When he grabbed her hand and tried to pull her toward the door, she yanked her hand back. “Stop that.”
Alex’s mouth was a tight line of serious concern as he stepped toward the pedestrian gate. She hadn’t locked it, but he stayed outside, his gaze shifting from Lily to Everett, one eyebrow cocked in question.
“Whatever he says, don’t listen to him,” Everett cried, and her chest ached at the sound of fear in his voice.
“Alex?” she asked. “What’s going on?”
Everett bleated out a sound of protest or alarm. His entire body coiled tight with tension as if he were about to flee, and she was already reaching toward him to try to hold him still. But then he froze, his face setting into a firmer expression. She watched the struggle on his face, bravery trying to defeat his panic, and her heart broke for him. Finally he planted his feet and squared his shoulders to face Alex through the links of the fence.
After a long moment of silence, Alex sighed. “Well, Everett went to visit my uncle today.”
She’d been ready for that. Josephine’s message had been concise. He went to go see Mr. Bennick today & he thinks the Alex Bennick you know is dangerous. I’m not sure what’s true but I’m worried about it and think you should know.
But Lily had thought she’d be the one explaining this to Alex. Had Everett upset the old man?
“I saw Everett walking out,” Alex said, answering her as if she’d asked. “Apparently he was there to ask my uncle a few questions.”
Lily squeezed her eyes shut in shame. “I’m so sorry.”
“Mom, he’s not who he says he is!” Everett protested. “He’s Alex Bennick’s son! He lives in his house, and there’s someone else there too, I don’t know who.”
“What house? What are you talking about?” Dumbfounded, she gaped at Alex, waiting for an answer, but his head was bowed now, fists braced on his hips as he stared at his feet. “Alex, what is he talking about?”
“Well, I’m definitely not his son,” he finally answered with a sad smile.
“I know he has a son!” Everett shouted. “He told me!”
“He does have a son. I’m his nephew.”
“Why are you named after him, then, huh?”
“We’re both named after my grandfather. That’s all.”
Lily’s mind spun, buffeted by deception from every side. “Wait. Everett, how would you know anything about where Alex is living?”
Alex cleared his throat for a longer period than seemed necessary. Then he grimaced. “I think Everett might have broken in.”
“What?” The word left her throat like the fall of an axe, cracking through the air hard enough to make Everett wince.
“No, I . . . I just looked inside,” he whined.
Lily’s world seemed to tilt. She’d thought she knew what this new trauma would be, and now it was a monster with a whole new shape. “Looked inside what? What is happening? Alex, you have a house? I thought you were living in a hotel!”
“I, um . . . No, I never said that.”
She shook her head. “You let me think that, though. Didn’t you?”
“I’m sorry,” Alex said, holding up his hands. “It’s really complicated. It’s not my house, and . . . It’s my uncle’s home, and my cousin lives there. Brian. His son. He moved back home this winter after his wife left. He’s . . . yeah. Brian has had some problems. But he’s doing better now, and I’m just staying with him for a little while.”
“I don’t believe him,” Everett snapped.
Lily rounded on him. “Did you break into this man’s home? Tell me the truth.”
Her son shook his head, the tips of his ears bright red against his pale skin.
“Alex? Did he?”
“On Friday, while I was gone, my cousin thought he heard someone downstairs. He found a broken picture frame on the floor. I think maybe . . .” He trailed off, waiting for Everett’s reaction.
Everett sniffed hard and scrubbed a hand over his eyes. “I knew something was wrong. That’s all. Something isn’t right, Mom! I wanted to protect you. I didn’t break in. It was unlocked.”
Lily blinked back her own tears. She wanted to scream at him. Wanted to squeeze him and never let him go. She tried to calm her breathing. “Alex, I’m very sorry. You have every right to be furious. I didn’t realize how far this had gone. I—”
“It’s okay,” he said quickly. “I understand curiosity. I may even have stepped over the line a time or two during an investigation. It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine. Everett, this is outrageous. You’re grounded for starters. You’re not going anywhere except school. No friends over. No internet. But first you’re going to apologize to Alex.”
“You haven’t even asked him about the girls!” Everett yelled. “Ask him about the women and the pictures!” His voice pitched up into panic. “Ask him who did it!”
She was still inhaling a sharp, shocked breath when another car pulled up. Lily recognized Detective Mendelson’s vehicle immediately and wanted to scream in frustration. But then a thought occurred to her. A terrible, soul-breaking thought that seized her like snapping teeth.
She swung back around to look at Alex. “Did you . . . ? Oh my God, did you call the police about Everett?”
“Of course not,” he scoffed, but then he followed the path of her eyes to the man parking behind him, and fear stretched over Alex’s face. He finally opened the gate and stepped in.
Everett backed away, pulling her along.
“Lily, no. Absolutely not. I would never do that to you or Everett. Listen to me, please. Don’t say anything to the cop about this. About any of it. I’ll explain later, I swear.”
“Why?” Goose bumps rose on her arms at the panic twisting his features as he stepped closer.
“I’m begging both of you not to say anything. I won’t say anything about what Everett did either. Nobody needs to know that.”
Her gaze darted from him to the detective rising from his car to glare at them past his mirrored sunglasses. “Why?” she whispered. “What’s wrong?”
But it was too late. Detective Mendelson was already walking toward the gate. “Ms. Brown,” he drawled. “Everything okay here?”
They must’ve all looked terrified. She could feel the horror on her own face. But an expression was proof of absolutely nothing. “Everything’s fine,” she said, trying her best to sound light. “Everett, go on inside. Get started on your homework.”
Everett didn’t move. She felt his stillness beside her. Felt the tight wire of tension stretched between them, pulling her nerves so taut they hurt. She swung casually toward him, hiding her face from Mendelson so she could screw her expression into a caricature of urgency.
Go! she mouthed to Everett. But he wasn’t looking at her. His eyes rolled wildly from Alex to the police detective, back and forth. “Everett,” she growled. “Homework now.”
He finally looked up at her, and her heart wrenched at the violent uncertainty that seemed to tremble through him like an awful quake. “It’s okay,” she whispered. “I’ve got this.” She slid her eyes toward the door and tipped her head, and he finally relented, his body easing toward the office.
She knew he was lurking at the door, though. She could still feel him, her son, flesh of her flesh. And she’d do whatever it took to keep him safe, even if he wasn’t quite an innocent baby anymore.
“Detective Mendelson,” she said, swinging back around to stare at him with as little emotion as possible. “Checking in again?”
He shrugged one shoulder and sucked in air through his teeth. “I’m following up on everything.”
“I’ve still seen nothing around here. Just me, my son, and our friends and family.”
His mirrored sunglasses shifted toward Alex. “That you? Friends and family?”
Alex crossed his arms and lifted his chin a little. “I’m a renter, actually. Is something wrong?” He glanced around like he might be worried about the security of the place. “Do I need to be concerned about my stuff?”
Mendelson stared at him silently for far too long. “You look familiar. Do I know you?”