I knew Gordon well enough to know he was lying. My heart sped up as I studied him. Why would he lie to me? An uneasy feeling crept through me. “Gordon… what’s going on?”
“Nothing.” His face was flushed, and he wouldn’t look at me.
Staring at his guilty face, I could barely believe what I was about to ask. “Jesus, Gordon. Please tell me you didn’t have anything to do with Douglas’s death.”
Shaking his head, he said, “Of course not.” His cheek twitched.
“You’re… you’re lying.” I stared at him, feeling light-headed. “Why the hell are you lying to me, Gordon?”
He glanced at me with a stubborn expression, his jaw clenched, and then he hissed, “God damn it.” He looked to the ceiling angrily. “Shit.”
“What’s going on?” Confusion settled in my gut.
He squeezed his eyes closed. “It was an accident.” His eyes flew open. “I was trying to protect you.”
“Oh, my God,” I whispered.
He winced. “Please don’t look at me like that, Seth.”
“What happened?” My voice shook.
“I overheard him threatening you. I followed him after he rushed off. I just wanted to talk to him. I swear that’s all I intended.”
“So then how did he end up dead?”
He paled, looking nauseated. “He came at me. He shoved me and…” He stopped talking and shook his head. “I pushed him back, and he fell and hit his head on the damn stone wall.”
“Jesus, Gordon,” I rasped.
“I didn’t mean to hurt him. I swear. I just wanted to tell him to leave you alone.” He winced, his face red and mottled. “He told me to fuck off, and he lunged at me. Next thing I knew he was lying there with his head bloody, and… and he had no pulse.”
“My God.”
He licked his lips, looking like he was about to cry. “You have to believe me when I say it was an accident.”
“Of course I believe you. If you say it was an accident, I believe you.” I wasn’t sure what to do. I felt frozen in place, my feet like cement boots. What should I do? I couldn’t conceive of Gordon being a murderer. My brain wouldn’t process such a horrible thought. Gordon was kind and gentle. Gordon was my protector and friend.
“I didn’t know what to do, and I panicked.” He looked queasy. “I put him on the other side of the wall to give me time to think what to do. Then I went back to the party.” He hung his head. “I’m so ashamed, Seth. I’m a horrible person.”
I grimaced. “You were scared. You weren’t thinking clearly.”
“No. I wasn’t.” He licked his lips. “Then, of all the people, you found the body.” He raked a hand through his hair. “I couldn’t believe it. I just couldn’t.”
I simply stared at him, words failing me.
“When that detective started eyeing you suspiciously, I knew I had to try and throw him off your trail.”
“God, Gordon. What did you do?”
“I made sure you were with Tanner last night, and then I drove to San Luis Obispo and I—” His face was red. “I made sure Martha wasn’t in the room, and I threw a rock through the window. Just to make it look like someone had it in for the family. But Martha was never in any danger. Never.”
“You terrified her.” I frowned.
“I know and I’m so sorry. I was just so scared they would arrest you.”
As horrifying as it was to hear what he was saying, I couldn’t help but feel sympathy for him because he sounded so confused and distraught. “My God, Gordon. What are we going to do now?”
“If they’d arrested you, I was going to come clean.” His eyes glittered. “I hope you know that. I’d never have let them throw you in jail for my mistake.”
