Page 49 of Nothing to Beat

Good.Yes, the implication she’d hurt her sister was offensive, but she couldn’t be a hypocrite.Hadn’t she wondered if Porter took Trish’s wellbeing seriously?He was gaining points, sure, but she’d love Breck’s take.He wasn’t there.And whose fault was that?

Breck was an amazing judge of character.No, he didn’t have a lot of patience for people who wasted his time or tried to take liberties.He sized people up quick, picked up on signals she sometimes missed.Roxie might be a new friend, but Alice liked her.So if Roxie trusted Porter enough to be in a relationship with him, should she trust in that?

“My sister was always harder than me, better at the intimidation stuff.”For a time, Trish embraced that life.Something must’ve changed.And it was on her that she wasn’t around to be a part of that development.“She deserves your loyalty.Thank you for looking after her.”

“That’s all on Zairn.He does most of the handholding too.For what it’s worth, I’m impressed by her strength and have never doubted her sincerity.She’s been through a lot.”

Alone.That’s what she heard.Trish had been through a lot alone, without a sister at her side.Any time she thought of contacting her sister, she’d talked herself out of it, deciding all she could do was be receptive if Trish reached out.She didn’t want to put her sister in the awkward position of go-between after all.God, what a lousy excuse.

“We were so different.She looked out for me, protected me from a lot of it.I suppose I saw strength, her impervious nature, her ability to deflect and avoid.It never seemed like she needed me.”

“You should talk to Zairn.I think he’d have a lot to tell you.The kind of things neither of them would tell me.”

She should go to Zairn, to apologize for ducking what should’ve been partly her responsibility too.With her sister out of the game, separated from the family, there was no reason they shouldn’t reconnect.If Trish wanted to reconnect.She didn’t want to endanger her either, or be seen as an access point.That wouldn’t leave her and Breck much safer.And what about Trish?Could be once this was all over, she wanted to be left alone to build her new life.

After another slow, deep breath, she laid her palm on the papers.

“I’ll take you through this, as much as I can.Some of the details, dates and times, etc.I’ll get those to you later.”Though she’d have to ensure it was done without leaving a trail.Trust only went so far with a man who may have to prove provenance.“What’s in here will give you leads to follow.New avenues to explore.Anything you find from this anonymous tip…” Widening her eyes, she waited for his single nod of understanding.“Could help you, or the feds, with the prosecution.Now I am not a source, you can’t call me up and ask questions, this is it.A one-shot deal.Take it or leave it.”

He shifted to the edge of the chair, getting closer to the tantalizing stack that saw him almost salivate.

“I’ll take it,” he said.“Let’s get started.”

EIGHTEEN

WITHOUT KNOWING HER arrival time, she couldn’t tell how long her and Porter had been talking in his apartment.However long it was, the guy had time to get dressed and make coffee.For a while now, he’d been pacing, scrutinizing one handwritten page he’d taken from the others.

“This is incredible.”

“It happened a long time ago,” she said.

“There’s no statute of limitation on murder.”

No, she knew that.“I mean not all of the players are still involved.”And it would be flat cruel to draw them back in.“We don’t even know if they’re still alive.”

“But you think she’s still alive?”he asked, raising the pulp.“This Rosita?”

“The last time I saw her, she was alive.But we’re talking years since then, I can’t say that now.”

“Your father cared for her.”

“If he didn’t, she wouldn’t have been allowed to live long enough for me to see her again.”

“You can testify in court.Tell the—”

“No, I told you no.I was a teenager and it was a million years ago.Besides, isn’t whatever she told me hearsay?I didn’t see it happen myself.”

“But you did see their intimacy.You witnessed their affair.”

More times than she cared to admit.“My father always had mistresses.Sometimes they lasted the night, sometimes it was years.”

“Have you written them down?”he asked, marching back to the desk.“Their names, the dates you—”

“I didn’t always know their names or the dates they slept with my father.”

Which was a ridiculous enough thing to say that he should appreciate the absurdity of the question.Those women, the ones who’d broken free, it wouldn’t be fair to drag them back.They’d have new lives now, and maybe the people in them wouldn’t want to know about their pasts.

“If we know their names, details, we can trace them, find out what they know.”

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