Page 137 of This is Why We Lied

“How what works?”

“You need somebody to pin this on. Why not Chuck?” She was genuinely asking him the question. “Or one of the app guys? Or Frank? Leave Drew alone.”

“Keisha, that’s not how I work.”

“Said every dirty cop ever.”

“All I want to know is who killed Mercy.”

“Chuck has the motive,” Keisha said. “You saw how he freaked Mercy out. We all saw it. You wanna know who was here two and a half months ago? Chuck. He’s always here. He’s creepy as fuck. Sara, you know what I’m talking about. Dude gives off rapey vibes. Women know it. Ask your partner right now. Better yet, put her in a room alone with Chuck for five minutes and she’ll see for herself.”

Will gently nudged her away from Chuck. “What are you trying to trade?”

“Information,” she said. “Something that gives a motive—that gives Chuck a motive.”

Will wasn’t going to tell her what had happened to Chuck, but he had learned a long time ago that people were drawn to solving puzzles. Even if the solution didn’t necessarily benefit them. “Both Chuck and Christopher had a couple hundred grand in their bank accounts.”

“Are you shitting me?” Keisha looked astounded. “Jesus, they were on to something.”

“What were they on to?”

“No.” She started shaking her head. “I’m not saying another word until Drew is standing beside me. Unharmed. Do you understand?”

“Keisha—”

“No, sir. Not another word.”

She sat down on the couch, hugging her arms to her waist, staring at the door like she was praying for her husband to walk through.

Will tried again, “Keisha.”

“If I ask for a lawyer, if I make that request, you’ve got to stop asking me questions, right?”

“Right.”

“Then don’t make me ask for a lawyer.”

Will relented. “My partner’s going to come in to sit with you.”

“No,” Keisha said. “Where am I gonna go, man? I’d already be off this mountain if I could. I don’t need a fucking babysitter.”

He said, “If you want to make a deal, then you need to keep what I said about Mercy’s pregnancy to yourself.”

“And you need to keep out of my goddam way.”

Will opened the door. Faith was still on the porch. They both watched Keisha go into her cottage. Faith asked Will, “What do you think?”

He shook his head. He didn’t know what to think. “Christopher and Chuck were in a business with Mercy. Drew knew about it. Now Chuck and Mercy are dead.”

She said, “So go talk to Christopher and Drew?”

He nodded. “Kevin’s already down at the lake. You want to come?”

“I want to get this map straightened out. Something’s not right on the timing.”

Will had seen what Faith could do with a timeline. “I’ll let you know if I need you.”

He held the door open for Sara. She walked onto the porch. He felt his teeth clench as he followed her toward the Loop Trail. The walk to the cottage would take about ten minutes. He would use the time to explain to her why she needed to stay the hell in her own lane. She had been a distraction while he was interrogating Keisha. Will couldn’t let that happen again.

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