I step out before they can object. In the hall, I read Dan’s message. There’s no Hoff statement anywhere. Double-checked Mike Gaffney’s alibi. Woman hates him, but still swears he was working on her kitchen at the time.
“Scutt!” a voice bellows. When I look up from my phone, Seldon is striding down my way, face livid. “You had a patrol car show up at Mike Gaffney’s fishing cabin? Have you lost your goddamn mind?”
Seldon doesn’t like me, but he’s not usually a yeller. And right now he looks like he’s about to pop an artery.
“We found an Ace Construction hat at the accident scene,” I say, trying not to sound rattled by his anger. “And there was a dispute between the victims and the Gaffneys over an unpaid bill. The officer was there and gone within minutes. All he did was confirm that Mike Gaffney was there, so we could rule him out.”
“Mike Gaffney doesn’t need to be ruled out!”
“Um, why?” I ask. The question is a mistake. Instantly, I know it.
“Because he’s an upstanding business owner!” he roars. “A pillar of this community, not a damn criminal!”
Mike Gaffney is a successful local business owner, sure. But pillar of the community is a stretch. Still, this is not a good fight to be having.
“Simply trying to advance this investigation methodically, sir,” I say, more steadily now. Because this is ridiculous. “Ruling out Mike Gaffney gives us the opportunity to focus on the more viable leads.”
Seldon crosses his arms. “What leads?”
“For instance, that individual who left halfway through the weekend is being held in interview room two. He was the victim of a physical assault perpetrated by one of the individuals in the car, perhaps the deceased. And his alibi isn’t credible.”
Seldon narrows his eyes at me and works his jaw some more.
“Fine. Get back to it then. But be sure to stay focused, Scutt,” he says, nostrils flaring. “This investigation is make-or-break for you.”
STEPHANIE
SATURDAY, 4:52 P.M.
“Thank you, Stephanie,” Jonathan said as we reached the top of the steps. Back at his house, finally, at nearly 5:00 p.m. “I couldn’t have made it through all that without you.”
“No problem,” I said, like it had been no big thing. Even though I was pretty sure Jonathan, in fact, could not have done it without me, and I had a pounding headache from arguing with so many different bank employees.
We’d had to drive all the way to Albany and back— forty-five minutes each way— visiting four banks to get together the $20,000 Jonathan now had in two envelopes. He’d also arranged for a wire of the remaining $11,000 to the contractors for Monday. All we needed now were the details on where to send it. Peter seemed concerned that the contractors weren’t going to be satisfied with the delay on the balance. Unhelpful, given that we had no alternatives. Thus far, that was Peter: completely unhelpful.
“No, I mean it, really.” Jonathan glanced back toward Peter, who was some distance behind. “Also, for the record, I do know this situation didn’t have to be— ” His voice cut out. “But Peter is a good person— he’s just . . . immature.”
“You don’t owe me an explanation,” I said. “That’s the point of old friends. No excuses required.”
“I know,” Jonathan said. “But it is kind of excruciating, all of this happening in front of you. I just feel so ashamed.”
“I’m not trying to make you feel ashamed, believe me.”
“No, no. You’ve never made me feel bad about even my worst choices.” He considered for a moment. “But somehow you also never pretended they were okay either,” he said. “I’ve been grateful for that, even if I haven’t always admitted it. I love Maeve and Derrick and Keith— but they’re a little too good at pretending.”
I was about to say something snarky, to joke, to deflect. Instead, I put a hand on Jonathan’s back. “Anytime,” I said. “Besides, you aren’t the only person who’s had shitty romantic taste lately.”
“Wait.” Jonathan mimed shock. “You had a romance?”
“Ha ha,” I said mildly. “Yeah, and when I fuck up, I fuck up spectacularly.”
“That seems fair, actually.”
I held his gaze. “Promise me one thing, though?”
“Anything.”
“Work this out with Peter before you get married. And work it out for real. I’m sure he regrets how this played out, but that doesn’t actually make it okay.”