Chapter 162: Are you scared?

Chapter 162: Are you scared?
October 11th, 2010, Willowbend, Mississippi
Dean's POV
The detailed autopsy report came back three days later.
Luka's stomach showed no signs of poison, and his blood work was clean. That confirmed what we already suspected—no other injuries inflicted before death. Just a rich European financier who got himself killed in a stupid fight over a woman.
Tyler had a broken rib from his struggle with Luka. After his interrogation ended a few days ago, he was already checked into the hospital. His lawyer was working overtime to paint him as some kind of hero who saved a damsel in distress.
Since this was a case involving a European being killed in Mississippi, media from all over the country suddenly descended on Willowbend like vultures. Hell, even European reporters flew in to cover the story.
In the end, people were a lot more interested in the love triangle and adultery than they were in the actual death.
Opening any newspaper, you'd see the most ridiculous tabloid headlines. "Small-town Rich Boy and European Finance Man Duel Over Beautiful Bar Owner." "Bloody Love Triangle: Affair Leads to Murder." Some website even started a poll: "Small-town Princess vs. Sexy Bar Owner—Who Do You Prefer?"
In every version of the story, Vivian was portrayed as the innocent, wounded fiancée, while Tara was painted as some kind of femme fatale.
The entire state of Mississippi seemed more than happy to believe Tyler was a hero who rescued a woman from harassment by a dangerous foreign predator.
Especially the men—they seemed to think protecting their beautiful American women from being stolen by foreign men was like defending precious natural resources.
After three days in custody, both Tara and Vivian were released on bail.
The scene outside the police station was a goddamn circus. The moment Vivian stepped out, she immediately started screaming at Tara in front of the gathering crowd of reporters.
"This is all your fault!" Vivian shrieked, pointing an accusing finger. "You destroyed Tyler! You're nothing but a homewrecking bitch! A curse on this whole town!"
The press immediately started snapping photos and rolling cameras. Vivian ate up the attention, playing her role as the wronged woman to perfection for the media. Meanwhile, Tara tried to shield her face and push through the crowd, clearly wanting nothing to do with the spotlight.
To keep Tara from getting mobbed by aggressive reporters, and maybe to get more information out of her, I offered to drive her home. She didn't refuse.
As we were walking toward my patrol car, a reporter from the Mississippi Herald approached us. I recognized her immediately. Jennifer, the same woman I'd given that interview to two months ago about the river body case.
"Miss Tara," Jennifer called out, "could I have a word?"
Tara stopped and turned to face her. "Every other reporter here wants to interview Vivian. Why do you want to talk to me?"
Jennifer smiled with that knowing look reporters get when they smell a bigger story. "Two months ago, when I first met you, I had a feeling that someday I'd be interviewing you. I just didn't think that day would come so soon."
"Why?" Tara asked, genuine curiosity in her voice.
"Reporter's instinct, I suppose. Our intuition for stories. Like a bloodhound picking up a scent." Jennifer paused, studying Tara's face. "You're a woman with a story, and I can sense it."
"Officer Dean is giving me a ride back to the bar," Tara said. "You're welcome to join us if you don't mind." She glanced at me, seemingly asking for my approval. I nodded and opened the car door for them both.
I listened to their conversation as I drove, noting how Tara's answers matched almost word-for-word what she'd told us during interrogation. Jennifer's questions were professional but probing. She asked about the timeline of events, about Tara's relationship with both Tyler and Luka, about what exactly happened at the dock. Tara answered each question with the same calm precision she'd shown during our formal interrogation.
"I went to meet Luka because he said he had something important to discuss," Tara explained. "When I arrived, he became aggressive. Tyler came to help me. Everything happened very quickly after that."
"And you called the police immediately after the accident?"
"Of course. Despite my personal feelings about Luka, I'm not a monster. A man was dead."
Jennifer scribbled notes as Tara spoke, occasionally glancing up to study her subject's facial expressions. I could tell she was looking for cracks in the story, inconsistencies that might reveal a deeper truth.
But Tara remained composed throughout the entire exchange. If she was lying, she was damn good at it.
When we reached the bar, Jennifer looked directly at Tara through the passenger window.
"I have one last question," she said.
"Are you scared?"
That was a question I'd never asked Tara, never even thought to ask.
Since I'd known her, she seemed to get tangled up in one murder case after another. The first time I met her, there was a body in the river. This time, a body at the dock. But Tara's behavior always seemed more rational and composed than you'd expect from a young woman her age.
Would she actually be scared?