Page 131 of You Know Why

“Okay. I’ll take your word for it. And then what happened?”

“They got into an argument, and somehow, Roger got a hold of a gun that Alex had stashed in his bag. I don’t know how it happened, just that they were scuffling, then there was a gunshot, and Alex went down. He was bleeding badly.

“You would think Roger would panic. I did. I was screaming. I wanted to call for help, but he was cool and collected. He told me to stop freaking out, that he’d take care of it. That it was too late, Alex was dead. He sent me away. Said he wanted me to quit the show, that he never wanted to see me again. And so I did. I listened. I ran. I looked back once, just in time to see him push Alex’s body into the water.”

“And you didn’t tell anyone?”

“I was in shock. It happened so fast. My boyfriend was dead, my boss was firing me. I couldn’t believe how quickly it had all gone bad. One minute we were happy, the next, fractured beyond repair.

“And of course, as you know, that night Roger went absolutely nuts. He took every drug he could get his hands on, including what he took from Alex’s bag. And in the morning, he didn’t wake up.”

“Tragic.”

“Yes. And that’s the whole story. Alex died, Roger died, I got myself out of France, came home, took some freelance work so I could keep traveling. Then I met Trey and you know the rest.”

Lee taps the screen. “This is Alex Durov?”

“I was sent to find you.”

“I’ve taken care of it.”

“I’ve made them understand you were not involved. It took the rest of the money, but we don’t have to worry about this anymore.”

“It looks like him. But it’s not possible. I watched him die.”

“Why didn’t you tell the police in France the truth?”

“Because I was young, and stupid, and in shock. Roger had threatened me.” I paused. “I saw what happened to my father after he went to jail, and I was terrified the same would happen to me. I’m not making excuses. It was wrong. I should have told the French police the truth and let them look for Alex’s body. But they were both dead. What good would it have done to throw myself to the wolves, too?”

Theresa is on her phone now. She says two words I hoped I’d never hear again to whomever she’s called, probably that hulking FBI agent. “Confirmed. Alex Durov.”

A wild panic flows through me. “I thought you weren’t going to tell anyone else?”

“I hate to tell you this, Brooklyn, but you’re mistaken. I don’t think Alex Durov is dead. And he’s coming for us all.” She watches me as if she knows I’m about to pass out, then speaks into the phone again. “Yes. She ID’d him. It’s what we thought. Okay. I’ll see you shortly.”

She hangs up.

“How can you be sure?” I ask.

“Just look at the threats you’ve been getting,” she says. “Only someone close to you, close to the family, who knows you intimately, would have this kind of access. And we have him on camera. He caught up to you in Atlanta, forced Andrew to leave the airport. When Andrew got away from him, and then he came to Malogen looking for answers, he murdered the Lockes, threatened me, went to the hospital, and tried to kill you. We think he also tried to run you over at Eden’s house.”

I want to run. I want to hide. I want to disappear. If she’s right, if Alex is alive, if he’s found me, we’re all dead. He was a lover, yes. Until he wasn’t. And that darkness is something I pray I never see again.

“If you’re right, if this is Alex’s doing, then what does he want? Money? Me? And why now? It’s been ten years since he died.”

Her phone rings. She holds up a finger and answers, muttering “Yes, yes, okay,” then hangs up. Blows out a heavy breath.

“What?”

“We have a positive ID and a DNA match. Durov has been in French custody, but was released a few years ago. His hair was found at the crime scene in Malogen. And that means we’re all in deep shit.”

“Great. So now what do we do?”

Before she can answer, I hear a scuffle from the kitchen. I go on alert immediately. Something’s not right. My mother’s heart knows it.

“Excuse me. I’ll be right back.”

The detective calls after me, “We aren’t finished here, Brooklyn,” and I wave a hand to acknowledge that I’ve heard. I didn’t know I was going to be dragged back in time today. To revisit the follies of my youth, the shocked look on Alex’s face when the bullet pierced his heart. How he sagged, gray and pale, to the ground. The look of utter triumph and horror on Roger’s face.