“What do you want me to say? ” I asked, keeping my voice level. “I want you to say you’ve got a plan to fix this mess, Gary. You can’t just roll over.
”
“Well, what option have I got? ”
“I don’t know. We need to think of one, don’t we? For both our sakes.
”
I looked at my hands, then back at her. “Tell your mom that I’m thinking about what we talked about. And not a word about Gary. It’s for her own good.
”
“Yeah, so you keep saying. But I’m still not comfortable lying to her. ”
“Right. Well, maybe you’d be more comfortable with her rotting in prison instead?
” I regretted the words the moment they left my mouth. “Sorry. ”
Maria shook her head slowly. “No good deed ever goes unpunished.
Isn’t that what they say? ”
“Whatever he’s told you, it’s not black and white. I’m just trying to clear this mess up. ”
“Yeah, by sacrificing Gary to save your girlfriend’s skin.
”
“It’ll be better for the both of them in the long run. ”
“Oh, really? Corrupt and deluded. That’s what you are.
”
I turned to Bethany, who had been standing silently in the corner. “Why don’t you neck in? ”
Maria’s eyes snapped to her. “Did you know about his little scheme?
”
“She’s not involved,” I said quickly. But Bethany stepped forward, her chin lifting. “I only found out yesterday. And if it’s any consolation, I hate this as much as you do.
”
“Spare me, Bethany. As far as I’m concerned, you’re as bad as he is. ”
“Okay, you’ve said your piece,” I said. Maria’s voice turned low, almost pleasant.
“You know, one way or another, I’m going to make you pay for this. ”
“You’re threatening a police officer, Maria. ”
“No, not at all. Just making a promise to a lowlife chancer with a warrant card.
”
I let the words hang there, knowing I had no good reply. Later, I found myself at a petrol station, grabbing a bunch of flowers for my wife. I’d told her I was going out for milk, but the real reason was that I needed air. My phone buzzed.
It was my cousin Richie. “Mrs. wasn’t overly chuffed with me going, eh? Well, what’s new?
” he said. “That’s what petrol station flowers are for, isn’t it? ” I replied, trying to lighten the mood. “I only wish it were that straightforward.
”
“Right, if Sally asks you, me and you were playing board games all night, yeah? ”
He laughed. “You know the word you’re looking for is ‘lie. ’ You want me to massage the truth a little bit?
”
“Yeah, well, if the boss finds out about this, you’re going to be massaging your butt with a foot in a bit. ”
“Sally’s not the boss of me. ”
Richie showed up at the house the next morning, looking rough. We sat in the kitchen, and I could tell Sally was watching us from the doorway with a suspicious smile.
“Hey, Richie,” she said. “You’re here early. ”
“Yeah, well, Mrs. threw me out.
Reckon she did us both a favor. Speaking of favors, don’t suppose I could crash here until I sort something out? ”
“Of course you can,” I said. “Our home is your home.
”
Sally’s smile tightened. “Yes. Exactly what Tim said. If you could both keep your shenanigans to a minimum, I’d appreciate it.
”
Richie grinned. “No shenanigans. Scout’s honor. ”
She leaned against the doorframe.
“So, what were you two really up to last night? Playing Monopoly until dawn? ”
“Board games,” I said. “It was actually pretty sad.
”
The next day, I was pacing outside a café, waiting for Aliyah. She was a detective, sharp as a tack, and the only person I trusted with the ugly truth. “Thanks for coming,” I said when she sat down. “Your message said it was urgent.
What do you need? ”
I looked her straight in the eye. “I need a lawyer. ”
She blinked.
“That bad? ”
I told her the whole mess. Sarah had been involved in an incident with Gary, and I’d helped her cover up the weapon. Now Kit, her new boyfriend, had gotten involved, trying to protect her by threatening to hand Gary over to the police.
It was a house of cards. Aliyah leaned back. “Well, the way I see it, you’ve got two options. ”
“Great.
Lay them out. ”
“Option one: you hand yourself in, play dumb about the scaffold, Paul, and take the blame for Sarah not contacting the police. You’d be admitting to perverting the course of justice and assisting an offender. And you’d be putting Marie in the firing line.
”
“What about option two? ”
“You tell Kit where to stick it and pray he’s bluffing. ”
“And if he’s not? ” I asked.
“Then you’ve got a serious problem. If the police locate the weapon and can prove you concealed it, you could be looking at anything between four years and four months. ”
I ran a hand over my face. “What about Sarah?
If I confirm her version of events, could it support a self-defense plea? ”
“It could. She might get a reduced sentence. She might even get off.
”
“So why wouldn’t I do that? ”
“Because Marie gets dragged into it. And you’d be putting yourself in prison to save a woman who doesn’t seem to want your protection. ”
I stared at her.
“You aren’t just saying this because it’s Sarah? ”
“Mate,” she said, “you’re the one that rode in on a white horse for her, not me. I’m just giving you the facts as I see them. ”
Later that evening, I found Kit outside Sarah’s flat.
He looked like a man who hadn’t slept in days. “Did you really download everything off Gary’s phone? ” I asked. He didn’t deny it.
“It’s how I know where the scaffold pole is. ”
“I can’t believe you’d do something like that. You’re breaking the law, ruining your career, destroying Gary’s life. ”
“I’m not defending myself,” he said.
“I’m just telling you how it is. I’d do anything for her. ”
“She doesn’t want that, Kit. She wants to make her own decisions.
”
“No,” he said quietly. “But I wish she’d let me choose for her. ”
I watched him walk away, feeling the weight of every secret I was carrying. Back home, Sally was in the kitchen, stirring a pot of pasta.
She looked up when I walked in. “You okay? ” she asked. “Not really,” I said.
She put down the spoon. “You know that crown you were talking about before? It isn’t heavy. It just doesn’t fit anymore.
”
“So don’t wear it, Tim. ”
“It’s more complicated than that. ”
“Is it? Because you walking away from this place does not make you a failure.
”
I let out a breath. “Okay. So it’s not that complicated. ”
“I won’t tell you what I think because you already know,” she said.
“But my friends are still interested in the cafe. All I’ll say is, you’ve got options. ”
I smiled for the first time all day. “Thanks.
”
Later that night, I got a call from Bethany. “Did you tell your mum? ” she asked. “I did,” I said.
“She always gets it out of me eventually. She’s like a dog with a bone. ”
“Well, thanks to your big mouth, Gary’s off the hook. ”
“I still think it’s the wrong move, but Sarah’s choice.
”
“When are you going to tell Gary? ”
I checked my phone. “Right now. You up there?
”
I called him. It went straight to voicemail. “Gary, it’s me. Leave a message when you get this.
We need to talk. ”
The next morning, I was standing outside the café when a familiar figure walked up. “So,” Gary said, his face unreadable. “What’s this all about?
”
I met his eyes, steady as I could. “To tell the truth. ”
