Page 60 of Crawl
That isn’t right either. Cash hasn’t done anything.I have.I’m the true criminal here.
As long as Jenna and Cash don’t go down with me, everything will be fine.
“Remmie?” Peter asks. “Why did Jenna transfer from the Winstone Estate?”
“They had an argument,” I say, touching the back of my neck.
“That happens. Know anything about the specifics?”
I shrug. “I just know they didn’t get along.”
“And what about you?” He sits up in his seat, leaning forward like he knows I’ve got something juicy I’m holding back. “What’s it like to work for him?”
Where am I supposed to go with this? I don’t want to put Cash out there, but I have to say something realistic.
“Why?” I ask. “Is he a suspect?”
“With a small town like this? Almost everyone is a suspect. Even you!” Peter laughs. My stomach twists, but I force a smile. The grin drops from his face and he lowers his voice: “Off the record, we’ve been interviewing his contractors to see where it points. We know the killer is connected to the Winstone Company. We haven’t figured out how, but we have a few leads.”
I bob my head in agreement. After all, in a way, he’s right. I killed someone and I’m technically supposed to be Winstone’s personal assistant. Does Peter know I’m a killer?
“Can you describe the way Winstone looks?” Peter asks.
My nose squeaks and Peter cocks a brow at me, his jaw stern and unamused.
I clear my throat. “Sorry. Did you ask me to describe how he looks?” I ask.
“Seems he’s gone through some plastic surgery recently. I wanted to confirm it with you.”
“Sorry,” I say. That’s right. “He’s—” I pause, trying to think. What did Jenna say about his appearance? “He’s older, you know? He’s got one of those faces, like he could be anybody,” I say, but I know I’m rambling. I need to mesh up the two images I have—the one Jenna described to me, and the one of the real Cash, so I can protect him. “Dark eyes. They’ve got these spots in the whites of his eyes.” I cross my arms around myself. “Seriously, what’s this about?”
“You have access to his files, correct?”
I sink down in my seat. “Yes and no?”
“How old is he? Would you say he’s in his fifties or sixties?”
He looks a lot younger than that, but does that really matter? “I’m not sure. What’s going on?”
“There’s something that doesn’t add up with Winstone, and I don’t like it. I met him the other day.” He shakes his head. “I’m worried for you, Remedy.” He reaches over the table and holds my hand. Every hair on my body raises at the touch, but I stay still. “You’re backing yourself into a corner. I can help you get out of Winstone’s grip, but you’ve got to workwithme.”
I pull my hand back, keeping it in my lap. “What do you mean?”
“He’s a powerful man. Even if he’s not committing the crimes himself, I’m sure he can make someone else do it for him.”
I grit my teeth. Why does this sound so familiar?
“He hasn’t done anything like that to me,” I say.
“Good.”
But that’s a lie. Hehasdone something like that. Cash gave me my stepdad as a gift. And I killed him.
If you don’t do it, I will,he said. But I didn’t let him.
Had he tricked me into doing it for him?
A sinking feeling swarms inside of me, fighting to take over. Even if killing my stepdad is somehow justified, even if I’m honestlygladthat my stepdad will never be able to hurt another girl again, I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do when it comes to Cash. If he’s capable of abducting my stepdad from Tampa and bringing him to me, what else is he capable of?
