I nod several times, hunched over with my hands on my knees, trying to get my breathing under control. For Pete’s sake, I ran twenty feet, not a mile. I need to hit the gym pronto.
“A red truck that was driven by a man had two guys in the bed; they threw a large branch into the road, causing Jackson’s accident. That same vehicle sideswiped Billy’s Jeep on the front driver side. Billy lost control and went off the road. He overcorrected and his vehicle flipped into the ravine. The man in the truck never even hit his brakes.” The words rush from me like blood from an open wound.
His hands raise to his temples, kneading before sliding down to form a steeple at his lips. “A man? Is your source positive?”
“Yes. The driver of thered truckwas a man.” I emphasize the details, needing him to investigate this claim.
He takes a deep breath. “Not to be repeated...” He gives me a look that signals he’s waiting for my agreement to remain silent on whatever he’s about to say. My head bobs in confirmation. “They said they found a note that proved Billy caused the accident himself.”
The sudden shift in the air is palpable and it doesn’t take long to figure out why.
“No way,” Billy says, appearing behind Nick. “There was no fucking note. I’d never do that.”
“What’s wrong?” Nick asks, looking back to see what I’m staring at.
“Make him understand there was no note,” Billy barks.
I can’t do that. Without evidence, he won’t believe me.
“What?” Nick drags the word out. “What aren’t you saying?”
I gulp, knowing I have to lay it all on the line. My eyes close as I try to figure out how best to come clean.
“Tell him,” Billy demands, severing the last string holding my sanity together.
“It’s me, all right? I’m the source. I speak to the dead.”
The moment I speak those last five words, I know I’ve lost Nick’s help.
He blinks several times, his face a mask. “Thanks for the tip. If you hear anything else, let me know.”
“You don’t believe me.”
He opens his mouth, then shuts it. “I don’t know what to believe, Alyssa. You’ve given me different stories every time we’ve talked.” He takes a deep breath, likely trying to remain calm. “Tonight was great and now...” he kicks the ground. “Now I don’t know what to think.”
“Nick, I—”
He cuts me off. “I suggest you get some rest and leave the investigation in the hands of the police. This amateur sleuthing needs to end. For your safety.”
He’s done helping me. He won’t say the words because we live next to each other, but that’s exactly what he’s saying with his posture, his cold expression, and the way he’s taking small steps back to put distance between us.
“Good night, Nick.”
I don’t say anything else, turning on my heels and stalking back to my house.
Our easy camaraderie had been too good to be true. I’m on my own now.
“Alyssa, wait,” he says in a commanding voice, one I’ve never heard from him.
It’s enough to stop me in my tracks. I turn around, crossing my arms over my chest. I won’t back down. I refuse to backpedal. The truth is out and if he can’t handle it, that’s his problem.
“Why are you angry with me?” He truly appears puzzled and that manages to annoy me.
“I’m offering you information that you’d never be able to uncover on your own, because the evidence has been hidden for years.”
“And I appreciate it. But you have to understand that without physical evidence, there’s not much I can do with it. Running around dragging up accidents from the past and pointing fingers at every guy driving around town in a red truck is dangerous, Alyssa. Don’t you see that?”
“So start looking for the physical evidence. I’ll tell you where to look when I get downloads of information.”
