Keep Them Close(26)
I’m shaking my head before Luke leaves his chair and walks up to me. “No way,” I whisper. “It wasn’t Finley.” I take my phone and move to the family room, scrolling through my text messages with Fin. The frequency of our texts has dropped significantly since I discovered he was cheating again, so it doesn’t take long to find our exchanges on the day Luke was arrested, February 16. That morning, before I heard the news about Luke, I’d texted Fin, asking him to run an errand to the hardware store.
Crazy day for me, he replied. Could Luke do it?
Luke has scrimmage, I responded. To which Finley replied: That was canceled the other day ok will try no promises.
“Finley knew we’d canceled our scrimmage with Benedictine,” Luke whispers. “I remember mentioning it to him.”
I look up. Luke’s right about that much.
“And I’m pretty sure I told him I was driving those clothes down to Nazarene for Trinity,” he adds.
“It wasn’t Finley,” I say. “He may be a lot of things, but he wouldn’t do that to you.”
“No?” Luke leans in to keep his voice low. “The guy who cheats on you? The guy who almost killed someone in the parking lot outside my building? He wouldn’t frame me?”
“Okay, but—let’s not jump to conclusions,” I say. “Let’s be methodical about this. Wait until the forensic test results come back, okay? Then we’ll know more. I’ll bet you’re wrong. I know you’re wrong.”
“Yeah, but what if I’m right?” His head dips slightly. “Whose side will you be on?”
“Hey.” I grab his arm as he moves away from me. “Do you even have to ask that question?”
Luke stares at me, the way he does when he’s already decided not to say what he’s thinking. His eyes linger a beat too long, like there’s something pressing at the back of his throat, something he’s swallowed down.
My brother is keeping something from me.
After April Fools’ Day
20
Louise
—Investigation, Day 3—
Jennifer Harper enters the conference room and drops into a chair at a long table opposite Louise, Cutty, and Bruce Ghadiali.
“Thanks for coming, Harp,” says Louise.
Harp gives her a tight smile. “You’re fucking with my livelihood, Louise. Now I’m the P.I. who sells out her clients.”
“That’s why we immunized you. You can say you had no choice—”
“Yeah, I’m sure my client will be real understanding.”
Cutty turns on the video camera.
“I’m Detective Louise Pratt with the Grace Park Municipal Police. With me is my partner, Detective George Sarkisian, and Bruce Ghadiali from the Cook County State’s Attorney. We are here to interview Jennifer Harper. We’re investigating the suspicious death of Finley Brice, which we have reason to believe occurred on April first of this year. Today is Tuesday, April seventh, 2026.”
Three days after they discovered Finley’s body. And two days after Louise discovered that Harp was Allison’s private investigator. Bruce Ghadiali, who is as eager as she to learn more about Allison Brice, was quick to provide an immunity deal and get them to this moment.
Harp purses her lips as she stares at the glossy conference room table. “Jennifer Ann Harper,” she says when asked her full name.
“And for the record,” says Louise, nodding at the video camera, “let me lay out the scope of our agreement. Ms. Harper, you will answer questions about your work as a private investigator for Allison Brice on personal matters only, not work involving her law firm clients, which are privileged. The state has provided you with transactional and use immunity for your testimony. Is all that consistent with your understanding?”
“Yes.” Harp leans back in her chair.
“And you understand, Ms. Harper,” adds Bruce, “that your immunity doesn’t protect you from perjury and obstruction charges if you lie to us.”
“Gee, thanks.” Harp rolls her eyes. “I was only an FBI agent for nine years.”
* * *
“Ms. Harper, are you aware that on February sixteenth of this year, 2026, Luke Rankin was arrested while driving a car down Interstate 57? That state troopers discovered a large quantity of oxycodone in the trunk of the vehicle?”
“Yes,” she says.
“Were you aware that the vehicle was registered to someone named Trinity Casto?”
“Yes.” Apparently, Harp is going to limit her responses as much as possible.
“Have you ever met Luke Rankin?”
“No.”
“Trinity Casto?”
“No.”
“But you’ve heard of Trinity Casto? You know of her?”
“Yes.”
“Did you ever talk to Allison Brice about Trinity Casto?”
“Yes.”
“Tell us what you discussed,” says Louise. Try answering that with a yes or no.
Harp lets out a sigh, as if bored. “She was friends with Luke. Luke was interested in her, but she did not return the feeling. She runs a gym in Dearborn Park. She has a brother with a rap sheet for selling Oxy. She wanted to do a documentary or something, some reality-based thing, about Luke’s life. And apparently, Luke was going along with it.”