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“No. We had another argument. Bigger this time. I told her if she didn’t drop all the bullshit and stop visiting that psycho asshole, I’d never speak to her again. Then I hung up on her.” Teddy exhaled deeply, one hand rubbing his chin. “That was the last time we ever spoke. The accident happened a few days later.”
“Sorry, man,” Jensen murmured, laying a hand on his shoulder again. “I can’t imagine how hard that must’ve been for you.”
Neurons were firing like crazy in my head, forming connections all over the place. “You said it happened in winter last year, right?” I asked in a tentative tone.
“A bit after,” Teddy said, suddenly looking exhausted. “March 27th. It was raining a lot that weekend. I think that’s why she slipped.”
I glanced at Jensen again. I could tell by the expression on his face that his brain was rapidly making calculations as well.
“That must be really hard for you to think about,” I said softly, returning my gaze to Teddy. “But you can’t keep blaming yourself. You didn’t know it was the last time you’d speak to Rosie.”
“Yeah, I know.” He sighed. “It just fucking sucks. She’s gone forever, so she’ll never know how much I regret all the crap I said.”
“I understand. I’m really sorry you’re going through this.”
“I think it’ll always be hard,” Jensen added. “But the more you talk about it with your friends and family, the easier it’ll eventually get.”
“Yeah, I guess so,” Teddy murmured. “Thanks.”
“That’s okay.” Jensen patted his shoulder again. “Even if you want to talk to me or Amerie again at some stage, that’s cool with us.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Teddy paused to clear his throat. “But we should probably talk about something else now. Otherwise you’ll have to see me cry. And no one likes a drunk crier, right?”
I sucked in a deep breath, knowing it was now or never to get more information on the subject. “I was just wondering something… did Rosie ever tell you anything else that Julian said about the Rosmerta Society?”
A flicker of annoyance appeared in Teddy’s eyes. “No. I told you, I thought it was all bullshit,” he said, tilting his head slightly to one side. “Why?”
I mentally weighed up all his previous comments on the issue. He genuinely seemed to think the Rosmerta Society didn’t exist, and that Rosie was actually involved in a tragic accident. That was probably good for him, because it meant he wasn’t in any danger from the society trying to cover its tracks.
“Sorry,” I said hastily. “I didn’t mean to pry. I just thought it might be nice for me to finish some of Rosie’s incomplete articles as a way to honor the things she loved when she was alive. Would you be interested in that?”
The annoyance faded from Teddy’s eyes. “Oh. Right. That would be nice,” he said, rubbing his chin again. “If you get around to doing it, would you send me a copy?”
“Sure. Do you have an email address, or something like that?”
“Just drop it off in my mailbox. I’m at 17 Ellery Street.” Teddy smothered a yawn and rose to his feet. “Anyway, thanks a lot for the chat, guys, but I think I should head off. I’ve had way too much tonight. I can barely even think straight.”
“Want us to walk you out?” Jensen asked.
Teddy waved a hand. “Nah, I’m good. But thanks,” he said. “And thanks again for the talk. You were right. It was good to get it all out.”
“You’re welcome.” I gave him a small smile as guilt gnawed at my guts. I felt like a total bitch for manipulating a sad drunk guy into spilling useful information to me under the guise of a friendly ear. At the same time, I knew I needed to do it. My future could depend on it.
Teddy clambered up the hole in the wall, heading for the main chamber. I looked back at Jensen. “How long do we have until I need to send another check-in text to Zara?”
He glanced at his watch. “Ten minutes.”
“Okay.” I nervously licked my lips with the tip of my tongue. “I have to know… when did Julian die?”
“March 26th last year. The day before Rosie was murdered,” Jensen said in a grim tone. “That’s not a coincidence, is it?”
“No.” I shook my head. “It can’t be.”
“So… Julian didn’t commit suicide.”
“I don’t think so,” I said softly.
Jensen took a deep breath and scrubbed a hand over his face. “I honestly don’t even know how to begin processing this shit,” he muttered. “What do you think happened?”
