“Of course,” I say, slipping it back into my bag. “What happens now?”
“After I spoke with Ryan yesterday morning about his truck, I tracked Braden down at a restaurant in Bracken Creek. I asked him where he had been on Thursday night, and he said he was home alone all night. Went to bed early because he had to work Friday morning.”
The side of Mason’s mouth quirks when I snort. The thought of Braden getting out of bed early for anything is laughable. He hasn’t had a full-time job in years. Lately, he has been picking up odd construction and landscaping jobs. It’s difficult to find steady employment when you think you are better than everyone else on the job site.
“That doesn’t explain how he knew what I was wearing, though, does it?”
“Nope. I’ll talk to the staff and see if anyone remembers him being there that night.” Clearing his throat, Mason continues. “I spoke to his neighbours, and they all corroborate that the truck was in the driveway Thursday night, but they haven’t seen him around much lately.”
“You don’t believe him, do you?” I ask, worrying my bottom lip.
“No.” He shakes his head.
“So, what happens next?”
“I’ll find him again and see where he was overnight. Banks told me he was here until eight last night for a special booking.So, the vandalism occurred between eight p.m. and eight a.m. when Banks returned this morning.”
“I hate this,” I sigh.
“Has he ever tried to intimidate you before?”
“What do you mean?”
“When he said, ‘You’ll regret that.’ Has he said things like that before and then followed through?”
I pause, my mind mulling over the question. I’ve been making excuses for Braden’s bad behaviour for so long it feels automatic.
“Not like this,” I say slowly. “Not to other people.”
I run my fingernails back and forth over my lips, buying myself some time. “Braden thinks very highly of himself.”
Mason sits patiently, waiting for me to continue.
“If he thought I was disrespecting him, he’d lash out. Put me back in my place, I guess.” Saying it out loud makes my stomach tighten. “He was jealous constantly. Would question me about my clients and who I was spending time with. He hated it when I went out with my friends, but he never wanted to join us. He even got jealous when I spent time with Aunt Maggie.”
“It was like he was setting me up for a fight. Looking for a reason to be angry at me.” I hesitate, then add, “There was a lot of yelling. Sometimes he’d get right in my face, close enough that I’d have to step away.”
Mason closes his notebook and leans closer. “Were you afraid of him?”
The question lands heavier than the others. I open my mouth to answer and then close it again. Was I afraid? I hadn’t thought of it that way. At least not directly.
“I didn’t think of it as fear,” I say finally. “I wasn’t afraid all the time.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “But I watched what I said. What I did. I learned over time how to avoid setting him off.”
“That sounds a lot like fear, Beck.”
I exhale slowly, my eyes dropping to my hands. “Maybe,” I admit. “I just knew it was easier not to piss him off.”
Mason watches me for a long moment. “Is that why you continue to pay his bills?”
I nod, the answer settling into place as I say it out loud. “Yeah, it felt safer to keep the peace. I let him stay in the house longer than I should have. I keep paying for the truck. It was easier than having to deal with what would happen if I said no.” Pausing, I close my eyes and take a slow breath before saying, “This is what saying no looks like. If he can’t get to me, he will do things to hurt the people around me.”
Thirty-Four
By the time I finish talking to Mason, someone has swept up the glass and washed away the paint. The only evidence that remains is a puddle on the concrete and the heavy feeling in my chest.
Carson has already packed up and left, needing to get back to his day. I’ll have to call him later.
Mason thanks me and lets me know he will be in touch before stepping away to talk to Banks, leaving me alone with Logan and Ryan.
