Page 141 of This is Why We Lied

He said, “Last night when we all went in to dinner, you stayed outside with Mercy.”

Christopher’s face remained impassive, but he said, “So?”

Will guessed the risk had paid off. “What did you talk to her about?”

Christopher didn’t answer. His eyes went to the floor.

Will repeated his question. “What did you talk to Mercy about?”

He shook his head, but said, “The sale, of course. I’m sure you’ve heard about it from Papa and Bitty.”

Will nodded, though he hadn’t talked to the parents yet. “Do you know what else they told me?”

“It’s no secret. Mercy was blocking the sale. She was hoping that I would join her, but I’m tired. I don’t want to do this anymore.”

“That’s what you told Chuck, isn’t it?” Will’s brain was imprinted with the conversation the two men had had on the trail. “You said that you never wanted to do it in the first place. That it didn’t work without Mercy. That you needed her.”

Christopher finally looked surprised. “He told you that?”

Will studied the man’s face. The surprise seemed genuine, but Will had learned the hard way not to trust a potential psychopath. “You don’t really need the money from the sale, do you?”

Christopher licked his lips. “What do you mean?”

“You’re pretty set, right?”

“I don’t know what you’re trying to say.”

“You’ve got a couple hundred grand in a money market. Paid off your student loans. Chuck is in the same boat. How did that happen?”

Christopher’s eyes went to the floor again. “We’ve both made some savvy investments.”

“But you don’t have any investment or brokerage accounts in your names. You’re not officers in any corporations. Your only job is being a fishing guide with your family’s business. So where did the money come from?”

“Bitcoin.”

“Is that what your taxes will say?”

Christopher cleared his throat loudly. “You’ll find paystubs from the family trust. It’s part of my profit-sharing.”

Will guessed he would find evidence of money laundering. That was probably where Mercy came in. “Dave’s part of the family trust, right? Where’s his money?”

“I’m not in charge of who gets what.”

“Who is?”

Christopher cleared his throat again.

“Mercy wasn’t getting her portion of the profit-sharing. She doesn’t have a bank account. She doesn’t have any credit cards or a driver’s license. She had nothing. Why is that?”

He shook his head. “I have no idea.”

“What’s back here?” Will knocked on the wall. The nets banged against the wood. “What am I going to find when I break open this door?”

“Don’t break it. Please.” Christopher’s eyes stayed on the floor. “The key is in my pocket.”

Will didn’t know if the man was truly complying or if this was some kind of trick. He made a show of resting his hand on the butt of the revolver. “Empty all of your pockets onto the bench.”

Christopher started with his fishing vest, then worked his way down to his cargo shorts. He laid an array of tools on the counter that were the exact same brand and color as the ones Chuck had kept in his pockets. He even carried a tube of Carmex lip balm. The only thing missing was a bottle of Eads Clear eye drops.

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