His face drained. Tears mixed with sweat and dirt.
“What do you want?” He sobbed.
His tears almost made me angrier than the threats.
“What do you think I want, Einstein?” I leaned forward, elbows on my knees. “My mom was found mute in the woods where her best friend’s husband was murdered. And she was blamed for it.”
My gaze locked onto his.
“You’re the only person who knows what really happened that night.”
My eyes dropped to his stomach wound. Blood kept seeping through his fingers. “A shot like that needs surgery. So you can be smart and talk, or play dumb and waste time. And time is something you don’t really have, buddy.”
Myers whimpered.
I leaned back in the chair. “Do the right thing for once in your life.”
He bit down on his lip so hard I thought he might draw blood. His body trembled. Teeth chattering.
“Uh-oh,” I said, cocking my head. “Starting to feel cold?”
His hands pressed harder against the wound.
“That’s not a good sign. But what do I know? I’m only a doctor. Who, funny enough, could actually save your life.”
A broken sound left him then. Maybe the weight of all the years had finally caught up. Or maybe it was just the pain of the bullet.
“Fine.” He sobbed. “I’ll tell you whatever you want.”
“Good. Let’s start with what happened that night. And don’t leave anything out. Time’s ticking.”
He opened his mouth.
“Wait.” I grabbed the edge of his ski mask and pulled it off in one sharp motion. “I want to see your filthy face.”
And it was filthy.
Dear God.
His scar ran across his entire forehead, thick and raised, cutting through his eyebrow. His hair was greasy and flat, clumped together with white dandruff flakes. His skin looked dirty, and he was unshaven.
Such a nasty man ruined my mother’s life. And hurt many others. His police report said he raped women and was a pedophile. He also almost killed my grandma.
“Now talk,” I ordered.
Tears kept sliding down his face. His mouth opened and closed. But no words came.
“You still don’t get that you’ll die here if you don’t start ta—”
“Fucking fine!” he snapped, coughing as pain cut through him. “I … I was there that night. Fucking happy?”
“No shit.” My head shook slowly. “You better get to the important parts, or I’ll leave.”
His body flinched as another wave of pain hit him.
“You gonna call an ambulance if I talk?” he begged.
“It’s probably already too late for that,” I said. “We’re too far from the hospital.”
