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“Like money missing?” My brother has an accounting degreeanda law degree, but I can juggle.
“Yes.”
“How much?”
“About a hundred grand.”
Wow.“So he was embezzling?”
“Ya think? It had to be him because he’s the only accountant at the company. I told him we needed to talk and he asked me to meet him, so I agreed.”
“Alone?”
“Yes.”
I realized my brother was a dumb smart person. I myself am a smart dumb person. If I were accusing somebody of embezzling a hundred grand, I’d bring an army. “So then what happened?”
“I confronted him, and he denied it. Then he offered to pay me to cover it up.”
I brightened. “How much?”
John shot me a disapproving look. “I didn’t ask, TJ. I’m in a fiduciary relationship to Runstan. I can’t countenance criminal acts by its employees.”
“Weren’t you curious?”
“Of course not.”
“Me, neither,” I said, but I wasn’t kidding anybody. “Then what happened?”
“I said no, and Lemaire started pacing back and forth. Then all of a sudden, he pulled a gun on me and told me to get on my knees.”
Holy shit. “So that’s self-defense. He threatened your life.”
“Right, I know, but still…I killed him.”
“It’s not murder, though.”
“Technically, self-defense is a defense to murder. Don’t play lawyer, TJ.”
“Don’t play criminal, John.”
“Anyway, I knelt down and saw a rock on the ground, so I grabbedit and winged it at him. I hit him in the forehead. He dropped and fell on his back. He didn’t move. It was awful. There was blood all over his face, and his legs were bent under him. He was dead.”
“Then what did you do?”
“Like I said, I got scared, I panicked, I ran.” John shook his head, and I could see he was getting nervous again, a sight I would have otherwise enjoyed.
“Okay, don’t worry, just calm down.”
“How can I?” John threw up his hands. “I killed the guy!”
“Deep breath. Relax.”
“Oh, shut up.” John fell silent, looking out the window.
I gripped the wheel, driving fast. We’d be there in no time, and my emotions were catching up with me. I’ve done terrible things, but I’d never kill anybody. My destruction is aimed at myself, where it belongs.
I realized that once we got there, we’d have to decide what to do. I knew what I’d do, but I didn’t know what John would do.
