Page 20 of Truth

He was silent for a long time. So long that I didn’t think he was going to answer.

“Cal?”

He sighed. “Promise me you won’t get upset?”

“I’ll try,” I said, bracing myself for whatever bad thing he was going to tell me.

“About a week after Coleman fired Karl Walker, I ran into him in a local bar. I don’t think he recognized me. He was three sheets to the wind by the time I got there. He was talking to whoever would listen, and when I heard him mention Coleman, I moved closer and started paying attention.”

I wanted to forget about Karl Walker. He was a vile man, and I was glad Stephan fired him. If he was making trouble for Stephan, however, I knew I needed to find out. I didn’t want someone doing something or saying something that would hurt him or his business.

“What did he say?” I asked when Cal didn’t continue.

“He said Coleman liked to hurt women.” After he said it, he let it hang in the air.

“He wouldn’t do that,” I said, shaking my head even though he couldn’t see me.

“I’m not saying he would or he wouldn’t, but Karl mentioned one of Coleman’s old girlfriends. He said she’d told him all about Coleman tying her up and beating her. And after what John told me last night about Coleman tying him to a chair... I’m wondering if it might be true.”

“No.” I shook my head back and forth, violently denying his claims.

A hand touched my arm out of nowhere, and I jumped. Lily. She was sitting beside me, her face full of worry.

“Are you all right?” she asked, rubbing her hand up and down my arm.

I took a deep breath and nodded.

She didn’t look convinced.

“Who is that? Doesn’t sound like Coleman. Who’s with you?” Cal’s voice cut through the fog clouding my brain.

“Lily.”

He paused.

“Lily Adams? The event coordinator?”

“Yes.”

“Why is she there? Is something wrong?”

“Lily’s a friend. She’s staying with me this afternoon while Stephan’s at work.”

“If you didn’t want to be alone, I could have come and stayed with you, Anna. All you had to do was ask.”

I pressed my lips together, unsure how to answer. Stephan didn’t want me to be alone with Cal. I didn’t think it would be good to tell him that, though.

“It’s okay. I like Lily.”

He sighed again, but this time he sounded frustrated.

“Just be careful. I know you trust Coleman, but I don’t know that I do.”

“He won’t hurt me,” I said again, insistent.

He paused, and I wondered if he was going to argue with me.

“What do you want me to do about your dad? He wants to see you, and he wants me to help him. I won’t, though, unless you want me to.”

---