CHAPTER 12
After I gave my statement to Javy, going over every single detail I could recall the night before the wedding and the day of, we sat together at his desk. He’d been asking questions about Alex’s visit for the last five minutes. There wasn’t much more I could tell him, and the questions became tedious in nature.
“Since his engagement to Lucy, was it common practice for Alex to come by your place?” His tone came out serious and completely professional, yet I could detect an undertone of familiarity.
He’d once interviewed me when he truly had suspicions regarding my guilt in a crime, and I’d despised the sight of him. Times had changed us both. Though, at present, I wasn’t enjoying his company one bit. Not that any of this was his fault.
I took a sip from the Coke can and shook my head. “No. In fact, I don’t think we spoke about anything other than wedding arrangements until that night. It was better for us to keep some distance.” I didn’t add why.
Javy scribbled something on his pad. He took extensive notes on every case.
He raised his brows. “But the night before he was to marry the woman carrying his child, he made a point to come by your house and have a heart to heart. Did he say anything that gave you an inkling he wasn’t happy?”
“Did he give you any inkling? You were his best man.” It came out snippy, and I paused and glanced away. “For the third time, no. Oh, wait . . .”
“What did you remember?” he pressed, and I felt annoyed with myself for behaving in the manner I had.
“It probably doesn’t mean anything . . . but he asked if I loved Paul . . .” My voice trailed off and Javy raised his brows. “We have history and they, he and Lucy, were experiencing the usual bickering sessions in regard to the wedding. It didn’t mean anything.”
“It’s strange, you have to admit. First, he plants the seed that Lucy is terrified of Betsy and then asks about your relationship with Paul. Let’s face it, he didn’t seem all that happy.”
It certainly wasn’t my place to judge and, not liking the direction this conversation headed, I wouldn’t comment.
“Then the woman suddenly dies, he’s the first to notice she’s nonresponsive, and the bombs were strategically placed under your van and the van of the man you’re seeing. His mother starts shouting foul play. Now he goes and recruits a detective who holds a grudge against the sheriff, and you. Maybe Betsy is a decoy of sorts.”
I shook my head. “No. No way.”
His theory could be plausible if we were talking about someone other than Alex. I’d known him my entire life. Spent years attached at the hip. Loved him, despite not being able to make a relationship work, and probably always would. I leaned closer to Javy. Our arms were touching. “Look, I get what you’re saying. Shining the light on Betsy first would throw people off the scent of him framing someone. But that’s not Alex. He’s upset and angry. And you should know that when he’s angry, he lashes out at the world.” I shifted in my seat. “And as much as I hate the way he’s turning on the ones who love him the most, I can’t point the finger at him. Deep down, he’s honest and loyal.”
“I’m glad to hear you still think well of me when my best man and partner doesn’t.”
I jumped at the sound of Alex’s voice. He stood outside the cubicle opening.
Javy hadn’t flinched, as if he’d been aware of Alex’s presence. “Just running down every possibility. You know the drill.”
Alex snorted. His wavy hair curled around his ears and was in desperate need of a good brushing. He reeked of alcohol, even from several feet away, his eyes were reminiscent of a racoon’s, his face was full of stubble, and his clothes were rumpled. He didn’t look good.
I rose to face him and kept my tone gentle. “I know you’re hurting, and I wish I could fix it for you. I hate it. Just hate it. But you need to end this ridiculous vendetta against Betsy. It’s killing her and Aunt Vi, and I can’t imagine your meemaw is happy about it.” I started to reach out and touch his arm and he took a step backward. I let my hand drop. “Alex, I’m serious. It’s time to put an end to the madness. Life sucks sometimes. We deal. We haven’t any other choice.” I shook my head. “You know Betsy and I had nothing to do with this. And I’ll help you find out who did, and, honey, we’ll make them pay.”
He scoffed but seemed to be listening.
“How can we work any of this out with that Atlanta detective here?” I sighed and lowered my tone. “For the life of me, I don’t understand what you were thinking bringing Detective Thornton back into our business.”
His gaze darkened, and I could clearly see I’d lost him. “What choice did I have? Lucy’s been missing all this time, and we have no idea what happened to her or any real leads to go on. And the real pisser is, most folks around here don’t give a rat’s ass.” A little spittle left his lips. This wasn’t a side of Alex I’d seen before.
When he took a step forward, Javy put himself between Alex and me before I even registered he’d moved. “Watch yourself, Myers. You’re receiving grace for your tone toward Marygene because of your pain. But I won’t stand for a second offense. She’s recovering from her injuries from her accident. She didn’t cause this.”
Alex’s gaze flickered from Javier and then to me and back to Javier. He gave a bark of bitter laughter. “I see. Well, partner,” he began with sarcasm heavy in his tone, “I’ll give you the same advice you gave me. Watch yourself. She seems all innocent and sweet. She has a quality that draws men in and then brings out the worst in them. Just ask her ex-husband.” He shook his head in a deliberate fashion and met my direct gaze.
Astonishment overtook me, and I registered the foul words he spoke and the venomous way he glared at me. Javy’s body tensed and he opened his mouth to speak, but I brushed past them before the waterworks commenced, keeping my stinging eyes wide as I rushed by the front desk, hearing Tonya call after me. I shoved both metal doors open and rushed outside, scurried around the corner of the building, and placed my hands on my knees. How can he be so cruel? So vindictive. Alex knew my deepest, darkest secrets. Including my ex and all the pain I endured. Yet, he alluded to the abuse being my fault. My fault! Despite the falseness of the accusation, turbulent emotions threatened to overwhelm me and make me lose sight of the present. I could hear the echoes of the past within my head. My thoughts were in such a tumult, I scrambled to make sense of them. The dam broke. Tears poured as I took timed breaths and fought for control. The man I’d known my entire life, and loved for most of it, had wounded me in a way only he could. I understood he felt desperate. Still, this behavior was unforgivable.
“Marygene.” And there he was again.
I moved down the wall in an attempt to put more space between us. “How could you?” It came out rough and ragged.
“God, I . . . I didn’t mean that.” He thrust both hands into his hair, fisted, and pulled. “I’m going nuts. I—”
“I’ll never forgive you,” I managed to get out over gasps. “Ever.”
“Forget I said that. I’m not thinking straight and . . .” He glanced around wildly. “Marygene, nobody cares. Everyone is just going on with their lives like Lucy never existed.” He slumped against the wall. “I don’t know what’s going on, but you didn’t see her after the rehearsal. She was terrified. Betsy cornered her in the ladies’ room and told her she would never be a Myers and if she walked down the aisle, she’d pay for it.”
My thoughts became clearer as I continued to work to slow my breathing and turned his words over in my mind. “That doesn’t sound like Betsy, Alex. She’s your cousin, for heaven’s sake. She’s all bark.” My voice started to sound more like my own.
“Is she? Remember Darnell and the bonfire she made of his belongings.”
“He cheated on her. And that’s not murder.” I wiped my face with the back of my hand, thankful I hadn’t had a full-blown panic attack.
Alex took a couple of steps toward me. He seemed to be seeing me clearly now. His face was drawn in what I thought was panic or perhaps pain. “Baby, I—”
“Don’t call me that,” I bit out. “You can’t call me a monster one second and try to sweet-talk me the next. You said nobody cares. I care.” I pounded my chest with the palm of my hand. “I wanted to be there for you and tried to be, and how did you repay me? You chose the ammunition in your arsenal that would inflict the most damage and used it.” I managed to get myself upright. “Someone tried to kill me too! If it weren’t for Paul, Betsy and I would both be dead. Now your cousin is in there being grilled.”
Alex’s confused gaze matched my emotions. “What are you talking about? Who tried to kill you?”
“We don’t know! That’s the point. But they planted a bomb under the van, and it detonated minutes after Betsy and I were dragged from the wreckage. It was close. Too close.”
He dropped his head but said nothing. Nothing!
“I don’t know who you are anymore.”
“You know me better than anyone.”
“I’m not so sure. The Alex I know would be seeking the truth, no matter how painful it might turn out to be. He also wouldn’t allow his mother to go on some tirade with false declarations regarding his cousin’s guilt. And from what I’m hearing, Lucy had some disgruntled ex-boyfriend hanging around. Maybe you should be hunting him down, instead of blaming the people who actually love you.”
He opened his mouth and closed it a few times before he finally mumbled, reiterating Javy’s earlier point, “We have to go where the case takes us.”
Strength began to fill me once more, and I closed the distance between us and tilted my head back to meet his gaze. “Right back atcha, buddy. But don’t you forget, you started this.”
I moved around him and started to storm off when he grabbed my arm. “No. Whoever harmed Lucy started this, and I’m damn well going to finish it.”
I jerked my arm away. “Just remember, some burned bridges can’t be rebuilt.”