Page 63 of Sweet Like a Psycho (Secrets of Suburbi 2)

“Yeah. He’s got no fashion sense, but maybe you can help him with that when you become his new daddy.”

I wasn’t exactly sure what kind of reaction he was trying to get from me. I just ignored him again. “What do you think of Violet after the few questions you did get in?”

“Well, she seems sweet. But she’s also a psychopath.”

“She can’t be both. She’s one or the other. And you know she’s not capable of hurting anyone. Look how she took care of you after you hit your head.”

“Those two things aren’t mutually exclusive, man. She’s sweet like a psycho.”

“What did she say tonight that led you to that conclusion? I thought you were having fun.”

“I think being a detective is fun or else I wouldn’t have gone this route. And how can you not see all the signs? All her answers are very calculated. I feel like you can’t see it because of your rose-colored glasses. But she’s…”

“What?” Violet asked as she walked back into the kitchen. “I’m what?”

“Vi…” I started but she held up her hand to stop me.

“What do you want to know so badly, Damien? Do you need me to rip up my floors to prove to you that the rumors are false? What? Just tell me what I have to do to get you off my back.”

“I want to know if you killed Joel Walker six years ago,” he said in such a calm voice that it didn’t even sound like the horrible question that it was.

Jesus. I thought he’d start apologizing, but instead he acted in complete Damien fashion and dug his heels in.

“If I’m being honest, I wanted to. I loved him and he just…left. Everything he ever said to me was a lie. I hate him.” It looked like she had more to say, but she pressed her lips together like she was trying not to let the words escape.

“So you gave in to the temptation?” Damien asked. “You axed him?”

She laughed. “I don’t even know how to wield an ax. He’s a piece of shit, but no, I didn’t kill him. He up and went to Los Angeles. Ask any of his old friends. He’d been planning it for years.”

“But he left before he even got his diploma. And no one’s heard from him since.”

“Because he doesn’t have any family here. He was in the foster system. All he had was me.”

“So you just expect me to believe that he left you? If you’re the only person he cared about…why did he leave you?”

“Because he didn’t love me.”

“Then why did he leave before graduation? He could have waited a few weeks.”

She folded her arms across her chest. “I haven’t heard from him in six years. For all I know, he’s dead now. But that doesn’t mean I had anything to do with it.”

“That doesn’t answer the question, Violet. Why did he leave before graduation?”

“I don’t know.”

“I think you do.”

“That’s enough,” I finally said. “She’s already answered your question. She doesn’t know why he left.”

“She answered it, but she’s lying. You’re too blind to see it.” He focused his attention back on Violet. “Joel Walker disappeared under suspicious circumstances and you’re the only one who knows why. Why did he leave?”

She didn’t say anything.

“Why, Violet?”

“Because I broke his heart!” She spat out the words like she hated them.

“You implied earlier that he broke yours.”

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