Page 215 of Chameleon Killer

“That depends.” She hedged. I really didn’t care for it when she hedged. She usually only did that when she thought whatever she was going to tell me would piss me off.

“On?”

“Whether you believe Simon.”

“No.”

Her expression tightened. Disappointment vied with anger for dominance in her expression.

While she wrestled with that, I just clarified my negative response. “I believe you.”

That stopped her and she stared at me. “Flint…”

“I believe that you're telling me what happened.” I ticked it off on one finger. Then another. “I believe you know when you're being manipulated.”

“Usually.” Too agreeable.

“Usually?”

“I'm trying to account for uncertainty.” The admission cost her and it made me smile.

“Fair.”

“And I do believe Simon is manipulating me.”

That surprised me. “You do?”

“Of course I do.”

“Then why⁠—”

“Because manipulation doesn't automatically make the information false.”

I exhaled. Of course it didn’t and now that her spidey senses were tingling, she wasn’t going to let this go.

“That's a problem.”

“Yes.”

She came closer. “He didn't tell me not to tell anyone.”

“What?”

“He never told me to keep the conversation secret.”

I frowned. “Not once?”

“No.”

“Hmm.” I turned that over in my head. “That would have been too obvious.”

“Exactly.”

“Instead, he gave you information and let you decide who deserved it.”

“Agreed.”

“Then Brewster convinced you he didn't.” That was definitely not a question. Brewster had gotten shadier and shadier as the day had gone on.