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“You frightened her?” Cross asks and this time the rage that I could hear in his voice before is much plainer. Much deadlier.
“You know what we do to child molesters,” Tank says menacingly.
“I never touched her,” Fuse protests.
“That won’t be your saving grace,” Cross says.
Fuse leans back in his chair, and for the first time I can see his eyes clearly. They’re full of fear. “You’re just gonna kill me? I’ve been loyal, you can’t do that to me. All you have is this kid’s word, and who’s he?”
“A nobody,” I say. “But I’ll make you pay for what you did to Bea.”
Cross stands up and Tank follows suit. “There’ll be none of that just yet.”
Scar steps forward from the wall, cracking his knuckles. “I’ll get the answers for you, Cross.”
Cross nods curtly and ushers me out of the room. I want to protest, make them force a confession out of Fuse right then and there so this could all be over. But one black look from Cross silences me before I even open my mouth.
We walk along the corridor in silence, Cross, Tank and Doc. The latter leaves us at the stairs, heading back down to his part of the basement, while Tank and Cross lead me upstairs.
Lily runs towards us as soon as we emerge into the foyer.
“What happened? Did he confess? Was he the one stalking Bea?” she demands.
“Looks that way,” Cross says and continues on the way to his office.
“What’s gonna happen now?” Lily asks, walking alongside him.
“I gotta think,” Cross says, opening the door to his study.
“You always gotta think,” Lily snaps as she follows him inside. “This is my friend your talking about. My best friend.”
Tank closes the door firmly behind us. “Settle down, Princess. You father will make it right.”
I fully expected Lily to fly at him next, but his words placate her. I think it’s because she knows it’s the truth. Or at least I hope so.
She plops down on the sofa, Cross takes one armchair and Tank the other. I remain standing by the wall. The silence is infuriating, even more so that Lily’s demands. In fact, I kind of wish she hadn’t stopped making them.
The silence drags and drags, grows thicker and thicker, and they all just sit there, waiting.
“I believe it,” Tank finally says. “Fuse has always been a little off.”
Cross inhales deeply and nods. “I believe it too. But where does that leave us? Do I kill him quietly? Feed him to the guys after telling them he lusted after Trigger’s daughter? That he harassed her for years?”
“That won’t be a nice way to die,” Tank says. “But maybe he deserves it.”
“Or he could go to the cops, confess to that guy’s murder,” I chime in.
I understand Cross has his own concerns, but my main concern is Bea. And the murder will still be hanging over her head even if Fuse is dead and buried.
“He’s got a point, Dad,” Lily says, speaking more calmly than I ever heard her.
“Like I said, there’s a lot to think about,” Cross says, turning to me. “Go see her now, tell her the nightmare is over. Tell her she’s welcome here anytime.”
It’s the words I’ve been longing to hear since I got that phone call this morning. And this time, I’ll get whoever drives me to take me to my bike first. Sunset is near and today, Bea and me will make it.
