At the Quiet Edge(18)

“I spoke to quite a few people in the area yesterday, Ms. Brown,” he said, finally deigning to speak. “You were the only one who seemed nervous. You wanna tell me why that is?”

No, she definitely did not. “I really don’t have any answers for you, Detective,” she forced out. “I didn’t see anything. I don’t even know what you’re looking for.”

“You have an interesting history in this town,” he continued as if she hadn’t spoken.

“It’s not my history. It’s something I was witness to.”

“Is that right?”

“Yes. I didn’t steal anyone’s money. I didn’t run away. I’m still right here, aren’t I?” She took a deep breath, trying to calm the bitter panic in her voice.

“Regardless . . . I think I’ll drop by sometime and go over a few details with you. See if we can’t jog that memory. Have a good evening, Mrs. Arthur.”

She stood frozen for a long moment after he hung up. His voice had been perfectly pleasant, but his words had held threat. Of what?

But she knew exactly what. Her husband’s case was still unresolved. He was unresolved.

She stared straight ahead, teeth grinding until her jaw ached. Had Detective Mendelson meant he would come tonight? Tomorrow? She registered a shadow from the corner of her eye and whipped around to see Everett’s head poking past the door of the office. He watched her, a shallow frown marring his forehead.

“Ev! I didn’t see you there!”

He took her in for a long moment before silently retreating back to the apartment. Lily frantically reviewed her side of the conversation. She hadn’t mentioned Jones but she’d obviously been talking about him.

She didn’t speak of him with Everett. Not that she wouldn’t if he asked, but because she couldn’t bring herself to broach the topic. She’d lied to her son over and over, and the guilt of it burned through her. He’d find out someday. She knew that. He’d find out that his dad had been in touch and she hadn’t told him.

She’d been sure she was doing the right thing when he was nine, but now she didn’t know. Now it felt wrong, like she’d taken something from him, when it had been Jones who’d taken everything. Jones who’d abandoned them so he wouldn’t have to go to prison. Jones who hadn’t sent a card or letter for two years and thought he could just drop back into a child’s heart with no obligation, no commitment.

Lily swallowed hard several times, choking down her alarm and grief.

She had nothing to offer that cop about Jones. Nothing that he could know about at least, so she had nothing to fear. And if Everett wanted to talk about his dad, she’d keep up her charade.

Pasting a smile on her face, she walked stiffly back into the apartment. “Should I make those cookies now?” she asked, hoping a treat would distract them, but Josephine groaned.

“My mom already texted that she’d be here in ten minutes. No cookies for me, I guess.”

Lily busied herself with cleaning up the already clean kitchen while the kids sat tight together on the couch, watching another video on Josephine’s phone. One more thing to feel guilty about. Everett just wanted to watch YouTube videos and follow his friends on Snapchat like all the other kids. But he wasn’t like all the other kids.

What if his father found him and pulled him into his twisted world of secrets and crime and lies? Jones was so goddamn charming. He lied like other people breathed.

But Everett’s thirteenth birthday loomed before her, only three months away now, and she’d promised he could finally buy a phone. Then he’d have access to the world, and the world—and maybe his father—would have access to him.

“She’s here!” Josephine chirped suddenly, and Lily tossed aside her towel to walk her out.

Barbara was parked outside the gate, and she rolled down her window as they approached. “I like your home security!” she called.

“Thanks! It’s a nice benefit to the job.” They shook hands and chatted for a while until Barbara finally waved goodbye.

“Thank you so much for letting Josephine come over.”

“It’s my pleasure. We get a little lonely way out here.”

Lily waved as they pulled away, but her hand paused in midair as she registered another vehicle behind Barbara’s. It wasn’t on the road but parked across the street in front of the plumbing supply place. Maybe somebody broke down and left their ride. Or perhaps an employee got picked up by a friend for the night.

Lily stared hard, watching for any sign of movement, but the store lights were off, and she couldn’t see anything but the shape of a dark SUV. “Shit,” she cursed. Detective Mendelson had made her paranoid. A vehicle might have been parked there once or twice a week for the past six months and she wouldn’t have noticed until now.

“I need a drink,” she muttered, thinking of the red wine she’d stashed under her bed. She didn’t particularly like red, but it didn’t need refrigeration, and she didn’t want to leave alcohol in the kitchen for her son to experiment with. She tried to protect him in every way she could, reading all the pamphlets the school sent home about alcohol, drugs, depression.

Don’t keep alcohol in the house. Don’t drink in front of your kids. Set a good impression. Hide your wine in your bedroom like the pitiful parent you are.