Page 35 of Black Bird

“I feel like he’s involved,” Sarah said softly, not looking back at her.

“Attempted murder is a serious accusation, hun. I need you to be more specific.” Rhaena knew full well who was responsible for that mauling that she couldn’t help but stare at while Sarah wasn’t looking. But if she had any reason to think that, she had to dig a little deeper for it.

“I don’t think he tried to kill me. I told you I don’t even truly believe what did this to my neck was even a human … but I do think he’s involved.” She finally turned her face toward her again. “I told Detective Kane yesterday that people are after me. That they’ve been after me ever since I lost my mom.”

“Yeah, he told me about that. The details were a bit disturbing. But what does that have to do with Senator Stratford?”

“I’ve been with Brent for two years. You asked me how long when you came to the hospital. I thought back on that after you left that day … I didn’t apply to that school. I also didn’t sign up for the blood drive for the senator’s campaign the day that I met Brent. Don’t you find it a bit odd?” Rhaena drew her brows and crossed her arms as she turned her chair back toward Sarah.

“Go on …”

“Brent was overly charming that day. I know that now that we’ve obviously gotten to know each other. And what are the odds that out of all the other techs in that tent … he ended up in my chair? On top of that, I never questioned what was so striking about me for him to ask me out before I even pulled the needle from his arm, considering the type of girls he usually would be attracted to …” Sarah smirked again. “Like you.”

“You think this was planned …”

“Yep.” Sarah’s mouth tightened into a thin line. “I would have probably missed all that had you not said what you said, but then I found this later that night.” She pulled her phone out and turned it toward Rhaena.

“What the hell?” Rhaena breathed, taking it from her and staring at the photo of Conrad Stratford behind yellow tape.

“Exactly. You’re the detective, so you tell me. Does that look like a person that wanted to be photographed?”

“No … no it doesn’t.” Rhaena cut her a look. “Can you stick around? I’ll be right back.”

“Sure. This is fun.” Sarah snorted.

“Grab yourself some more coffee. I’m gonna go dig up your crime scene photos. I’m not sure how much you wanna relive.”

“I’ll be fine. Thanks anyway. I won’t go anywhere.”

“Okay,” Rhaena said, shuffling from her chair and heading up the hall to find Jenkins. Damn, this girl was onto something. She almost felt stupid for not putting it together herself. But it was definitely something worth investigating. Whether or not it was connected to Sarah’s attack was a different story … but if it wasn’t related, then why was this man at her crime scene? And why go, but not offer a statement about the family’s position on the matter? Sarah was right, he definitely looked like he was trying to blend into the nosey onlookers behind the line. For the first time since she’d met this girl, she was glad to have her around.

He deserved it. Deserved every bit of the shame he felt leaving her apartment after she’d given him back that ring last night. A massive part of the man he thought he was wanted to tell her the truth when she’d asked why he asked her to marry him. He almost had. He would never be deserving of someone like her. It was never supposed to actually work. Brent kept reflecting on the moments she’d mentioned when she broke it off … he was never supposed to actually fall for her. He couldn’t truly say hedidfall for her, but he found himself already missing her. Maybe it was more the friend he had in her, who actually knew who he was underneath the facade, that he was missing as he pulled up to the mansion he used to call home. His father never told him the real reasons he’d forced him to play this game and involve her in it. He was getting some answers today.

Brent slammed his car door shut and hopped up the steps, nodding to the security guard as he let him inside and started toward his father’s office. Halfway down the hall, his mother’s voice called out to him, and he staggered back, peeking into the open door of the library and finding her sitting in her usual spot, a chair she liked with a matching footrest that was covered in floral material. A nurse smiled at him as he walked in, busying herself with something on a tray and then scooting out to give them privacy.

“Hey, Mom.” He smiled sadly, leaning in to kiss her cheek.

His mother, Pat, had picked a vibrant yellow head scarf today. It was the color she liked to wear on her good days when she wasn’t too sick to entertain company. Although she was in good spirits, as she always strived to be, he couldn’t help but notice how frail she was beginning to look these days. She’d had cancer for nearly four years now, and judging by the bag hanging over her chair that was steadily dripping poison into her withering body … any hope they had of beating this was starting to seem bleak.

“You look sad, baby. It better not be because of me.” She cupped his cheek and part of his heart shattered. Two years ago, he’d be taking this out on a keg at a frat party, or some ambitious blonde that wanted his arm for the night. That was before he’d met Sarah. Now she was gone, too.

“Nah … I uh … I got dumped.” He smirked, kneeling eye level with her and tugging her blanket higher up.

“No … the smart one? Why? I really liked her.” She lifted his chin and narrowed her eyes. “What’d you do?” Brent scoffed and rolled his eyes as he smiled.

“Why do you always assume it’s something I did?”

She smiled back at him sweetly. “Because you Stratford men always assume we don’t know how stupid you are.”

Brent took a seat on the footrest and gathered her cold hands into his own. “We’re just … too different I think, Mom. She knows it, too. It’s for the best. She ended it before I could, that’s all.”

“You love her?” she asked gently.

He thought about it for a moment and raised his face to look at her again. “Not like that.” She nodded in understanding.

“Well, it’s better to figure that out before you’re married to that sort of miscommunication. That’s what breaks hearts.”

“Yeah, you’re right.” He sighed deeply and looked around. “He’s gonna be pissed.”

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