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“You’re more important than any suit.” He pulled a pack of tissues from his pocket. He’d figured she’d be needing them at some point but had thought it would be after seeing her sister. “What do you need from me?”
“This. Just this.” She wiped her eyes with the tissue, then blew her nose. “I hate to cry. It’s weak.”
“It is not weak. Val, you’re one of the strongest people I know.”
“I sometimes cry when I’m angry. I hate it.”
“Well, stop. You have a right to be angry. I’m angry for you.”
“I’m angry at me. And at Van and Sandra and Aaron fucking Gates.” Her voice broke. “He killed my brother, Kaj. And he got to walk free for four years. And now that he’s finally in jail, it’s not because he killed Van. When he gets life in prison, it won’t be for Van.” Another sob shook her. “And I can’t even say that Van deserves justice. Not if any of this is true.”
“I know.” He stroked the back of her neck, keeping his touch light. “Why are you angry with yourself, Val?”
She stilled in his arms. “Because I tossed my sister aside like she was nothing.”
“You were misled. You can make it right.”
She nodded, then winced. “My head hurts.”
“I brought water and Advil. It’s in my car. I thought you might need it.”
“Thank you.”
He kissed her forehead. “You’re welcome. You still want to see Sylvi today? Or save it for tomorrow? This has been a lot for one day.”
“Today. I need to make this right today.”
“Okay. I’ve got her shop’s address programmed into my phone. Even with traffic, we can be there in less than an hour.”
“I must look awful. Those reporters are going to get pictures of me looking like this.”
“I’ve got a hoodie in my office. Some dark glasses, too. Sometimes I like to sneak in and out, so I keep an incognito costume on hand.”
She huffed a pained laugh. “You bad boy, you. We should go.”
He put his arm around her waist. “If you change your mind, you just have to say so.”
She shook her head slowly. “It has to be today.”
Kenner, Louisiana
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 3:45 P.M.
Val stared at the flower shop. It was in a small stand-alone building nestled between a house that served as an accountant’s office and a diner that served only breakfast and lunch, so it was closed already. A tire shop sat on the other side of the diner, anchoring the row of businesses.
Val had driven by Sylvi’s flower shop several times over the past four years. She’d even parked once. But she’d never been inside.
Kaj hadn’t said a word. He’d held her hand while her mind churned and her heart ached.
Sylvi had been going to tell, Sandra had said. Mostly because of you. You didn’t make any secret of how you felt about her.
“What if she throws me out?” Val murmured into the silence.
“What if she doesn’t?” Kaj said gently.
“I don’t believe what Sandra said,” Val stated. “She’s got to be lying.”
“Okay.”
