Page 92 of The Rat

“You sat here last time, told memy dad would be proud, that I was doing a great job, and you knewshe wasinthe morgue. You didn’t say a thing.”

“Rory—”

“And I find out in an art class,three weeks after…and then I’m locked in a concrete box for twoweeks.”

“I didn’t know you were insolitary.”

“I asked to speak to thegovernor, but the guards ignored me, and I went crazy in that room.”

Rory flexed his fingers, bruisedand split from lashing out at the wall. They warned him repeatedlyhe hadtostop or they’d put him in the jacket.

“And now I feel nothing,absolutely nothing.”

He hurt, he ached, hisknucklesthrobbed with fire, but he was emotionally dead. His heartstill beat, but it had been poisoned with grief.

“You were doing so well withSebastianClaw, and there was nothing you could’ve done for yoursister.”

“Nothing I could havedone?”

“She and herpartner diedinstantly in the crash.”

“Danny, his name’sDanny.”

“It was a tragic accident,and she was placed in the morgue for when you got out.”

“Is that your idea of awelcome back present?”

Hamish hung his head. “I really amsorry.”

“Sorry that she’sdead, orsorry for not telling me?”

“Both.”

Rory leaned forward. “You can shoveyour apology up your ass. It’s not gonna bring her back, isit.”

“No.”

“I love my sister, she’sall I’ve got in the world, and now she’s gone, and I’malone.”

“You’re not alone,you’ve got me,you’ve the whole police force, we’re your family.”

“You don’t keep massivesecrets like that from people you care about.”

“You do when it’s for thebest.”

“Best for who? Me? It wasn’t bestfor me, but you, you lied so I’d keep spying onSebastian,see what he had planned for you, but you know what, I don’t carewhat he’s got planned for you anymore.”

“You don’t care that whenhe gets out, he might start making bombs or weapons? Selling them,killing people.”

“No, I don’t. All I care aboutismy sister,and she’s dead. There’s nothing else.”

“What about knowing you’redoing the right thing?”

“Right thing? There’s noright thing.”

“Your career?”

“The one I cheated my wayinto, and then you used to blackmail me into thisprison.”

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