Page 76 of Sweet Like a Psycho (Secrets of Suburbi 2)

He shook his head. “She’ll notify us even if we’re both out. I’m coming.”

I didn’t have time to argue with him. Even though I knew Violet was innocent, there was this fear in the back of my head that no matter who that tooth belonged to, she’d be tied up in it. I wasn’t going to let that happen. I was running out of time. “Okay, let’s go.”

Damien was able to find Joel’s number before we reached the car. He hit the speaker button as I pulled the car out of the lot.

This morning Violet had seemed off. She had been talking about regret. She had been asking whether or not I believed people could change. I just thought she was nervous about taking Zeke to school, but now everything felt wrong.

Damien was following our captain’s orders to call Joel. At least this way I’d overhear what Joel had to say. I’d be able to see Damien’s reactions. I’d know if I could trust him. I pressed down hard on the gas.

I thought the call was about to go to voicemail when someone finally picked up.

“Hello, Joel Walker? This is Detective Damien Torres. I have a few questions for you pertaining to Violet Clark.”

There was a long pause. “Is…is she okay?”

I was surprised by his response. He was worried about her now? What about when she needed him?

“She’s fine. We were hoping you’d be able to answer a few questions.”

“I don’t think I can help you, detective. I haven’t heard from Violet in six years.”

“Fortunately for both of us, my questions have to do with six years ago.”

“Am I in some kind of trouble here?”

There was the Joel I imagined. Worried about Violet for two seconds and then putting himself first. It reminded me of what Violet had said, about people showing their true colors when it mattered.

“No, not at all, Joel,” Damien said. “But we are aware that you two dated. We were wondering if you have any idea what happened to her mother and stepfather?”

“Um. No?”

“You don’t seem so sure about that.”

Joel cleared his throat. “I mean, yeah, I heard about their passing. But I don’t know the specifics.”

“Violet didn’t tell you what happened to them?”

“No, we weren’t on speaking terms. When I say I heard about it, I meant I read about it. I thought about reaching out but…” his voice trailed off. “I was finding my footing out here. I was trying to keep the past in the past.”

Ass face. She needed you.

“Do you think it’s at all possible that Violet may have played a role in their deaths?”

“What? No. Absolutely not.”

“So you don’t think that Violet’s OCD ever trended toward violence?” Damien asked.

“OCD? Violet doesn’t have OCD.”

“Maybe that’s the wrong term. I’m referring to the compulsions she has. The obsessive counting.”

“I think you have the wrong Violet Clark. Vi didn’t have compulsions.”

I gripped the wheel a little tighter at the mention of her nickname.

Damien spouted off Violet’s birth date and a brief description of her and of Zeke.

“I mean…I guess that sounds like her, yeah. But she didn’t have OCD. Not when I knew her.”

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