AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Nothing. The patio is dark, but it’d been the other night, too, Tom finding his way around like a cat in familiar territory.
“Tom!” I shout, so loud it sets my throat on fire.
A thumping from inside. I dance in place at the back door, ready to run around to the front, listening for where he’ll—
The back door flies open, and Tom races out.
“Ce—” He stops short. “Daisy?”
I’m still dancing there, springing on my toes, and I know how ridiculous I must look, but I can’t stop. Anxiety strums every nerve, and I bounce as if I’ll collapse otherwise.
“Liam,” I say, breathless. “It’s Liam.”
His face goes hard, and he stalks to me, taking my arm to pull me inside.
I realize he thinks that Liam has come after me. I yank out of his grip, words tumbling free. “No, dead. Liam’s dead. I found him. In the...” I wave, unable to articulate any more, just madly gesturing.
“Police,” I manage. “I need to call the police.”
“Show me.”
I shake my head so hard, my braid whips my cheek. “No, I need to call—”
“Daisy. Slow down. Show me first. When we call, any delay is on me. I’ll say you wanted me to notify them, and I wanted to make sure he was dead. I know CPR if he’s not.”
There is zero doubt that Liam is dead. I could say I found a damned opossum feasting on his decaying flesh. But I don’t think Tom is doubting that he’s dead. He’s trying to protect me.
I nod, and Tom follows me. His feet are bare, and I notice that and start to tell him to get shoes, but he only prods me forward. By the time we reach the area, I’m at a jog, and I stumble over a cypress root. He catches my hand, murmuring, “Slow down.” And then he keeps hold of my hand to make sure I do. It’s awkward walking side by side through the thick snarl of vegetation, but his hand is warm around mine, firm and steadying, and I need that.
We reach the spot. Reach the body. Reach Liam.
Tom sucks in a breath and bends beside him.
“CPR?” I say, and my voice comes out high and thready with a whisper of hysteria.
Tom says nothing. He rises and takes my arm, his hand rubbing up and down it.
“Tell me how it happened,” he murmurs.
“I was out for a run. I bashed into his Rover. It’s over there, maybe two hundred feet.” I point. “The keys are on the seat. I knew that meant it’d been abandoned, so I was running to tell Celeste when I saw an opossum. It was eating... eating...”
I break off and swallow. Tom’s watching me, nodding, his expression unreadable, but giving me the impression that my answer was not quite right. I replay what he actually asked.
Not “tell me how you found him.”
Tell me how it happened.
“You—you think I...” I stare down at Liam. “You think I did this?”
“If you did, we’ll handle it.”
“Handle it?” My voice squeaks. “You’ll help me move a body?”
A laugh burbles up, sharp with hysteria. I slap it down and say, firmly, “I did not do this, Tom.”
I’m looking him in the eye so he’ll see my sincerity, but he’s not meeting my gaze, and my confusion hardens to anger.
“You honestly think I murdered—”
