Page 5 of Grave Secrets

“Sorry, Mom. I didn’t mean to break curfew,” I say sweetly as I unlock the door. “Good morning, Viktor.”

“Good morning,” he says with a surprisingly smooth tone. I thought he’d be very reserved, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to be forthcoming.

“Andre, can you come in with us for just a moment?” I ask as I pull the door open.

“Damn. First, you want me to show up, and now I have to be his therapist too?” Andre teases.

“I’m going to call Chrissy and tell her you are being a pain in my ass,” I say, and he laughs. “You aren’t allowed to go digging into this.”

“Oh, I like the sound of this,” Andre says. I hold the door open and motion them in as I shake my head at Andre.

“You look like shit, Ada,” Andre says.

“Thanks, dickhead,” I laugh as we walk through the reception door.

“I mean, you look tired and in pain,” he clarifies. “Is this related?”

“I fell asleep on the couch in my office last night, and my back didn’t entirely agree with my decision,” I say, ignoring his question. “I apologize for being late, Viktor. I don’t usually work Saturdays unless I am on a crisis call.”

“It’s alright. Thank you for making time for me,” Viktor says. I narrow my eyes at him for a moment as I stop and unlock my office door.

“Careful, she is analyzing you,” Andre says.

“What is this room used for?” Viktor asks, glancing around the room.

“I do group therapy for sexual assault survivors and anger management,” I say, walking into my office. “Take a seat wherever, Viktor.”

I walk around my desk and set my bag down. I start by taking my tablet out before I stop and look up at Andre. Viktor is sitting in the armchair, but that doesn’t surprise me. He is watching me closely, like he is studying me.

“What’s up, Ada?” Andre asks.

“I am going to preface this with I am only doing this because I know I can trust you,” I say carefully. “You are not allowed to ask questions.”

“Can I ask why you are okay with saying this in front of Viktor?” Andre asks.

“Well, I know what he does. I know what you do. I can also tell when you aren’t being truthful. That leads me to believe that you two are close friends and he already knew that I asked you to be here and why,” I say. I pull the pistol out and pull the slide back to lock it. I press the button to release the magazine, and it clatters to my desk. It is so quiet in here, you could hear a mouse fart.

“Ada,” Andre says. He is both in shock and worried about me. I pick up the magazine and hold both out for him.

“Get rid of it, please,” I say simply. “Hold onto it, sell it, throw it in a lake—I don’t care—but I need it gone.”

“I need way more than that, Ada,” Andre says, not taking the gun from me. “No one knows anything about your personal life, and now you are handing a gun to me to dispose of. Is it connected to anything?”

“No,” I say simply. “It is my gun. It’s only been shot when I go to the range. I haven’t murdered anyone. I’m not into anything sketchy, I just want it out of my home.”

“Ada,” Andre says again, but softer. He is worried about me.

“Fine…” I say slowly, trying to come up with a plausible excuse. “My boyfriend of two years stole forty thousand dollars out of my safe yesterday. I am worried that he is on drugs again, and I don’t want him to blow his brains out with my gun, so I want it gone.”

“What’s his name?” Andre asks, taking the gun from me.

“Chris, and no, I am not telling you his last name,” I say. “Lock the front door on your way out, please.”

“Alright,” he says simply. “Chrissy, Kendra, and Maisy are going to try to make you come to a cookout at Kendra’s place tomorrow.”

“I’ll try,” I say. “Goodbye, Andre.”

I sigh when he walks around my desk and hugs me. “We don’t hide from people we love,” Andre says quietly in my ear before pulling away. “See you tomorrow.”