Ruthless Creatures by J.T. Geissinger

She says, “A judge can force you to talk to us.”
I’m pretty sure that’s a stretch, but considering I’m not a
constitutional attorney, I don’t know.
Still, we’re playing chicken here.
I won’t blink first.
I say, “I don’t see a judge on my porch. Have a nice day,
Detective.”
Heart hammering, I shut the door in their faces. Then I
stand there shaking and trying to get control of myself, until I
hear Chris’s voice from the other side of the door.
“Nat. Open up. I know you’re standing there.”
“Go away, Chris.”
“I have your purse.”
I freeze in horror.
Oh my god. My purse! I left it at the restaurant!
Don’t panic. You haven’t done anything wrong.
Hurry up and make up a lie anyway.
I open the door and look at him, standing there with my
small black clutch in his hand. My mind goes a million miles
per hour trying to figure out what to do.
When I don’t say anything, Chris sighs. “Four people were
killed last night, Nat. Six others were injured. If you know
anything, you really need to talk to the police.”
Detective Brown and Officer O’Donnell are out at the curb
by their squad car, watching us talk. I know they sent Chris in
because we used to date, and they think he might have a better
chance of getting information out of me.
Which makes me wonder what he’s told them about our
relationship.
What he thinks about our relationship. Does he actually
believe he has some kind of influence over me, the girl he
dated for a few weeks last summer who he never even had sex
with?