“He saw the car explode.” I wished he hadn’t. I desperately wished he hadn’t witnessed all of it.
“Puta mierda,” Kennedy said and looked up at the ceiling, blinking fast. “I feel like my heart is breaking.”
“Jacob was so brave.” I puffed up my cheeks and exhaled slowly, trying to make myself not cry. “I’m so proud of him. If it wasn’t for him, I’m sure I’d be sitting in jail right now.”
“Are…are you sure Miller’s dead?”
I nodded. I was positive. But I knew why she asked. Because I was sitting here very much alive and she’d thought I was dead too.
“He’s not going to come back in 16 years with a crazy story like this?”
I laughed, even though it was forced. “No. He…he’s gone.” The words made the knife in my chest twist again.
She lifted up the letter again and scanned the last few lines a second time. “So…did you do it? Did you kill your father like the letter said you were going to?”
I felt like a coward. A failure. “I couldn’t.”
“Because you’re not a killer, Brooklyn. Do you really think the cops are after you? You really think they would believe you did this to your own husband?”
“My dad said he paid off local law enforcement. That I’m in the clear. But I don’t believe anything he says. He also swore he didn’t do it. And I don’t know what to believe.”
“Well, where was he when it happened?”
“He didn’t say. He just said he’d never hurt me because he loved me.”
“Yeah, but he didn’t hurt you.” She waved the letter in the air. “He killed your husband.”
“The bomb was inmycar though.”
“What?” She scanned the letter again.
“I didn’t put that in there. I know how confusing it all is. I’d parked behind Miller the night before. He was moving my car so he could drive his. I was supposed to die. Not him.” My voice cracked.
“Oh my God.”
“My father said it was some rival family or something. The Locatellis. That their signature was on the bomb.”
“Their signature?” She exhaled slowly. “And suddenly we’re in a crime show.”
“Yeah I know.”
“I know I’m missing a lot of details, but you don’t believe your father, do you? He locked you up for almost a year before you escaped. He’s a psychopath.”
“I don’t…I don’t know. He swore he’d never hurt me…”
“He stole your fucking kidney!” Her eyes grew round and she clapped her hand over her mouth. “Shoot,” she whispered and looked over at Jacob who had started to stir. “Sorry.”
“It’s okay. He’ll be a little more alert this morning and I can’t wait for you to really meet him.” I turned back to her. “I have to step out in a couple hours though. I’m meeting up with my dad for lunch to try to get more answers. I don’t think I’ll be long.” I just wanted to get this over with. Hear whatever lame alibi Poppy had. And then I’d figure out my next move.
“No. No way are you going to meet up with him again alone. I’m coming with you.”
“But Jacob…”
“My mom will watch Jacob.”
“Kennedy, I don’t want to pull you into this mess. I shouldn’t have even come here. I don’t want to put you in danger too…”
“Brooklyn,” she said, very sternly. “You are not doing this alone. Because you don’t have to. You have me.”
