Page 137 of Lilly

"I know, but you were here and you're the one who called them so they were asking about you."

My dad walks up behind Reed. "I heard about your father," he says to Reed. "I'm very sorry."

Reed looks down, shaking his head. "I can't believe this happened. I had no idea my mom would ever do something like this." He looks up at my dad. "I didn't mean to put Lilly in any kind of danger. I promise you, I didn't even know my mom was in town."

"I know you didn't. We can talk about it later. For now, I need to speak with Lilly. The police officer is waiting for you in the living room. He had some more questions for you."

Once Reed is gone, I hug my dad, relieved that he's here. "The police want to talk to me. What do I say?"

"Tell them the truth. Tell them you were in here the whole time and didn't see anything." He steps back, looking me up and down. "You're okay? You're not injured?"

"I'm fine. Just nervous about talking to the police."

"You don't need to say much. Just tell them you called them when you heard the gun go off, then stayed in here until they arrived."

"What about Reed? What's going to happen to him?"

"The officer will finish questioning him and then he'll leave. Reed's not a suspect. The officer confirmed that when I got here."

"What I meant was..." I lower my voice to a whisper, "What's going to happen to him with the...other thing?"

"He won't be part of it. The deal is off. With his father dead, the contract is dead. Lilly, we can't discuss this here."

I can't stop the giant smile that's forming on my face. Reed doesn't have to join. My dad confirmed it. Reed and I don't have to break up.

"Lilly, you can't smile like that in front of the officer. A man just died."

"Sorry." I shut down my smile, but find it hard to contain.

"Let's get this over with."

Back in the living room, the officer asks me questions about how I know Reed and if I knew his mom and dad, almost like he's implying I had something to do with this.

My dad cuts in. "Officer, I think you've asked her enough. She came here to see Reed and was in the bedroom during the incident. There's nothing more to be said."

The officer eyes my dad. "And why again are you here?"

"My daughter called me after she called you. She was frightened and asked me to come here."

"Why are you questioning them?" Reed asks the officer. "My mom did it. Her prints are all over the gun and she admitted it to you. She told you she did it, so why are you questioning us?"

"It's standard procedure." He puts his notepad away and says to Reed, "You have my card. If you have any questions, just call. We'll be in touch regarding your mother."

After he's gone, Reed collapses on the couch. "What do I do now?"

"You need to call your uncle," my dad says. "He needs to be told about your mother."

"Shit, I wasn't even thinking about him." Reed rubs his head.

"Would you like me to call him for you?"

"No. I'll call him."

"Your mother will need a lawyer," my dad says. "And I imagine you'll want to post bail when it's set."

He shakes his head. "She did it. Why let her out of jail? She'll just try to run, and then I'll have even more problems. My uncle's going to have to deal with her. I can't do it. And besides, he knows the justice system better than I do."

My dad sits across from Reed. "What about your father? Would you like some help arranging his funeral?"

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