Page 123 of The System

“What?” Theo asked.

“You said other girls put out. Other than who?”

“No, I just meant that other girls than Marin.”

“So, Marin didn’t put out?”

“No, she did. I told you.”

“Then, why did you say girls other than Marin were willing to have sex with you, Theo? I’m just trying to understand because it sounds like Marin May was pretty twisted. She wanted to sleep with you, and when she didn’t get it, she burned you with cigarettes.”

“Yeah, she did. Fucked up, huh?”

“Yes,” Dylan said. “And she was so fucked up that she killed your girlfriend.”

“Yeah.”

“And you knew she did it?”

“I saw the clothes in the garbage, yeah.”

“And you never said anything until now? That’s close to twenty years you’ve been holding on to this. And Marin May moved away. She was long gone and out of your life. No danger to you, right? I mean, you look like a strong guy. I’m pretty sure if she tried something, you’d be able to handle yourself.”

“Smith,” he said softly.

“Sorry?” Dylan asked as she leaned in a little.

“Her name is Marin Smith. Stop calling her Marin May.”

“No, Theo, her name is Marin May.” Dylan opened the file folder on the table. “I have it right here, on her booking form, and–”

“She shouldn’t have taken his last name,” Theo retorted.

“Here we go,” Carina said as she took Kieran’s hand.

“Why not? She clearly loved him enough to marry him. Lots of women change their last names to their husband’s, and Nick May was her husband. You know what it means that he was her husband, right? He and she…”

“Nick May hit her! He beat her!” Theo’s face went red.

“How did you know that, Theo? I never told you that. Nothing’s hit the news yet about details in this case, and the ADA who took your statement didn’t tell you.”

“Marin was the type to go for someone like that asshole.”

“But not you?” Dylan asked.

“What?”

“Marin went for Nick May, but not you; that’s what you’re saying.”

“No, I told you that she wanted to be all over me. All the girls did.”

“All the other girls, but not Marin.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“Theo, I’m just trying to understand here because you never told anyone about Marin murdering your girlfriend, and you had evidence back then. You could’ve gotten justice for that poor girl who got stabbed and put Marin away, punishing her forever, but you didn’t. You’re saying Marin was all over you and that you were getting it from other girls, but when I went to check on your old friends from school and talk to your foster parents at the time, they all told me that you were a loner who didn’t have friends and that your girlfriend was really a friend who pitied you.”

“Dylan went to talk to the foster parents and kids from the school?” Kevin asked Carina.

---