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Kyle’s smile fades.
The door opens right then, revealing Leland again. “Sorry, but I’m all outta onions now, and the chief, phew, he’s looking pretty stressed out. He’s demanding to speak with—”
“Don’t worry,” says Cade. “I’ll deal with him.”
Suddenly Leland is bumped out of the way, and the chief himself appears. “Mr. Rosenberg,” he says with a growl, pulling the door shut behind him. “I want you to get your ass out there and tell everyone the whole thing was a hoax.”
Cade steps forward. “Chief …”
“Tried telling them in ten different ways,” he goes on, “but they don’t buy any one of them. I’ve even got everyone’s lips locked at the station, no one saying a word about the burglar we’re holding there, but word’s getting out anyway, bastards, and that burglar won’t shut the hell up. He’s got a lot to say. Now, everyone out there wants explanations, and I—”
“Juan, please,” Cade urges, coming right up to him. “Kyle just needs time, and I—”
“Kyle? So that’s his name now?” The chief turns to Kyle. “I swear, if I wasn’t in uniform right now, I’d pop a hole in you and drink all your damned blood myself, just to spite you.”
“Gross,” sings Leland in quiet, wide-eyed fascination.
Kyle glances at the photo of Cade and Layna at the beach one more time, moved by them, then faces the chief. “Actually, I think I should tell them the truth.”
The chief snorts. “Like hell you will.”
“I owe it to them. And to myself. I … can’t keep lying.”
His eyes darken. “Kyle …”
“I need to be myself or else nothing at all. You don’t know what it’s been like for me, hiding, suffering in silence, acting like …” He glances at Cade. “… like nothing’s wrong.”
“My town didn’t ask you to move into it,” the chief states. “You brought your own damned self here, and all the craziness, too, including that criminal. Yeah, I watched the video,” he adds with a snarl, “what he said, about your kind wanting to kill his wife and child, innocent angels, all that. So did everyone else. It’s all out there and everyone’s got an opinion about it. For all we know, you’re the reason he came here at all.”
“Chief, you can’t know that,” breathes Cade from behind.
“Now everyone’s talking about the damned end days,” he carries on, “praying to God, chugging beer like holy water out there. Sylvia brought a cross, for fuck’s sake. And now you want to entertain the idea of making them even more crazy?”
Kyle shakes his head. “No. The opposite, actually. I feel like I can fix this with the truth. They don’t want to be lied to. That’s what they’re saying. I need to come clean and—”
“You need to put an end to this,” he cuts him off.
“That’s exactly what I intend to do.” Kyle’s eyes harden. “With the truth.” He heads toward the door.
The chief grabs hold of Kyle’s arm right then.
Kyle stops and turns to him.
When the men lock eyes, Kyle sees a flicker of true fear in Juan Rojas. At once, a connection is made, and Kyle feels all of the chief’s anxiety he’s been enduring all night, how his nerves are all tightened and frayed, like worn yarn. He feels the cold wave of desperation coursing through him, too, icy, restless.
What hurts the worst is that the chief truly believes he can be harmed if he is too forceful with Kyle. He knows what Kyle is capable of—thanks to that video. He must exercise caution. The chief also resents having to be so cautious. He isn’t even thinking about his gratitude for Jeremy still being alive. In a dark corner of Juan’s heart, he wishes Kyle was just gone.
“Please,” says the chief, and for once, his tone is that of a human being talking to another. “I want you to think about it. Really think about it. Everyone out there, everyone saw what happened, heard what was said. And they have many thoughts, many opinions … but mostly fear. Fine, you think you’re noble, somewhere down in your heart, you want to do good. But think about what you invite upon this town by letting the truth out there, Kyle, you better think long and hard. I know you believe you’re one of the good ones. But …” His voice trembles. “What if that isn’t the case with others? What if you’re sending out a smoke signal for every kind of bad to come to our town? Hasn’t that occurred to you, or are you still so selfish, you’d risk all the peaceful lives of these people just so you can—what?—be more honest? Who the hell lives honestly? You wanna know how many goddamned secrets are out there in that bar right now? How many people live lies, even when they look happy just to have a pint of beer in their hand? Open your eyes, Kyle, we’re all fucking liars.”
