Chapter One
OCTOBER 2095
Josiah
Deep with the first dead lies London’s daughter, robed in the long friends, the grains beyond age, the dark veins of her mother, secret by the unmourning water of the riding Thames. After the first death, there is no other–Dylan Thomas
Solange Alajika. When had her name last been spoken out loud? When had anyone other than Alex even thought about her?
His eyes dark, his chest heaving as if he’d run a marathon, Alex looked shattered. Josiah didn’t underestimate what this moment meant to him. He’d been on a long, solitary journey, but now all the years of carrying her name alone fell away.
Reaching across the table, he placed his hand on Alex’s arm.
“You’ve been very strong for a very long time. Solange would be proud of you.”
Alex looked unable to speak; he just nodded.
“A secret like this, a weight this heavy, would have broken many people,” Josiah told him firmly. “You’re a man of honour, Alex. You’ve done your duty by her. She couldn’t have wished for a truer friend.”
Alex nodded again, his eyes dark and wet.
“Now you’ve passed this weight on to me – you don’t need to carry it anymore. That’s my job now.”
Alex made a sound halfway between a choke and a sob. He looked down.
“Forgive me,” Josiah said gently. “You’ve already suffered so much, but now I must ask you to find a different kind of strength.”
Alex looked up, visibly trying to regain control of himself.
Josiah smiled at him encouragingly. “I hate to ask, because I know what it’s cost you to come this far, but this time I’ll be by your side, every single step of the way – and I promise you that I won’t let you down.”
“I know that,” Alex said shakily, finally finding his voice. “Ask me anything. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
“It won’t be easy. You see, if I’m going to bring Tyler to justice for killing Solange, then I need to know everything: about her, about Tyler, and about the chain of events that led to her death. I need much more than the broadbrush strokes you’ve given me. I need to know every single thing. You can’t hold back on me anymore, Alex. Youmusttrust me.”
“I understand.” Alex nodded firmly. “And you’re right, of course. I was expecting this.”
Even so, Josiah noticed that his hand was shaking as he reached out to pick up his mug of tea.
“I can’t help you if all you’ve got for me are the same kind of half-truths and evasions you’ve given me about Elliot. If you really want justice for Solange, then you have to tell me the truth, however ugly it is.”
“Yes. I know.” It was barely more than a whisper.
“I need names, dates, and details. You must tell me everything about your time with Tyler and how he operates – including details you don’t believe are important. I need your honesty, even about those things you would prefer to keep toyourself because they don’t show you in a good light. Especially about those things.”
“Of course,” Alex said quietly. “I’ll tell you all of it. I hope you won’t judge me too harshly, but if you do, I’ll understand. Some parts of my story are humiliating, embarrassing, or just plain painful. But there are many other parts where I behaved badly.”
“I’m not going to judge you. Take your time. We have as long as you need.” Josiah sat back in his chair and sipped on his tea, waiting patiently.
It took Alex several minutes to begin. “I’m going to start with my first term at university,” he said at last. “I think that makes the most sense.”
“Was that when you first met Solange?”
“Yes, but that’s not where the story begins. It starts a little earlier – with the arrangement I made with Neil.”
“Neil Grant?” Josiah remembered the name from the trial testimony.
“Yes. Not a very nice man, but then I wasn’t exactly very nice to him, either.”
