Page 82 of Keeping Secrets

“I might,” he hedged.

“Cut the bullshit, Nick.” She shot him another dirty look.

“Fine! Jeez.” He took a breath. “I deleted everything off of my computer shortly after it happened, just in case, but I still have it all on an external hard drive. Travis deleted the stuff from that night, obviously, but I have the earlier stuff.”

“Good. I want to listen to them.”

“Why?”

“Maybe I’ll recognize a voice. Maybe I can go back to the detective and give him a name.” She turned to her brother, no venom in her gaze this time. “We have to do something for Travis. It’s our fault that he’s in this mess, and it’s eating him up inside.”

Nick was quiet, considering. Then he said, “Okay. I’ll bring you the hard drive. But I’ve got to warn you, Keely, some of this stuff–”

“I’ll be fine,” she interrupted. “Whatever it is, chances are I’ve heard worse.”

The look he gave her was so sad that she turned away.

When his phone rang, she gestured for him to take it. She went back to peeling apples, her brain running a mile a minute in search of a way to ensure Travis’s safety.

“Hello?” Nick answered. Then, “This is he.”

A heavy silence as he listened.

“Yes, I can do that. Okay. I understand. Thank you, Detective.”

Keely spun to face him as he disconnected the call.

“Detective Riegler,” he confirmed. “He wants me to stop by the station and answer a few questions.”

“But why?”

“I’m not sure.”

Keely felt the color drain from her face. Instantly, her indignation turned to guilt. “It’s all my fault.”

“What do you mean?”

“They asked me about you, in the interview. It didn’t seem like a big deal, I never thought…”

“It’s okay. What else were you going to do? I have nothing to hide.”

She gave him an incredulous look. “Aside from the fact that you were stalking him up to and on the night that he was murdered?”

“Aside from that, yeah.” He grinned. “It’ll be okay.”

She walked over to the table and sank into the chair opposite him. “I can’t see how.”

He reached out and took her hand. “It’ll all work out. Trust me.”

“I’m trying. But you have to trust me too.”

“Okay.” Nick’s gaze was steady. She saw grief and love and fear and trust all mixed together. “You’re right. We’re in this together.”

CHAPTER 26

When Nick called, Travis considered letting it go to voicemail. He fully expected his friend to tear into him for breaking Keely’s heart and betraying his trust all in one ill-considered speech. And he deserved it. Maybe that’s why he picked up.

“Hey.” Nick’s voice was surprisingly calm. “You busy?”

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