that much more horrible and brings us to now. To you. To your club.”
“Why the hell would we kill him?” Rian’s brows furrowed once more as he rested his arms on the smooth surface of the table. “I don’t think I’ve even spoken to Brad in over ten years. You’re barking up the wrong tree. Maybe you should be looking into the Brewery, at his boss.”
Rowland laughed with a lick of his lips. “That’s your defense? You’re going to blame a law-abiding citizen like Billingsworth for something like this? A man who has helped bring new businesses to town killed the town’s golden man, that’s what you’re going with?” Rian exhaled as he sat back in his chair.
“It’s funny you bring up the brewery, though.”
“Yeah, why’s that?” Rian asked.
“Because,” Rowland opened the file and pulled out the first picture that lay inside, covering the rest so Rian couldn't see them. “He was found dead next to four trucks, four trucks that were cleaned out and bound for Detroit.”
Rian looked down at the picture and instantly knew the location. That was Jenkins Street. Those were the four trucks he had seen. Fuck! He couldn’t tell Rowland he'd seen them or that he knew they were going to Jenkins. How would that look? It would make him the prime suspect. Brad must have been driving the first truck, Rian thought. He placed his fingers on the edge of the photo, pushing it back to Rowland.
“I’m more a Bourbon drinker.”
Rowland nodded his head as he snatched up the picture. “I’ll be sure to tell his wife that.”
“Look, despite what you think, nobody in the club had anything to do with this. We aren’t killers.”
Rowland cleared his throat before he pulled out another photo and pushed it across the table to Rian. He looked down at it, shaking his head as he pushed it back. “So what, there are tire marks. You think we are the only ones that ride bikes in this town?”
“Something tells me if I trace those tire tracks to those on each club member's bike, I would get my matches on some of them.”
Rian chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders. “Then go ahead. This is insane, you’re reaching.”
Rowland pulled the photo back as he looked down and closed the file. “Where were you last night?”
“Home. You can ask Lexi or even your guys who were parked outside my house all damn night.”
Rowland nodded once more, his eyes lifted to meet Rian’s. “I did. They said you returned late and alone. That you looked to have been, I think they said, muddy as shit.” He pulled out another photo from the back of the closed file, sliding it over to Rian. “That’s your bike, right?” Rian looked at the picture of his tires covered in mud and knew then, it wasn’t just the club Rowland was working to pin this on… but him alone. He just didn't know why.
“That’s circumstantial, at best.”
Rowland smiled, looking entirely too pleased with himself. “It’s enough to hold you for the night.”
“Why the hell would I kill Brad? What would be the motive? The point? This makes no sense!”
“You know what I think? I think your club wanted to hurt Billingsworth, it’s no secret you’ve been back and forth over some land deals. I think this was your way to scare him, back him off. Plus, hurt his business because you knew the town would be angry at him for the death. Who knows, maybe your goal was to push him from town over this.”
Rian let out a short laugh as he sat back in his chair.
“This is insane. You realize that, don't you??”
Rowland shrugged his shoulders before he pushed back his chair, turning to motion for two of his deputies to join them inside the room. “Stand up.” Rian pushed back
