Part 31 (1/2)
”I didn't.”
”Where is it?”
”Actually, I sort of did get rid of it. I gave it to a friend, and she gave it to charity.”
He glared at me. ”Right. If you've still got the stuff, you don't have to tell me. After all,” he said, his voice rising angrily, ”it's only my whole life at stake here.” He jabbed a finger in my face. ”You know, you could be next, if he thinks you're looking too.”
”Why would he think that?”
”Maybe he won't, but I'd sure watch my a.s.s if I were you. And I wouldn't go telling anyone about seeing me here either.”
The light on the timer switched on in the living room, and he shrank farther into the darkness. ”I have to go.”
”No. Wait. I need to ask you about that night. I need to know what happened.”
”Thought you said the cops were coming.”
”No. I didn't get a chance to call them.”
”Didn't think so.” Still, he glanced toward the street. ”What is it you want to know?”
”That night. Were you with her at all? What did she say? Where was she going? Why was she walking out on the road by herself? Why did she get out of her truck?”
”Hey, you're asking me things I can't begin to know. I did see her earlier that night. She told me she was going *out.' That was just like her, take off and not care what I thought. She didn't tell me to leave though, so I stayed, figured I'd see her later. I watched some TV. Eventually I went to bed. I heard her come home, I thought. I heard her truck pull in, heard the garage door close. I don't know what time that was, but I fell back to sleep. I left in the morning, never saw her, a.s.sumed she'd come home and took off again. I didn't think a thing of it. But she was already dead by the time that truck rolled into the garage. Whoever brought it back had a lot of guts too. What if I'd seen them? They knew someone was inside. My motorcycle was parked in the drive. I guess they figured they could set me up that way. But since no one saw me here, I told the cops I was at my place, all night. And guess what? They didn't believe me ... and blamed her murder on me.” He turned and opened the back door. ”That's about it. See ya.”
”Wait. How will I find you if I need ...?”
But the darkness had already gobbled him up.
I released Annabelle, locked the back door and left. As I pulled the Jeep's gears.h.i.+ft into reverse, headlights loomed in my rearview mirror. A car peeled in behind me.
Someone got out, slammed the door, then walked to my window. Trevor. I rolled the window down.
He leaned in. ”What in G.o.d's name are you doing here alone this late? I've been worried sick, no note, no call, nothing.”
”I was just leaving.”
”Just leaving? It's pitch black out. Why in the name of ...?” He stopped, then shook his head. ”We'll talk about this at home.”
He followed me all the way back to the house, then inside, still hovering over me as we walked into the kitchen.
”I'm sorry, okay?” I said before he could start up again. ”I didn't do it on purpose. I made a mistake.”
”What were you doing there so late? I don't know what made me think you'd be there. I get home, no one's here, the lights are off. So I drive over there, and I find you alone in the house.”
”I'm sorry. Don't flip out about it. I stayed longer than I realized. I didn't mean to worry you.”
”What were you doing?”
”Nothing. I was trying out some wallpaper samples. I planned to leave once the workers did, but I got involved and lost track of the time.”
”You said you wouldn't go over there alone anymore.”
”I wasn't alone. I just said that. Can we please change the subject?”
”Do you have any idea how I'd feel if something happened to you? Do you think I don't worry that maybe that creep will come back here someday? He could. I don't mean to scare you, Gwyn, but he could.”
”I know that.”
”Then why do you pull these stunts?”
”I'm not pulling any stunts. I stayed too long, that's all. I wasn't thinking.”
”No, and neither was your sister, or she might still be alive.”
It felt like a fist to the gut.
”It wasn't Kelly's fault.”
”No, not entirely, but she wasn't exactly the world's best judge of character or she wouldn't have hung out with that creep.”
I eyed him, so very tempted to take this a little further, maybe mention that Craig wasn't the only creep that Kelly hung around. Instead, I tried a different tack. ”Did you call the hospital?”
”Yes, I did. They discharged Sylvia this morning.”
”No brain damage?”
”That's not funny, Gwyn.”
”I didn't mean it to be.”
”Well no, it appears she's not ... damaged,” he said, a hint of a grin appearing at the corner of his mouth. ”She came through it okay. They took x-rays and a CAT-scan and there doesn't seem to be-”
”So glad to hear it.”
He frowned. ”Your buddy, Josh, he'd better hope she doesn't sue his a.s.s.”
”For what? Oh, come on. She wouldn't really, would she?”
He shrugged. ”You never know with Sylvia.”
”G.o.d.”
Chapter 21.
”Are you ready for this?” Sue asked as she breezed through the door of Caroline's apartment. In one hand, she held her briefcase and in the other what looked to be an ordinary shopping bag.