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“The son.” Terry gives a grim nod. “Sebastian Wolfe.”
Sebastian.
I feel a chill, just hearing his name.
I’m a monster.
That’s what he told me, his voice full of guilt and despair. But I never could have imagined this is what he meant.
“If that’s what you thought, why didn’t you put it in your report?” I ask, still reeling.
Terry snorts. “Oh, I tried, alright. But my superiors shut down my questions and made me alter my report. The remains of Patrick Wolfe’s car were shipped off before they could be properly analyzed,” he explains, even as I’m having trouble focusing. Sebastian wouldn’t have done this. Could he? “The forensics guy suddenly took a fancy new job at a private company that was linked to Wolfe Capital,” Terry continues. “It all paints quite a picture, don’t you think?”
“D-did you question him? Sebastian, I mean?” My voice is weak, and I almost feel dazed. “Was there any real proof linking him to the accident?”
Terry sighs. “I asked around as best I could, but my bosses wanted to sweep the whole thing under the rug. Rumor has it that Sebastian and his dad had been fighting in the days leading up to the accident. And that boy was already known for having a hair-trigger temper.” He scowls. “I went to see him, right after the accident. To break the news to his mum. The guy had no alibi during the time of the accident, and he was sporting a fresh bruise on his forehead. Said it was a sports injury, but I didn’t buy it. After that, he lawyered up fast. I couldn’t get near him. The bosses made it clear, no more questions. Sign the report and move on. I didn’t have much of a choice.”
“Could it have been someone else in the car?” I ask, almost desperately. Would Sebastian have caused that crash, and then just left his father’s body?
Was Patrick even dead yet?
“Anything is possible, I guess. But I’ll you one thing.” Terry’s expression turns grave, and I felt a chill run down my spine. “I’ve interviewed killers before, and I know the look they have in their eyes. The control. The anger. The detached coldness. I saw it in Sebastian Wolfe, and I won’t forget it, I’m telling you that.”
I swallow hard around the lump in my throat. “And you never said anything to anyone before now?”
“Like who? Who’s going to go up against a family with that kind of influence? But I’ve watched him over the years, rising to power and wealth.” Terry scowls. “It’s disgusting that he can just walk away from what happened and live the high life. It’s not right. There should be consequences. The man’s got blood on his hands.”
I lurch to my feet, feeling sick to my stomach.
Blood on his hands… I thought that before, with Miles, but now…
Now I can’t believe Sebastian is capable of doing such damage—and just walking away.
“Thank you for your time,” I tell him hurriedly. “I won’t keep you anymore.”
Terry gets up, too, and shows me to the door. “Listen, kid, I don’t know how you’re mixed up with these people, but I suggest you put distance between yourself and that family, especially Sebastian. He’s dangerous.”
I leave, still reeling. I replay the night that we stayed with his mom and Richard at their country house. That was when he told me about the accident that killed his father. The trauma he felt from it was obvious, and I assumed it all about losing a loved one. I could relate to that, after all.
But how much of that was grief… and how much wasguilt?
Is this what makes him think he’s a monster? Even if it was just a tragic accident, surely, he wouldn’t feel this way.
Unless it wasn’t. Unless Terry is right, and Sebastian somehow wanted to harm his father. I don’t want to believe it, but haven’t I seen glimpses of his cold fury myself?
If it was a fight, if things got out of hand…
Did Sebastian leave his father to die?
I don’t know, but either way, I can’t ignore it.
I have to learn the truth.
17
AVERY
I don’t go straight backto Sebastian’s house. Instead, I find myself in the library again. I didn’t plan it, but I feel lost and all I can think to do is gather more information. I end up combing through the archives from the year of the accident, even though I’ve been through them before. It’s not exactly a surprise when I don’t find anything new, but I can’t help feeling disappointed.
