Page 103 of The Fate of Us

I finally take a good look at her and she looks worse than when I saw her in Hartswell. Her hair is ratty, like she hasn’t brushed it in days. Huge bags reside under her eyes, her cheeks concave. “Becca, we can talk, I swear, but not here.”

“Why not?”

“Look around you. There are cops everywhere.” Despite the fact this woman looks crazy and ruined me for a good part of my life, she is still my friend and I don’t want her doing anything she will regret. “Follow me.”

She looks around the room with understanding. She must not have lost all her sanity.

I make eye contact with the detective who tried to flirt with me last time. I hope he understands my silent plea as I lead Becca outside to the alley behind the bar.

As soon as we get out the door, she holds the gun up to me. I hold my hands up in front of her. “What the hell is going on?” I ask.

“You took everything from me. Why you? Why do you always get everything? It all works out perfectly for you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You took Kyle from me. We were supposed to have a life together. He was going to leave you for me.”

I think back to the letter Kyle left me, the one he wrote when he left Becca’s house that night before he died. He wrote the opposite. He wanted me to take him back. “I know he told you different. He said he was leaving you that night. That it was a mistake.”

“Why do they all love you?” she cries. “Why can’t they love me?”

“Who are you talking about, Becca? I didn’t take anyone from you.” I walk backward slowly hoping she doesn’t notice as I try to make my way down the alley.

She flaps the gun in my face, her wild eyes crying as she speaks. “I have nothing left. My husband is divorcing me, trying to get full custody. I have nothing. All because of you.”

I look behind her hoping one of the detectives walks out the back door. Or one of my coworkers. I’ve been gone too long. “I don’t even know your husband.”

“He is leaving because he found out what I did to you. He doesn’t trust me. If you hadn’t opened your fat mouth—”

I stop walking backward and instead approach her because she has got me fired up. “Don’t blame me for this. For your indiscretions.” I look behind her one more time but still no one. “No, Becca, this is all on you. If I had known about you and Kyle, I would have let you have him. Neither of you were worth my time.”

“You are such a self-righteous bitch,” she screams at me. “And now you think you have it all again. But I won’t let you. I won’t let you get what you want.”

She pushes the safety off the gun and I push forward hoping to grab the gun from her. Her gun goes off and I feel warmth run down my arm at the same time I hear another gunshot and fall back against the brick wall, my head hitting it hard and I collapse to the ground.

29

Noah

I’mhappy we solved the last case. Everyone in the department has been celebrating for two days. But work is work and there is always a case to be worked on. Anna’s case is one but I can’t touch it. I’ve been pushing Jon to dig into it but it’s not a priority.

I flip through statements on a recent murder and search through databases on my computer to find a ballistic match. I rub my eyes as they grow heavy from staring at the screen.

“You’re still here?” Marcus startles me.

I look at the clock and see it’s almost seven thirty. Damn. I told Anna I would go to Jimmy’s. “I didn’t notice the time.”

“Stop working so hard,” Marcus jokes. “I came back because I forgot my phone but a bunch of us are at Jimmy’s.”

“Yeah okay. I told Anna I would go. I’ll meet you over there.”

Marcus walks up to my computer and shuts it off.

“Really?”

“Relax. We all need it after that last case. Let off some steam. You haven’t done it yet.”

I crack my neck as I push back from my desk. “I’m worried about Anna’s case.”

---