Page 16 of Dead and a Best Friend
Oliver cast me a glance, concern evident in his eyes. "You’ve got this, Tallulah."
"I do!" I smiled, feeling a surge of confidence. "I'm ready."
"Who do you want to speak to first?"
"Jane."
On my way into the room where she was held, Oliver whispered, "You'll be fine. Just remember to stay calm and trust yourself."
I nodded and stepped into the room.
My first impulse was to laugh, but I managed to control it. Barely. Jane looked like she had seen better days, and the orange jumpsuit did nothing for her waxy complexion.
"Why are you here?" she snapped.
The chair looked like a safe bet, so I maneuvered myself into it and forced my body to relax. The tension in the room was palpable, and I smiled. "I wanted to see you behind bars. To make sure you couldn't hurt anyone else."
She scoffed. "You're lying. I bet you're here to find out why Carlisle was here this morning. All the other mornings, too."
I was so shocked that I couldn't hide it. He never said he came to see her. I knew he was paying her attorney to keep her quiet about what she knew about his business. But visiting her himself—that was news to me, and it bothered me. A whole lot.
She laughed. "I wonder what else he's keeping from you," she said.
I narrowed my eyes. "You can cause all the trouble you want, but it won't change the fact that you're behind bars for a long time. Oh, and that orange is certainly not your color."
"I'll be out soon.” She snickered.
"Whatever. Why don't you tell me about the money you and Aiden took? Two million dollars is a lot of money."
She frowned, looking genuinely clueless. "I don't know what you're talking about. Besides, even if I did know, why would I tell you?"
"I believe that Aiden hid it so that he would have money to live off if he managed to run before getting caught. I wonder what he planned to do with you. Maybe my brother wouldn't have been the only casualty."
She paled and seemed to lose all her bravado. "I don't know anything about money. That's the truth. Aiden and Trevor were always in cahoots. She shrugged. "I didn't know they killed my brother. If you believe nothing else, at least believe that."
"I do believe that. What I don't understand is why Aiden would marry Penelope and keep you on the side. He's a violent man, Jane."
"I liked violent sex." She shrugged. "We fit together perfectly. He and Carlisle were my drug of choice."
"Carlisle never slept with you, so don't bring him into this, or he won't pay any more of your lawyer bills."
She snorted. "As if you have a say in what that man does." She shook her head. "That Hallen man was hard and rough, and he always touched the right spot.”
"Lying doesn't become you."
She laughed. "He has a small birthmark on his penis. It's shaped like a star."
My vision started to go hazy as the truth hit me like a ton of bricks. I stood and shot her a look. "Well, at least I know now," I said calmly. She knew she'd gotten to me.
I turned to open the door when she said, "Until I get out, and then he'll be there between my legs." I slammed the door behind me, not wanting to hear any more of her threats.
Oliver took one look at me and frowned. "I don't think this was such a good idea."
I had to agree with him about Jane. I tried to shut out her words, but I didn't think I would succeed. That woman had gotten to me. But if she wasn't with Carlisle, how did she know about the birthmark? I needed to talk to Carlisle in person as soon as I was done here.
"Tallulah, are you listening to me?"
"I'm fine. I just have a couple questions for him, and then I'll be done."
