Page 49 of The Inmate
“I know. It’s awful.” There is an interminable silence on the other line. “Listen, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry about yesterday. I was kind of a jerk to you.”
“Oh.” That was the last thing I expected him to say. “Well, it’s okay. I mean, it was a stressful day.”
“Itwas.” His voice sounds a little scratchy, like he didn’t get enough sleep. “I’ve never been grilled by a detective before. And that guy wasrough. He just kept pushing me, trying to get me to crack.”
“But you didn’t.”
“I didn’t,” he confirms. “Look, I do think it would be better to just tell the truth, but I get why he made you feel like you needed an alibi. And geez, it’s obvious you couldn’t have done this.”
Maybe it’s obvious to him. But the detective doesn’t seem to feel the same way.
“So anyway,” he says, “I’m sorry I freaked out. Do you forgive me?”
Only if you forgive me for sleeping with another guy last night.But no, probably better not to bring that up. He never needs to know about it. And like I said, it was a one-off. Seth knows that.
“Do you want to come over tonight?” I ask. I hate the idea of coming home to my empty house again.
He groans. “I wish I could, but I’m going to be at work late today. I don’t even know how late. How about tomorrow?”
“Okay.” I wish he were coming tonight, but as long as I’m going to see him soon. “And maybe this time you really can spend the night.”
He sounds shocked. “Really?”
“Why not?”
“I… I just assumed with all the stuff going on with your friend, you wouldn’t want to…”
“Dawn wasn’t really my friend,” I say slowly. “I mean, she was my coworker. I liked her. But we weren’t friends.”
“Oh,” he says.
Did I say something wrong? Is it really so inappropriate to have my boyfriend over after a coworkerwho I hardly even knewwas murdered?
“Also,” I say, “the 5K is on Saturday. You’re still running, aren’t you?”
Again, he sounds surprised. “That’s still on?”
Despite everything, I feel a jolt of irritation. “We raised a lot of money for charity, Caleb. I can’t just cancel it.”
“Well, okay…”
“I mean, this is forkids with cerebral palsy. It’s not like I’m throwing a sweet sixteen party.”
“No, I get it,” he says. “I, uh… I guess I’ll be there then.”
I had imagined Caleb and me running together the whole way. He has longer legs, but I’ve been training harder than he has. He runs on the treadmill at the gym, but he hasn’t specifically been training for this. I’ll hold my own.
But I don’t know what’s going to end up happening with the 5K now. Dawn’s murder has changed everything. I don’t want to ruin everything we’ve worked for though. Maybe I need to put a new spin on things.
ChapterTwenty-Seven
THREE MONTHS EARLIER
From: Natalie Farrell
To: Vixed Employees
Subject: Bridal shower!!!!
