Page 55 of What Happened Last Night

Detective Del Rey was playing a game here and we were falling for it. He was playing us against each other, playing divide and conquer, trying to get us to turn on each other. And he was winning because we had both taken the bait. I opened my mouth to explain this to Carlotta, but she got in first.

“I wish I had, though,” she said.

My eyes widened in surprise, and any thought of telling her not to let the detective beat us went out of my mind. There was such venom in Carlotta’s eyes when she said it, and her mouth was set in a tight, obstinate little line.

“What?” I finally managed.

“I said I wish I had told them that you were a killer. It’s the truth, isn’t it? Look, William, I know you saved my life that night, and I am eternally grateful to you for that. But the rest of the time, you treat me like shit and I’m sick of it. And I’m sick of being under suspicion, of being constantly questioned and harassed by the police. I just want this over with, and I’m done taking the fall for you.”

“How are you taking the fall for me?” I said. “We both agreed to this, Carlotta. As long as neither of us breaks and turns on the other one, the police will never be able to prove which of us killed Candy.”

“And that’s my point, William. I’m sick of living like a damned fugitive, a suspect in a murder investigation. Especially when I know I did nothing wrong. At first, I thought I could do it. I thought we would be a team. But you’re just using me like you used Candy, like you use everyone. The second things got real, you tried to blame all of this on me. Jesus, William, I faked fucking amnesia so I wouldn’t be able to be used against you. I covered your tracks every step of the way, and you can’t even come down and bail me out when I get held overnight for your fucking crime. Give me one good reason I should keep quiet.”

“Because if you take me down, you’ll go down with me. You’ve lied to the police hundreds of times about this. Do you really think they’re going to just forget about that?” I said, incredulous that she could be so stupid as to not recognize that her own role in this thing wasn’t exactly the way a law-abiding citizen handled things.

“Yes,” she said.

She looked me straight in the eye as she went on.

“Detective Del Rey has given me his word that no charges will be pressed against me as long as I tell him the truth about you,” she said.

I laughed then. I couldn’t help it. I could see now just how deep the game Detective Del Rey was playing had run. Carlotta was looking at me like I’d lost the plot. Maybe I had a little bit earlier, but not now. Now I was seeing everything with crystal clarity.

“And you believe that?” I asked.

Carlotta nodded and I shook my head.

“You believe the detective is on your side somehow, that he’ll keep his word? Are you mad? Carlotta, before you go any further with this line of thinking, ask yourself this. How do you think I know you’re working against me with the police?”

Carlotta shook her head, ready to snap at me, but then she stopped, and I knew she had realized the truth just the same as I had.

“Detective Del Rey told you, didn’t he?” she said.

“Got it in one. The man is a snake, Carlotta. He plays with people, pitting them against each other. He’s good at it, I’ll give him that, but if you believe he’ll keep his word to you, then you’re nuts.”

“I don’t care,” Carlotta said.

“What?” I demanded, confused again.

“I don’t care if he breaks his word. I want this over with, William. If I have to pay for my part in this, then I will,” she said. “But I’m done covering your ass. I’m telling the police the truth, William, and if they choose not to believe me, then fine, but that will be on their heads. I’ll have done my part.”

I opened my mouth to scream and shout and try to reason with Carlotta, but before I could get any words out, a loud crash sounded from the entrance hallway. Carlotta and I looked at each other, and I saw some of the color drain from her cheeks. I took a step toward the hallway, but that was as far as I got.

A man I instantly recognized as Morrie Xavier, Candy’s father, appeared in the doorway of the lounge. In his hand was a pistol. And it was pointed toward Carlotta and me. Detective Del Rey’s words came back to echo through my head. If I saw Morrie on the property, call the police immediately. This definitely counted as him on the property.

Without stopping to think about it, I whipped my cellphone out. I knew I wouldn’t be able to call nine-one-one before Morrie could stop me. He wasn’t just going to stand there and allow me to call for the police. I figured I might just have chance to send a text to Detective Del Rey, though.

I quickly found the detective in my contacts, selected the option to send him a text message, and then I began to furiously type out the text message I wanted to send. Something short and to the point that would make the detective realize how serious this was.

“Drop the cellphone,” Morrie snapped.

I ignored him, speeding up my fingers. All I had written when he snapped at me again to drop the cellphone were three words: Morrie here. Gun.

“Now. Drop the fucking cellphone or I swear I’ll shoot,” Morrie said.

I hesitated only for half a second longer. Carlotta and I were standing close enough together that I couldn’t tell whether the gun was pointed at her or me, but I wasn’t willing to take that risk. I hit Send and dropped the cellphone. I just had to pray now that the detective understood enough from the text that he made his way over here. Surely, he would, especially since he was the one who had warned me about Morrie.

Chapter Thirty

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