Page 92 of Wicked Promises

“We’re going back to the house,” she informed him. “It’s Caleb’s.”

“It’s David’s to control,” he corrected, shrugging. “I can’t stop you either way.”

She came to me, holding out her hand.

I took it.

“Goodbye, Josh,” she said. “Let’s hope we never have to do this again.”

He just watched us. And when I craned around one last time, he winked.

Present

I relay the story as best I can. I don’t tell them the contents of the letter—I did have the thing memorized for a while, when I would read it under my sheets with a flashlight—but the gist of everything.

“Your mom was having an affair?” Margo asked. “With who?”

I shake my head. “It didn’t occur to me to question her.”

Eli groans. “And your dad wrote you a tragic fucking letter. Of course.”

“It was comforting at the time.”

We lapse into silence.

Then Margo says, “Norah did say Josh being Dad’s lawyer was a conflict of interest. But she had said him and your dad weren’t on good terms. Why did he use Josh for his will?”

Eli leans toward her. “She talked about that?”

“I asked,” she says, sheepish.

“She’s never bothered to answer any of my questions about it. I transferred to Emery-Rose soon after you had left, and Caleb sought me out—evidently because of Dad,” he adds with a smile. “But they both clammed up whenever I asked about…”

“Our dads were friends,” Margo says.

Surprise ripples around the room. Through me. I had never got that impression from our fathers’ interactions.

“Norah said it was the three of them, and mine left… came back with Mom, engaged or whatever. And they had a falling-out.”

“That isn’t what we should be focusing on,” Theo interjects. “Unless Tobias is the one she was having an affair with…”

I snort. “Seriously?”

“How else would you get someone to risk their entire career?”

“Money,” Liam says. “So much fucking money. Enough money to swim in. Not that you idiots would understand, since you already have that. But for someone like Tobias? Who started at the bottom? Yeah.”

“So, Caleb’s dad suspected his own death because Lydia was having an affair? That doesn’t make sense.” Eli scowls. “Jesus. This is making my head spin.”

“Who would’ve known? Besides the parties involved who might lie?” Margo asks.

“Well, there was your parents and mine,” I list, “and whoever Mom was sleeping with. I guess your dad would be the most impartial.”

“Besides the whole murder thing,” Eli says.

“He didn’t do it.” Margo glares at him. “And you know what? For the first time in this crazy mess—I actually believe it. Your mom had more motive than he did. Did the police even look into her?”

“I don’t know.”