Page 81 of The Truth in My Lies (Secrets of Suburbi 1)

He ran his fingers through his hair. “No, I didn’t go on a date with someone else. I’ve told you that I liked you. I spoke with her once over the phone to let her know I was seeing someone.”

Seeing someone? I smiled to myself. We might actually work. By Wednesday, the man who had ruined my life would be gone. Maybe sooner. And I could actually have a real chance at happiness. I didn’t even care that I didn’t deserve it. “That’s all I really care about,” I said.

He shook his head, like he didn’t believe me. “Look, I’m just going to put it all out there from the beginning. I need to get it off my chest.”

“If it makes you feel better.”

He gave me that same dubious look. “A little over three years ago I got this case about The Doctor. We had nothing to go on. We were chasing a ghost. But then about six months back we got a lead. Some internet blip unscrambled whatever firewalls were on the killer’s computer. We were able to get a general location. A block of houses in this neighborhood. I’ve been here undercover ever since. I’d like to add that it was my job to talk to everyone. Charlotte is one of the most annoying people I’ve ever met in my life.”

“I know!” I was aware that I was focusing on the unimportant revelations. But they were the parts that mattered to me. Everyone had secrets. Nothing Ben said would make me change my opinion of him. “She’s the absolute worst.”

He smiled. “I’m still kicking myself that I didn’t know about those stupid civic association meetings. It would have been easier to meet everyone.”

“Let’s actually rewind for one second,” I said. I had finally heard something important to fixate on. “You mentioned that the killer lives in one of the houses near here. Why do you think it’s this one?”

“Something you said tipped me off initially. You were talking about your marriage certificate. How your husband’s last name didn’t match his parents’ last name. Whenever we’re close to catching him, he disappears. He must be changing his name. Do you have a copy of the marriage certificate? It could really help. I looked through some of the files downstairs…”

“You did?” I thought he had kept his eyes closed. My heart rate accelerated.

“I wasn’t joking when I said it looked like a serial killer’s basement. I was trying to get a read on your reaction when I said that.”

It felt like all the wind had been knocked out of me. “Were you using me to get to him?” I wanted to believe that he liked me. But the circumstances had just changed. Of course he was using me. He was freaking using me right now. I bit the inside of my lip.

“No. Never. I did need to talk to you just like I needed to talk to everyone on this street. It was lucky that you came to me. But I didn’t use you to get to your husband. He’s the only person left I haven’t spoken with. And when we met, I wasn’t even sure if the killer was a man or a woman.” He pressed his lips together. He looked so guilty.

“You thought I might be the killer?”

“It was a possibility…”

“When did you change your mind about me? Before or after we kissed?”

“Honestly?” he said with a sigh. “Not until after. And I’m sorry that…”

“You’ve been manipulating me this whole time, Ben! If that’s even your real name.”

“It is. But my last name is Harlow, not Jones.”

Benjamin Harlow. I knew he had a cool name. Ben Jones had never fit him right. Ben Harlow. Adeline Harlow.” I liked it. Damn it. Again, I was focusing on the wrong things. “So what? You thought if you could get in my pants I’d tell you I was a crazy murderer?”

“That wasn’t…”

God, I was such an idiot. This whole thing was a game. He was playing me right now.

“I know you’re not a murderer. It’s my job to be suspicious. Addy, look at me.”

I hadn’t even realized that I was staring out the window. I turned back to face him. He looked genuinely sorry.

“I know you wouldn’t hurt anyone.”

But my husband would. Neither one of us had to say it out loud.

I cleared my throat. I hated the awkward tension in the room. “Does this have anything to do with the fact that you stole my shoe?”

He laughed. “I didn’t steal it. I confiscated it for evidence.”

“I knew it!”

“But before you get upset, everyone on the block is missing a shoe. I even swiped one of your husband’s. The killer’s been slipping up recently. Ever since we’ve pinned his location down. A shoe print was found at the scene of the crime of one of the last murders.”

---