Page 90 of The System

“I had to interview first. I don’t know if they keep records of that, but…” Marin took a deep breath and appeared to be trying to remember. “I guess that was four or five days after we got back. Maybe six or something; I don’t know. I got the job, but they had to do the drug and background check first. I’m surprised I even passed the drug one because he smoked weed the whole time we were in Atlantic City.”

“You didn’t?”

“No, I don’t like the stuff. I can be around it, but when I tried smoking it a couple of times, it, I don’t know, it felt like it was hurting my heart. I have that arrest for possession, but that’s all it was, possession. I had it on me for someone else. I was holding. That’s all. That probably doesn’t make sense, but I didn’t do drugs. I told you that. Anyway, I don’t know when I actually started the job; maybe two weeks later.”

“How long is the drive between Tampa and Miami?”

“Hell, if I know. I didn’t have a car. I took the bus,” Marin said that last part in a way that slowed her speech as if to tell Kieran yet again that she was on a bus somewhere. “The bus stopped a few times, so it took a while.”

Kieran pulled out her phone and looked it up.

“About four hours, give or take, with the stops and traffic.”

“Okay. So?”

“So, unless you were sitting across from someone doing your interview or checking into a motel at the exact time they think he was killed, they’re going to say you could have driven back to Miami and killed him.”

“I didn’t have a car, Kieran.”

“I’m sure they’ll suggest you stole or borrowed one,” she replied.

“I didn’t,” Marin insisted. “Look, after Nick, I waited around before I dated again. I didn’t trust myself for the longest time because I’d always dated guys like him, or guys like Nick were into me. Then, I met Cory, who I thought was all right for a minute, but he raised a hand like he was going to hit me, and I knew it. I knew that he would eventually. He stopped himself that day, but one day, he wouldn’t. Instead of sticking around to get hit again, I left the situation. I’d never really done that before, but I left. And now, you’re here telling me that he got killed, and they think I did that, too? I didn’t, Kieran. I’m an asshole, yes. I might have changed my name and didn’t go about it the legit way, but I had no choice in that. I didn’t kill Cory. I didn’t kill Nick. I’m tired of having to say that over and over again. But you’re not perfect, either.”

“We’re not talking about me, Marin,” she said.

“Maybe we should be. You’re the reason I lost my deal.”

“What?”

“Frank told me about you and the prosecutor sleeping together. I didn’t know you were into women. You had that ex-husband of yours. I guess we both have secrets, huh?”

“First of all, Carina and I were friends. We weren’t sleeping together. Frank made assumptions and got Carina removed from the case when he should have said nothing at all and could’ve just asked me what was going on before getting her in trouble, jeopardizing her damn job. Second, I’m not in jail. I’m not the–”

“What? The evil twin? The one that got tossed into the system as a baby and has been in and out of one system or another ever since?”

“I didn’t say that. But I’m not the one in jail, Marin. Third, Carina didn’t cost you the deal. Neither did I. They found out about Cory, so the new ADA took the deal away. It had nothing to do with Carina or me. Maybe if you’d taken it when it was offered, you wouldn’t be here without an option.”

“You told me not to take it.”

“At first, yes. Then, I said that you should consider it because there’s clearly enough evidence to put you away here and have Miami try you, too. You’ll be in one prison or another for the rest of your life now, Marin.”

“I didn’t do this!” Marin yelled. “I didn’t do any of it! So, fuck you, and fuck Frank, and fuck Carina and everyone else.”

“You’re mad at everyone else, but you should be mad at yourself.”

“For what?!” Marin yelled again. “For what, Kieran?! You got a chance. You got a family. I got home after home after home where foster sisters all hated me, and foster brothers tried to feel me up. I got nights without food because I had some terrible foster parents at times, and I got kicked out at eighteen. On my own. With nothing. You got college and a career, while I got loser boyfriend after loser boyfriend because you don’t meet any fancy attorney husbands where I lived. You got everything! I got nothing! And you’re sitting here, judging me? I’d like to see your soft ass on the streets, in cheap motels, terrible apartments, and dead-end jobs. How would you do? Better than me? Shit, you probably think so, don’t you? You probably think you’d be some system success story, huh? With a scholarship to college and a great job out of that. Well, that’s just you lying to yourself.” Marin tried to stand, but her hands were still chained to the table. “Get me out of here,” she added louder than the tiny room called for.

The guard moved over to the table and unlocked the handcuffs before locking them back once Marin was standing up.

“This is fucking bullshit, Picket Fence. You’re my sister. You’re supposed to believe me.”

“How? When everything tells me you did it…”

“Because you know I’m telling the truth,” Marin argued as she was walked out of the room. “But go home and fuck your new prosecutor girlfriend. Pretend I don’t exist. I’m not your problem, anyway.”

CHAPTER 27

“You’re a really good kisser. Have I told you that?” Carina asked Kieran as they kissed in her kitchen.

---