“Calm down, I just want to talk.”
Keaton says the words to me before I’ve had a chance to react to his strolling up to me and Emmett. I bite back the urge to point out that I’m totally calm. I’d rather not get murdered by Savvy’s brother today.
Keaton pulls up a chair and plunks his beer down, sloshing some on the table.
He looks like Savvy. He always has, but it takes my breath away for a moment when he lifts his head to meet my gaze. Same blue eyes, same nose, same way of twisting their lips when they’re nervous.
His eyes are clear, steady on mine. He’s obviously tipsy, but not totally wasted. He takes a gulp of his beer like he’s trying to rectify this.
“Why don’t you finish that and I’ll drive you home?” Emmett offers.
“I’m fine.” He jerks his head in the general direction of the bar. “I have a ride.”
He goes silent then, and Emmett and I exchange a glance.
“So, how have you been?” I finally ask. Maybe the suspected murderer is supposed to start the conversation in this situation.
He shrugs. “Fine. Got married. Had a kid.”
He looks fairly miserable about both these choices, so I’m not sure how to respond.
“I want to talk to you about Savvy.” He drains his beer, wipes the dribble from his beard, and signals the bartender for another.
“I sort of guessed.”
“You and that podcaster are chummy now, right?”
A scene from last night, Ben’s head between my thighs, flashes through my mind. “I don’t think that chummy is the word.”
“He’s on your side,” Keaton says.
“Ben is always only on Ben’s side.”
“When I talked to him, he seemed to be real sympathetic to you.”
I shrug. The waitress sets a new beer down in front of him.
“Does he think you did it?” he asks.
“I don’t know, why don’t you ask him?”
He slumps back in his chair with a long sigh. “You are still a giant pain in the ass, you know that?”
“Hey—” Emmett starts.
“Yes,” I say. “I am.”
“But in a fun way,” Emmett says helpfully. I laugh.
Keaton rolls his eyes. “Listen. I’ve been thinking.”
“A dangerous pastime,” I say.
“Yeah— Wait, what?” He waves his hand like he’s annoyed with me. No one can blame him, considering I’m making Beauty and the Beast jokes while we’re talking about his sister’s murder. “I didn’t know. About Matt.”
“About Matt and Julia?” I ask, playing dumb. “No one did, from the sound of it.”
Keaton pauses. Emmett takes a sip of his beer and grimaces.
“I didn’t know he was a jerk.”
Emmett snorts.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Keaton asks.
“Nothing.” Emmett drinks and grimaces.
Keaton gives him a weird look. “Anyway. I didn’t know he was … you know. Violent.”
“Yes, a real shocker,” I say earnestly. Both Emmett and Keaton freeze, and then exchange a glance.
“I didn’t know,” Keaton continues. “And I didn’t know that he left after he got home that night. And that Nina was over there. I don’t…” He takes in a breath and makes a fist. I lean back, away from him, just a tiny bit.
He stares at me in this open, sympathetic way that makes me uncomfortable. I wish he’d go back to looking like he’s about to murder me.
“You really don’t remember that night, do you?” he asks quietly.
“I think about the way the knife went into his throat every night,” she whispers in my ear. “It’s like my own personal lullaby.”
“No,” I say.
“Did you think Lucy was lying?” Emmett asks, with genuine curiosity.
“Of course I did! We all did.”
“I didn’t.” He says it matter-of-factly, and maybe I’m an idiot, but I believe him.
“Well, good for you, Sunshine, but the rest of us were skeptical. But now…” He shakes his head and takes a drink of his beer.
I lean forward, folding my arms on the table. It’s damp and sticky with beer. “Keaton, are you trying to apologize to me?”
“No.” He runs a hand over his mouth. “Fuck, I don’t know. But you know what I do know? I know both Matt and Nina well, and neither of them said shit to me about being out that night. They didn’t say shit to anyone. And that doesn’t sit right.”