James was sitting up in his hospital bed, watching the news, and sipping on a cup of coffee when I walked in.
“Good to see you, Sloane,” he said. “Did you get my text?”
I nodded. “Did you get mine?”
“You said we needed to talk. I was thinking the same thing.”
I pulled a chair closer to his bed and sat down. “I know you’ve been through a lot lately. You’ve just lost your sister, and you’re grieving. You’ve also assumed custody of Grace and have been trying to help her recover. And you’re looking out for your dad too. It’s a lot to deal with, a lot of pressure, but I don’t think it’s the only pressure you’ve been under.”
“You’re right. That’s why I’ve decided to step down as senator. I can’t focus on the job and my family and a murderer who hasn’t been caught yet and maintain my position and perform the duties expected of me. It’s not what I want, but it’s what needs to happen.”
“I get it,” I said, “but the added pressure of your job isn’t what I was talking about.”
He raised a brow. “It’s not? What are you trying to say, then?”
“I’ve been sitting in my car in the hospital parking lot for the last hour, thinking about you and Adelaide and why you were both targeted by the killer. It seems odd to me that you two were labeled as a liar and a fool, and yet the killer didn’t send any kind of message when he killed Caroline and Hugh.”
“I’m not sure what to tell you. Who knows what the reasons are for what he’s doing? It takes a certain kind of person to kill another person. You have to understand, we could be dealing with someone who isn’t in his right mind.”
I understood just fine.
“In the park, he could have easily gotten rid of me if he’d wanted to,” I said, “and he didn’t. Why do you think that is?”
“When we catch him, we’ll ask him, and then you’ll have your answer.”
His comment had been peppered with a hint of sarcasm, and I was just getting started.
“Is there anything you need to tell me?” I asked. “Anything you should have told me before now but didn’t?”
He set the coffee cup down and crossed his arms. “I’m not sure what you’re looking for me to say here, Sloane. I get the feeling you’ve come here today to play guessing games with me, and I’m in no mood for it. I thought we were headed in the right direction together. Was I wrong?”
“I went to see Tommy Walker today.”
He shrugged. “And? What did he have to say?”
“Tommy told me if I wanted to know what happened the night of your sister’s murder, the part I don’t know about, I should ask you.”
I was paraphrasing, and it wasn’t exactly what Tommy had said, but for now, it was all I had to work with. I hoped it was enough to provoke him to talk.
“What makes Tommy think he knows anything?”
“You heard the killer pushed a quote into my shoe, right?” I said.
He nodded. “Yeah, I heard.”
“I believe the killer was trying to send me a message.”
“Why you? Why not communicate with the paper again if he’s so desperate to reach out?”
“He wrote to the paper, and nothing came of it. Maybe he thought he’d try a different avenue this time. Did you know Tommy was still seeing Grace every night, even after Caroline said he couldn’t?”
James looked at me like he was shocked at the news, but I wasn’t sure I believed it.
“What?” he asked. “How?”
I relayed what Tommy had told me and then added, “He said he was there every night, including the night of the murders.”
Another partial “truth,” which may or may not have been true.
I wondered if he’d buy it.
James closed his eyes and leaned back on the pillow. “Tommy actually said he was there the night of the murders? Did he see something he hasn’t told anyone about?”
“I don’t know. You were there too. You didn’t see him?”
“No, I didn’t. You’re second-guessing what I’ve told you. I don’t like it.”
“No more smoke and mirrors, James. No more misleading me. Whatever you’re keeping from me and everyone else ... well, I came all this way to help you. I deserve to be given the story in its entirety, and not one with holes in it.”
“I gave you the story. Maybe you should take the rest of the day off and cool down.”
I leaned forward, looking him in the eye. “How many more people have to die before you trust me? Tommy? Me? Your father? Grace? Victoria?”
“Stop it, Sloane.”
I slid my chair back against the wall and stood. “All right, fine. I’ll stop. Seems there’s nothing more for us to say to each other today. Instead of pressing Tommy for more information, I thought I’d come here and talk to you instead. Until now, you’ve always seemed like a stand-up guy, a man others respect. But you obviously don’t trust me, and you should. I’ve been on your side this entire time, and I almost got myself killed trying to protect you. But, hey, no big deal.”
I slung my bag over my shoulder, walked to the door, and threw it open.
“Just ... hang on, Sloane. Wait a minute.”
“No. I’m done hanging on to half-truths and missing facts.”
“I do trust you. I wouldn’t have brought you here if I didn’t see the same qualities in you that I see in myself.”
I stood in the doorway, desperate to walk out, but telling myself I’d be an idiot to do so when it seemed he was on the brink of enlightening me.
“Yeah, well, there’s no use in me trying to solve these murders if I’m missing an important piece to the puzzle,” I said.
“I never wanted to keep anything from you. It’s complicated, more complicated than you know.”
“I realized how complicated it must be just this morning when I thought about the kind of person you are. You place a great deal of value on the truth. Hell, you canceled your wedding last year after finding out your fiancée lied to you. Whatever it is, I know it’s heavy. But I’m not leaving this place until the murders are solved, and if that means uncovering whatever you’re keeping from me and everyone else in the process, so be it.”
“You don’t want to do that.”
“Actually, I do.”
Actually, I didn’t. All I really wanted was for him to level with me.
“Trust me, you don’t,” he said. “Some burdens are best borne alone. It’s better off this way. You can solve the case without it.”
I glanced back at him. “What am I missing that’s so bad, James? How awful could it be?”
“Would it help if I told you I’d behave the same way if I were in your position?”
“It wouldn’t.”
He sighed. “Everything I’m doing, all of it has been about protecting Grace.”