The Marsh Madness

“Jordan. You’re a very intelligent woman. I was seriously involved with you. Do you think they would have trusted me?”


“Oh. No. But then I don’t trust you either.”

“Well, you have to. I broke up with you in a dramatic and—”

“Cruel—”

“Not cruel. It was crass, and I know it seemed uncaring, but I needed them to think that we were done and it didn’t matter all that much to me, but you were furious.”

“Couldn’t you have stood up for me?”

“Not if I wanted to stay in the loop in the investigation.”

I snorted.

He said, “I miss that snort. I’ve already let you know about the tip. The tip could be useful ammunition for your lawyer. I figure you have Sammy Vincovic.”

“Yes.” I couldn’t let on that I knew he’d arranged that. I’d tricked that information out of Sammy, in a surprisingly unguarded moment. Sammy would be very unhappy, and we all like a happy lawyer in a capital case.

“Well, he’s the best, isn’t he? He’ll work that angle, and if it turns out they didn’t investigate when they should have, he’ll take them apart on the stand. I mean, if it comes to trial.”

I gulped.

He reached out and squeezed my hand. “He’ll dig around to find out who the tip might have come from and to find someone else who’ll be a credible suspect but wasn’t investigated. That will count. Believe me, I wanted to let you know what was really happening.”

I gave a sharp bark of laughter. “Uh, things are bad now. Really bad, and, by the way, you kept me in the dark.”

“I just told you about the tip! To be fair—”

“I don’t care about being fair. You let me down in the worst way.”

“I admit it. I thought it would help to work the case, and I was sure I could let you know why I broke it off, but I couldn’t reach you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Every time I need to speak to you, Castellano or Stoddard is around. They have taps on your phone.”

“I have a burner.”

“But I don’t know the number.”

True. I hadn’t given it to him. He was on the other side.

“And anyway, I think they’re tracking my calls too. The best thing was not to contact you, to pick up more facts and to make sure that nothing really bad happened to you.”

“Bad like being suspected of murder? Like being treated as the lowest type of criminal?”

“Jordan. This is how I can help you.”

“You only care about your job. That’s what it is.”

“If that was all, do you think I would have fallen in love with a member of Kelly family? Well-known—”

“Local entrepreneurs.” Did he say “in love with”? I wasn’t sure I believed it. And if I did believe it, then this was one really unromantic situation in which to unfurl that declaration.

“Whatever. They are what they are, but they’re not your responsibility.”

“I’m responsible for keeping them safe,” I said, Kev’s silly and much-loved face flashing in my brain.

“Maybe, but you are not responsible for any of the things they do.”

“They’re my family.”

“Sure, they make their choices and you are loyal. I get that.”

“Too bad it’s a stumbling block, career-wise.”

“I can find a way to live with that. But right now, I need my colleagues, especially Castellano and Stoddard, to think that I’ve washed my hands of you. And I need you to know that I trust you and I believe in you.”

“Well, I’m not sure that I can say the same about you.”

“Fair enough. But do you think—deep down—that one of the reasons you came here was because of us? Maybe you wanted—”

“Don’t push your luck. I’m leaving now.”

“I can’t let you leave, and I’m going to have to arrest you.”

I sputtered. “Really, Tyler? Really? It’s one thing for you to dump me without any feelings the way you did—”

“I explained all that. Don’t you think my neighbors will have seen you come in here? Your face has been all over the TV.”