The Silent Witness

Alex cursed. He felt dirty—like he’d never be clean again. The months of rough living were taking their toll. He was so tired of it all. Staring at her, he couldn’t help but feel he’d just soiled something important. The thought wouldn’t go away. He couldn’t afford to care, but he did.

“Thad Osher wants my neck in a noose, Nicki,” he said quietly. “He doesn’t care what he has to do to put it there.”

“Was it something you said?”

A tremor lay beneath her sweetly mocking voice. He hated knowing he had put it there. But he was secretly relieved that she wasn’t backing down. She had spunk. He should have remembered that about her. She never had backed away from anything. Not even when running with “that Coughlin boy” was the sort of reputation a nice girl didn’t want.

“Nicki, I’m sorry. I know you won’t believe this, but I’ve stayed away for good reason. In fact, I wouldn’t have come to see you at all if—”

“Gee thanks, that’s just what a woman wants to hear.”

“—you hadn’t begged me.”

He’d hurt her again, and he hadn’t meant to.

“What did you say?!” she demanded.

She yanked on the sheet, holding it beneath her chin as she sat up straighter. The action only drew his attention to the womanly shape of her. He’d wanted her when she was jailbait. Pure poison for a boy whose father was labeled a thief and a murderer. And he wanted her now when he was perilously close to being branded himself.

“Why did you call, Nicki? What do you want from me?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I wouldn’t call you in a million years.”

He wished he dared turn on a light. Her words sounded so sincere. What was she trying to pull?

A possibility exploded in his mind. He hated the very idea. But. Was there the slightest chance Nicki had been trying to set him up?

His Nicki? No. She’d never do that. But she wasn’t his anymore. Hadn’t been his for a very long time. She’d been in love with him once. And what did they say about a woman scorned?

For crying out loud! Nicki wasn’t like that. Was he going to start seeing bogeymen around every corner?

But what did he really know about her anymore?

He couldn’t turn loose of that thought. Maybe she’d known Thorton Biggs. They could even have been lovers for all he knew. Hadn’t he wondered why the man had driven into that alley last night? So much would be explained if Biggs had come there to see her.

The truth was, for all Alex knew, she’d killed Biggs herself and set Alex in place to take the fall. He might not like the idea, but he couldn’t dismiss it on the basis of what had happened between them fifteen years ago.

“So you wouldn’t call me in a million years, huh?” Her taunt rankled. “Well, I’m sure the feeling is mutual, but the fact is, you did call, Nicki. You said we had to talk, and like a fool, I agreed.”

Tired from too little sleep and the stress of the last few months, he was suddenly angry. Nicki had been the only good thing he could remember about Fools Point, and she’d used their relationship to set him up.

“You asked me to meet you at five minutes after nine behind your shop,” he snapped. “In fact, you pleaded—quite fetchingly. Ring any bells?”

“No!”

He ignored her protest, warming to his theme. The memory of that phone call was sharp and clear. She had called him.

“I came early. Don’t pretend you didn’t see me standing across the street.”

He’d known the moment that she saw him. He’d leaned back against the rough bricks and simply watched her. Anticipation had brought him there early. Caution had kept him waiting. He should have paid more attention to the caution.

“The way you kept watching me, I figured you couldn’t wait for a trip down memory lane,” he said, waiting to see how she’d react.

“In your dreams!”

“Fantasies.” He lowered his voice. “You were always part of my fantasies, remember, Nic? I never forgot. I almost walked across the street early, but you said to meet outside. I figured it was shades of yesterday. You wanted to see me, but you didn’t want anyone in town to know it was me you were seeing.” And that still stung.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I never called you. And if you’ll recall, it was you who insisted we keep our relationship quiet fifteen years ago. I didn’t care who knew about us.”

Her voice sounded wounded, but he knew she was lying about the phone call. What he needed to discover was why.

“Except your father.”

Nicki winced.

“You’ve really perfected that innocent act, Nic. Only it won’t work. We both know just how innocent you aren’t.”

Her fist bunched on the sheet. “Yes, we do.”

Were those tears in her eyes? Anger drained away. What was he doing? This was all wrong. They shouldn’t be wounding each other like this.

“Get out of here, Alex,” she said with quiet dignity. “I never want to see you again.”

The calm words nicked his heart with another barb of guilt. He clenched his jaw and unballed his own fists. This was no good. They were dicing each other to ribbons. What if things weren’t what they seemed? Come to that, what in his world was what it seemed anymore?

“Don’t lie to me, Nicki.”

She stared at him in silence.

Alex ran a hand through his hair again. He wasn’t sure when he’d started hating his life, but he was damn sure things had to change soon.

“Did you know Thorton Biggs?”

She didn’t respond.

“Did you kill him, Nic?” That at least provoked a reaction.

“How dare you! I covered for you today. I was such a fool that I told them I couldn’t identify anyone. I should have told them the truth. I should have told them how you came running out of that alley. But I didn’t. I’m so stupid, I didn’t.”

Tears were thick in her voice. He reached for her, but she drew back against the headboard. With an oath, he walked over to her bedroom window, disgusted with himself. He pushed the hair back from his face and stared out at the night.

“I didn’t kill Thorton, Nicki. We were…acquaintances.”

“Fellow gang members?”

He didn’t look toward her. “Call it what you like. I ran behind your shop when I heard the shots. Someone had climbed over the fence right before I got there. He was disappearing into the trees when I saw him. I tried to go after him, but I got caught on the fence and he had too much of a head start, so I went to check Thorton. It was obvious he was beyond help. I knew what would happen if they caught me there, so I ran in the opposite direction.”

“Why tell me? Tell Sergeant Osher.”