Page 59 of Watch Me Burn
“Actually . . . the sidewalks were pretty quiet that day, if I’m remembering right. Your mom’s car was out of the driveway, which lines up with what she said about being shopping and all.”
Anna collapsed onto the sofa. “Okay, so you saw absolutely nothing that could’ve waved a red flag outside?”
I shook my head immediately. “No, I was already in the house when I heard someone fighting with your dad. I didn’t want to interrupt anything personal, so I waited in the kitchen . . . and that’s when the murder must’ve happened.”
Anna sighed. “It could’ve been one of the parents who were back there arguing with him. Or one of the girls. Someone confronted him about his perverted moneymaking. And that’s when everything blew off . . .”
Anna’s theory was sensible, but there was one problem that stood out: even if her guess were true, how much did that narrow down our possible list of suspects?
None.
If my brain was a warehouse, I was in the middle of wiping every last shelf for a glint of information. Even if it were the most microscopic, insignificant detail ever, I had to know it.
“Let’s go over what was said again,” Anna suggested. “I heard him yell, ‘What you gonna do about it, huh?’”
I nodded. “That’s what I heard as well.”
“Anything else? Did you hear anything when you were waiting in the kitchen for the fight to stop?”
I went over everything once more. But this time, as I thought harder, an old memory tumbled to the front of my mind.
“I think maybe one of the words during that fight in the yard was yelled and a little louder than the others,” I murmured in thought. Anna regarded me interestedly.
“Good. Very good. Think, what was it?”
At the edge of her seat, she spluttered, “This could be important.”
I knew that and still struggled to remember the exact words.
Fuck.
I closed my eyes, letting the scene replay in my mind. I could clearly see the sun piercing through the kitchen window, casting a bright light on everything. My attention had been drawn to a stain on the crimson curtain while I stood there, feeling as out of place as if I was a scared puppy waiting for its owner’s comforting touch.
I strained my mind, desperately trying to grasp onto that elusive memory. My hands balled into fists, so tight that they began to shake.
“Ethan, it’s okay if you need a break,” Anna said. She jolted me out of my daze with her soft touch, which was the only reason I realized I’d been sweating bullets.
“Sorry,” I grunted. “I should be remembering this. But I legitimately can’t think of a word that was said during that argument. It’s all a blur.”
Anna’s touch weakened, but she didn’t betray a frown. “It’s all right. We’ve been on the road practically all week, so how about you get some rest? Maybe in the morning, things will come to you . . . or we’ll just plan for something else.”
There was a note of disappointment in her voice. While I would’ve loved to relight the blaze that burned within her earlier, I looked like a damn idiot. This memory could change everything, and yet, a single word couldn’t pop into my head. I couldn’t identify what was going on out on the front road, and I also couldn’t recall anything distinct from John’s murderer. I was lost.
“I’m . . . sorry” was all I said before going into Anna’s den to call it good for the night. I didn’t eat dinner and barely went out for anything besides brushing my teeth and washing up. I thought that I was hit with some type of memory while I was drying off from the shower, but then I ended up as mind fogged as I was mere seconds ago.
Anna kissed me on my way to the bedroom. We embraced each other tightly.
“It’ll all be fine, one way or the other,” Anna whispered into my chest. Fresh out of the shower, I was still without a shirt and loved how she felt bare against my skin. I stroked the tresses of her hair softly, cushioning myself in the belief I would find an answer.
I was going to do it. If it wasn’t this evening, I’d hustle the next day to find what’d be a clue. I wasn’t going to let Anna or myself down.
Chapter 29
Ethan
That night, I dreamed for the first time in a while.
But I didn’t just have any regular dream.
