Page 81 of In the Air Tonight

“Were you the only one who saw it?”

I shake my head. “But I’m the only one coming forward. She’s married to the guy’s brother now. There’s no way she’d back me up. She was the one who told me how everyone would hate me if I confirmed it’d happened.”

“What a terrible spot to be in. I’m sorry that happened to you.”

I finally look at him. “It didn’t happen to me. It happened to her.”

“And to you because you witnessed a violent crime long before you had the maturity to handle it the way you should have.”

“How do you account for the last fourteen years when I was old enough to know better?”

“Is your brother still friends with him?”

Fenway nudges me, so I scratch behind her ears. “He is, and he recently gave up a great job to go to work for him.”

“Which is why you kept your mouth shut. Your friend is married to his brother. Your brother is tight with him. The ties still run deep, even if you removed yourself from the scene.”

“They do run deep. She’s not my friend anymore. I haven’t spoken to her since that summer, until she texted me today out of the blue to say she heard I was back in town, and I’d better not be running my mouth about things that don’t matter anymore.”

“Wait. She said that? In those exact words?”

“She did.”

“That sounds like a threat to me.”

“It did to me, too.”

“What’re you doing about that?”

“What can I do without revealing who else was there that night? I don’t feel it’s my place to force her to testify against her own brother-in-law.”

“Do you think you’ll be in danger when it gets out that you’re willing to testify against him?”

“Possibly. Houston told me I should tell you about this so you’re aware. He plans to increase patrols around here as needed. If it’s too much, I can relocate to—”

“Stop. You’re not going anywhere.”

“You don’t hate me after hearing what I did? Or I guess I should say what I failed to do?”

“Not at all. But why’d you decide to tell Houston now?”

“Because the man who did it is running for Congress. After I heard that, I couldn’t take it anymore.”

His face goes flat with shock. “Is it Ryder Elliott?”

I hesitate to confirm it, which answers his question.

“God, Blaise. Seriously?”

“Yeah. Do you know him?”

“Not personally. But I know of him.”

“You can’t say anything about this, Jack.”

“I never would, but you’re right that he’s well connected.”

“Always has been. He was theitguy in high school.”

---