Page 114 of In the Air Tonight

“So you’ll have to testify?”

“Yes.”

His deep breath says it all. “How did you find out about the witness?”

“Houston Rafferty came to see me. When he told me there was a witness, I said I wanted nothing to do with it. But then Kane and I talked about it, and we decided if there’s a chance to get justice, I should do whatever it takes.”

“Your courage continues to astound me, love.”

“I’m a quivering mess on the inside.”

“No, you’re not. I want to know the details. I’ll be right there with you through it all.”

“Thank you, Dad.”

“Love you so much, Dee.”

“Love you, too.”

We agree to talk again later.

Kane comes into the room with a steaming mug of lemon tea. “How’d he take it?”

“Like us, he’s in disbelief that there was a witness all this time who only just now came forward.”

“I heard what you said about why she stayed quiet back then. It’s admirable that you can defend her.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I think what she did was indefensible, from the second she decided to leave me in the woods bleeding and broken. But that doesn’t mean I don’t understand why she did it. Being a teenager can be hell without everyone you know hating you, including your own brother.”

“Heshould’ve been the one everyone hated.”

“Life is never fair like that.”

“What’s fair ishewas arrested in public and spent a night in jail. What’s fair ishe’llbe arraigned on multiple felonies, forced to abandon his campaign and hopefully pay for whathedid to you with years of his life behind bars.”

“What does it say about me that I ache for his wife and kids?”

“It says you’re the best person I’ve ever known.”

Chapter 23

Houston

NOW

I ask Blaise to meet me at my parents’ home at nine in the morning to take care of something I should’ve done days ago. Things have been crazy busy since the flu whipped through the station, taking down half of my officers and three of the admins. In the midst of all that, news of Ryder’s arrest has moved like a wildfire through multiple towns, resulting in numerous texts and phone calls from people I’ve known all my life.

Dallas is outraged that I played a role in having Ryder arrested. He had a lot to say about it on the phone last night.

“How could you do this? I quit my job to help get him elected, while you’re building a case to bring him down?”

“I’m not going to apologize for doing my job.”

“Fuck that shit. You could’ve at least given me a heads up.”

“No, I couldn’t have.”

“What if it comes up that we lied about her the first time around? I could end up in big trouble. Do you care about that at all?”

---