Dead or a Lie by Gregory Payette

Author:Gregory Payette [Gregory Payette]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: 8 Flags Publishing, Inc.
Published: 2024-02-09T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Kathy hadn’t said a word to me on the ride back, turning off Northwest Thirteenth and into the hotel parking lot. She continued around the side of the building and toward the back.

“What are you doing?” I said.

“I can’t have anyone see me dropping you off,” she said.

“Like who?” I said, glancing at the sign that read SERVICE ENTRANCE where she’d stopped and put the Mercedes in park.

She said, “I think it’s just better we’re not seen together.” She wouldn’t look me in the eye, or say specifically who she was worried about. Her eyes were straight ahead, until she finally turned to me. “In fact, I think at this point, maybe it’s best we stay clear of each other for a little while.”

“Because I wouldn’t let you take that money?” I said. I wanted to laugh, but the mood obviously didn’t call for it. “I came down here to help you and your brother. You asked me to. Or did you forget?”

“Well, he’s gone now,” she said. “I need to think about what I’m going to do from here.”

I was a little confused about what she was saying. “What about what happened at the park this morning? We don’t even know what the cops know about it at this point. And, in case you forgot, you shot that man. What if he’s dead?”

“I shot him to save your life,” she said, as if the implications didn’t matter.

“Right. I know that,” I said. “But the cops don’t. Who knows what witnesses saw or what anyone told them. There could be video of—”

“What am I supposed to do?” she said, coming off as someone who was more annoyed than worried.

“And what am I supposed to do? You expect me to lie?”

“You can’t tell them about the money,” she said.

I thought about it, staring back, watching her with her eyes closed, hands on the shifter like she was ready to go. “I think you need to come clean. You need to tell them the truth about everything.” I pushed open the passenger door. “But you can’t expect me to lie for you,” I said, stepping out onto the asphalt, leaning in to look in at Kathy. “I’m sorry. I can’t put myself in a position like that.”

The look on her face was clear: She didn’t like what I’d said. “I need to go,” she said, shifting the car into drive. “Luke’s going to be wondering where I am. He gets suspicious when I don’t tell him where I’ve gone.”

“Suspicious?”

She shrugged. “Jealous, more than anything.”

“I hope he knows he has nothing to worry about,” I said.

She held her gaze, a slight smile on her face. “He gets jealous of handsome men.”

“Well, then, I guess he has nothing to worry about.”

She turned from me, looking out the driver-side window. “He knows about us.”

“Us?” I said, and huffed out a laugh. “Kathy, there is no ‘us.’ There hasn’t been an ‘us’ in twelve years. What did you tell him?”

“The real reason he doesn’t trust me is, well…” She cleared her throat.

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