Total pages in book: 152
Estimated words: 147545 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 590(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 147545 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 738(@200wpm)___ 590(@250wpm)___ 492(@300wpm)
My eyes widen, but I keep my gaze trained on the lawyer. “Why would I know anything about that?”
Terry’s eyebrows rise. “Your boyfriend killed the man you accused of rape, Cassie. The man who got off when you tried to prosecute him for that alleged rape. It would make sense if the police looked at the possibility of your involvement, but there’s nothing they could find that would prove that, right?”
I try to catch up, but this is so much.
“It was her ex-boyfriend,” Tor states, “and if anything, he was probably jealous. The guy had a tendency to be a fucking creep, and he didn’t let go of Cassie when they broke up. He didn’t gun down her rapist a year later at her behest.” He leans back, shaking his head. “I wouldn’t be surprised if he saw us together one night and it triggered him. Hell, he could have followed her that night and flipped out when he realized she was at our house. We’re identical twins—maybe he didn’t realize it was me she was meeting, and it fucked him up thinking she’d be hooking up with Tim after what she said he did. Who knows what he was thinking?”
“You think he would care that much this long after the breakup?” Terry asks.
“Considering he was waiting for her outside her house last night and flipped out about us being together, I’d say he still cared.”
The lawyer stares at him for a moment, then looks over at me. “Is this true? You saw Russell Wilcox last night?”
I nod miserably. “Yeah. He was waiting for me, kinda… hidden in the shadows on my front porch. He watched Tor drop me off and then once Tor left, he confronted me about… spending time with him.”
“Spreading your legs for me. I believe that was what he said, wasn’t it?”
Face heating, I confirm with a nod. “He was mad.”
The lawyer sits back in his chair. “Okay. That’s… important information.”
“If you think it’s best,” Tor says, “we’re happy to talk to the police today. The sooner this is all over, the better. Obviously, we’ve both been through a lot.”
The lawyer nods, glancing at me, then back at Tor. “Then let’s get started.”
CHAPTER 14
CASSIE
When we leave the lawyer’s office, we head straight to the police station. Terry comes with us. He wouldn’t agree to let the police speak to us without him present.
The police ask their questions. Some stuff they’ve already asked—and Terry stops them with a reminder that they already have our answers—but mostly, it’s new stuff about Russell. I’m in a fog as I answer their questions. It still doesn’t feel real.
Afterward, Tor drives me home.
It’s a quiet drive.
So much needs to be said, but I don’t have the energy for it right now. He seems to get it.
Familiar dread creeps up on me at the thought of walking into the house and having to explain things to my mom, but when Tor pulls in, I don’t see her car in the driveway, so she must not be home.
Oh, good.
That buys me a little more time.
The sight of my front porch makes my heart ache, though. Memories of last night come back to me—when Russell was alive.
I decide not to go in that way.
My entire body feels heavy as I climb out of the car and make my way up the driveway. Tor follows me and stops when I open the touchpad to key in the garage code. The door starts lifting, and I duck under as soon as it’s high enough.
Tor follows me into the garage, and I climb the couple of stairs to the small landing where the garage door leads into the house. There’s not really room for two people at the top, but Tor follows me up anyway.
“Is your family home?”
I shake my head, turning the knob to make sure I don’t need my keys. My mom usually locks this door when we’re home, but sometimes she leaves it unlocked when she leaves since no one can get into the garage without a clicker or the code.
It’s unlocked, but I don’t open it yet because I don’t want Tor to follow me inside.
“I imagine you’ll have to tell them something when they get here,” he says. “If you don’t want to talk, tell them the lawyer directed you not to say anything right now.”
I turn around to face him. “Advice from the master liar. Guess I should take it.”
“I didn’t hear you complaining when my lies kept your pretty little ass out of prison.”
I shake my head. “What you did for me made me think I could trust you.”
A storm brews in his eyes as they narrow, his brow furrowing ever so slightly. “You can trust me. Why would you ever think that you couldn’t?”
“You weren’t honest with me last night.”