Re: Rhett Wyatt's Reaction
There was a pleasant smile on the actor’s face when he heard Emilia say his name and turned to greet the Deputy Sheriff. It froze and then fell as soon as he saw her expression. The look in her eyes reminded Rhett of the moment he’d been told that his costar was dead. In that split second before she spoke again, warmth was replaced with fearful concern as Rhett’s mind raced to each of his relatives and friends, trying to account for each of them.
And then he saw the handcuffs.
Concern became confusion. Fear became dread. A routine visit to a coffee shop turned into a new nightmare. Rhett had always believed in the justice system. He believed that most cops were good people trying to catch bad people. He believed that the system was designed so that bad people received fair punishments for the crimes they committed and innocent people were protected.
Until he’d been accused of something he would never do, Rhett didn’t know how terrified of that he was.
The color left his face as his brow furrowed and Rhett shook his head in a series of quick, jerky, movements. “No,” he said. “No.” His eyes darted to the other cops and people in the room who were watching. “I didn’t do it. I would never….” Rhett couldn’t stumble over the words fast enough. “She was my… I didn’t…” It was unsure who he was trying the hardest to convince.