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“Mom might be a bitch sometimes, but she’s not capable of murder.”
“You weren’t there,” Justin said tersely.
Jordan looked like he’d be sick. “You believe she did it?”
“They,” Justin ground out. “Dad’s no innocent bystander. I saw Tommy’s body. I heard Mom taunt Marley about how her mother begged for her life. God, I can’t even imagine what she’s going through right now.”
“Knowing Mom, she’s demanding to be released.”
“I meant Marley.”
“We’re talking about the family here,” Jordan snapped.
“Marley’s more family to me than they are.”
“Oh, yeah? Then why the hell were you arrested? How come your precious Marley isn’t coming to your defense now?”
Justin clamped his jaw to combat the ache in his chest. He knew exactly why he hadn’t seen her in the five hours since he’d been arrested. And what would it matter if he told Jordan? He hadn’t done anything wrong and it wasn’t like anything he’d say wasn’t already on tape from Marley’s wire.
“Mom and Marley each had a gun. I was afraid Mom would hurt her, so I told Mom and Dad I’d take care of Marley and they should run.”
Jordan stared, incredulous. “What?”
“I figured if I could get them out of there, Marley would be safe. I knew the cops were either outside or on the way. I took Marley’s gun from her as they burst in. Because they heard me telling Mom and Dad to leave, they arrested me for aiding and abetting. I had no chance to explain before they started that Miranda shit, so I shut up and asked for a lawyer.”
Justin looked at the mirrored wall and raised his voice. “Though it’s taking awfully long to get him in here.”
Jordan glanced at the mirror, then back to Justin. “The reporters are out there already. I think they recognized me, too. It’s going to be all over the news.”
“I’m sorry, Jordan.” He didn’t know what else to say.
“We’ve been operating on credit as it is,” Jordan continued. “We’re so screwed.”
“We can’t change what happened,” Justin said wearily. “We didn’t do anything and hopefully people will understand that. Either way, we’ll just have to see how the cards fall.”
He rubbed a tired hand over his face to block out Jordan’s dismay, knowing his words were cold comfort and most likely not true anyway.
The inside of his eyelids felt like sandpaper and the coffee they’d brought him two hours ago hadn’t done shit. It should’ve, the tar-like liquid had been so damn bitter it matched his mood, but he hadn’t gotten a whole lot of sleep the last few nights.
And he couldn’t stop thinking about Marley. Was she okay? Would she ever talk to him again?
“You didn’t, by chance, see Marley out there, did you?”
Jordan shook his head. Justin recalled her expression when he’d taken her gun and told his parents to get out. Her accusing glare had sliced into him and he’d been bleeding ever since. What his parents had done was incomprehensible. Stolen her mother when she was a child. Tried to kill her brother. Intended to kill her.
How did someone get past that? Even if by some miracle she agreed to talk to him, every time she looked at him, she’d be reminded of all they’d done. He couldn’t do that to her and live with the guilt that already crushed his chest.
“You aren’t still going to see her when all this is over, are you?” Jordan asked.
Justin snorted. “You mean tonight, or after the media have their field day? Assuming the charges against me don’t stick, and I’m not in jail, there’s still Mom and Dad’s trial to consider. How long do you think that’ll take?” He didn’
t bother to soften his sarcasm.
“You’re not going to jail,” Jordan stated with a hint of panic. “You didn’t do anything.”
“Doesn’t matter either way. Marley’s better off without me.”
“You’re better off without her, if you ask me.”
