Page 53 of The Girl He Crowned

“Calm down,”Christopher said. “Step away from the edge, and we can talk about this.”

Paige felt thesudden tension in Edward’s grip as Christopher said those words. She grabbedonto his arm, wanting to buy herself some time if he let go. Maybe she would beable to use that second to grab onto the edge of the roof, or to pull herselfback to safety.

Of course, therewas a danger that it would just send both of them plummeting together.

“You see!” Edwardsnapped. “He’s trying to trick me. He wants to lie to me and tell me thateverything will be all right!”

“Christopher,”Paige called out. “No lies. He’s triggered by lying. We have to tell theabsolute truth.”

Christopher didn’tlook happy about it, but then he nodded. “Understood.”

“So do you reallywant me to step away from the edge so we can talk?” Edward asked.

Paige answered.“We can talk more if it will help to end this peacefully. That’s our priority.”

“And if I don’tletit end peacefully?” Edward demanded. He was obviously trying to push forsomething that would make Paige want to tell a lie. He was trying to find anexcuse to kill her.

That should haveterrified Paige, but in fact it made her feel a hint of relief that heneededan excuse. This situation was still controllable.

“Then we take youdown by force, if we have to,” Christopher said, obviously understanding theneed for blunt honesty.

“And if I givemyself up, what then?” Edward asked. “Are you going to promise me thateverything will be ok, and that I’ll get a deal?”

“You’ll bearrested and brought to trial,” Paige said. “You’re probably going to prisonfor the rest of your life, if your lawyer doesn’t manage to argue that you meetthe legal definition of insanity. In that case, you’ll probably be locked awayin a secure institution for life instead.”

There was a riskto being this blunt with a suspect who was both metaphorically and literally onthe edge, yet Paige couldn’t see another alternative. Any attempt to sweetenthings or to placate Edward might be taken as an untruth, and she suspectedthat even one lie right then might be enough to cost Paige her life.

“If there’s nohope for me, what’s the point?” Edward demanded. He wasn’t furious now, butthere was a hint of despair in his expression that was almost as dangerous. “What’sthe point of all of this?”

“The point is thatyou face the consequences of your actions, Edward,” Paige said. “It’s the onlyorderly way for things to go.”

Edward was shakinghis head, though.

“You must haveknown that this would come to an end at some point,” Paige said. She was stillreaching with her foot, trying to get enough purchase on the roof to swingherself back onto it. “You knew that we were investigating, but you chose tobring Yolanda Vert here to kill her? You must have known that we would besuspicious of you after this. Who else could have ordered the business shutdown for the day?”

“I told the staffthat we were closing down for a day or two because of the links to the killings,”Edward said. “I thought I could convince you that one of them had picked thespace because they knew it was empty.”

“So you lied tothem?” Christopher asked.

“I… you’re right,I lied to them and liars deserve to be punished.”

Paige saw Edwardglance towards the edge of the roof. He was going to do it; he was going tothrow himself off and take her with him. Dangling there as she was, Paigewasn’t going to be able to do anything about it. Terror filled her in thatmoment, her brain reaching for anything that might possibly help.

“Edward, look atme,” Paige said, in the firmest tone she could muster. “Look at me!”

Edward’s eyessnapped away from the edge of the building, returning to Paige once more.

“If you throwyourself off the building right now, you’ll take me with you,” Paige said. “You’llkill me, and I haven’t lied to you. You only kill liars, Edward, and I’ve onlybeen honest with you.”

He stared at heras if trying to make sense of what Paige had just said.

“Doing things theproper way is important, Edward. You skipped over a bunch of people in yourclient lists because they weren’t liars. Well, I haven’t lied to you.”

He was quiet for asecond or two. Paige found herself holding her breath. She was all too aware ofhow easily Edward might decide that it didn’t matter and throw himself offanyway, dragging Paige to her death.

Instead, though,he paused. “You’re right. You don’t deserve to die.”

“Put me back onthe roof, Edward,” Paige said. She had to make the most of this moment to tryto get to safety.

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