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“If I thought you did, we would not be having this conversation. You’re being set up.

Any moron can see that. Someone murdered…

” He takes a deep breath and then says, in a low voice, “I’ve never wanted to kill anyone before.

Never even wanted to hurt anyone. But when you find out who did this, you’d better make sure they’re arrested before you tell me.

Or they won’t be the one going to jail for murder. ”

“I’m sorry. I know…” I swallow. “You won’t want to talk about this. I know that.”

“Won’t want to talk about it.” He enunciates the words, rolling them out. “Lucy, you have no idea how much I want to talk about this. I want to stand on this fountain and shout it to the world. I love Isabella Morales, and she loved me, and what we had…”

He rocks back. “Shit, this isn’t going to help.

” He puts on his sunglasses and glances over.

“I don’t remember ever not l oving Isabella.

When she invited me to that beach party, I thought…

” A small laugh. “I was young, and hopeful, and dumb enough to think she might be inviting me to her wedding anniversary party because she felt something for me, too. Turned out I was there…”

“For me,” I say.

“Yeah, I wasn’t sure if you knew that.”

“Isabella told me.”

“Of course she did. So she invited me as companionship for you. Maybe even a hookup for you. Which told me I didn’t have a hope in hell of getting with her.

It changed nothing. When that bullshit hit with you and Colt, I totally took advantage.

I was there for Izzy. I wanted her to see me as more than a kid.

And she did, eventually… she saw me as a friend.

” Another laugh. “That’s all it was for years.

Me, pining after her and making do with friendship. Then…”

He shrugs. “I don’t know what happened. Maybe I hit the magic age where she wouldn’t feel like a dirty old lady – her words, not mine.

We got past the age barrier, and I got my dream woman, and she was everything I wanted and more.

We were waiting for Jamie to get out of rehab, and then Isabella would divorce Colt, and we’d get married. I’d already given her the ring.”

He folds his hands. “I have no idea where it is now. Probably hidden in a drawer, where no one will ever find it. Just like us – a secret no one will ever know.”

“I’m so, so sorry. I really am.”

“I always considered myself an excellent judge of character, and I remember the girl I met at that beach party. From the start, I told Izzy my theory about what really happened. Turned out, I was dead right. At least I got a chance to say I told you so.”

He tries for a smile, but his lips quiver.

He runs a hand over them. “We had five years together. I keep reminding myself of that. For five years, I got to hear Isabella Morales tell me I was the love of her life. I got all of her for five years, and I got her friendship for nine before that, and that is more than most people will ever have. More than I thought I’d have. ”

He looks at me. “Isabella died knowing the truth about that night, and she died forgiving you, and she died hell-bent on a mission to make things right. To tell your story – yours and hers. Circe and Penelope speaking out over the voice of Odysseus, that’s what she called it, and it meant so much to her.

She died with a fire in her belly, Lucy, with her dignity restored and that amazing mind set on a mission, and that’s something. It’s really something.”

I tentatively reach for his hand, and when he takes mine, I squeeze, and we sit in silence. Then he straightens and says, “So you have a story for me.”

“I do.”

I tell him the timeline of the morning of the murder. Nothing in that surprises him. I suspect it’s like when Isabella told him what really happened fourteen years ago. It only confirmed what he’d already figured out.

“You were in New York that night,” I say. “I know you were.”

He nods. “I didn’t see her, though. We talked for over an hour that night. We were going to meet up for breakfast. She planned to sneak over to my hotel. I expected her at ten. Instead, as I was waiting, I found out what happened.”

“Tiana didn’t notify you, I take it.”

A short laugh. “I haven’t talked to Tiana in months. When she found out about me and her mom, I held off, letting her s peak to Izzy before I did. Instead, Tiana acted like she didn’t know, so I played along. It was best to leave that ball in her court.”

“What about Colt?”

A low rumble, almost like a growl. “Colt and I haven’t been on speaking terms in fourteen years. I’m cordial to him in public for Izzy’s sake. I’ve wanted nothing to do with him since he messed around with you. He hurt her, and he humiliated her.”

“Do you know if Isabella had any problems with him the night of her death?”

“Nothing more than you’d expect. He didn’t like her talking to you. Really didn’t like it. Unfortunately, he was in LA when she died. Otherwise, he’d be my number-one suspect.”

When I don’t comment, he takes off the sunglasses, and his eyes narrow. “He was in LA, wasn’t he?”

I still stay nothing.

“Lucy… even if you tell me he was here, I’m not going after him. That would be critical information for the police, though.”

“He flew into Connecticut around midnight.”

He frowns. “Where in Connecticut?”

“New Haven.”

“To see Jamie?”

When I frown, Justice says, “Ah, so we’re trading valuable information here. I didn’t know Colt was on the East Coast that night, and you didn’t know Jamie’s rehab is outside New Haven. That’s not public knowledge. It explains why Colt was here, though.”

“To see his son.”

“Yeah. A dick move from a dick. Shocking.”

I arch my brows. “Visiting his son in rehab is a dick move?”

Justice gives me a look. “That wasn’t Colt being Daddy-of-the-Year. It was Colt gathering reinforcements for his battle with Isabella over you. Because that’s what a kid in rehab really needs – his dad showing up at midnight to pull him into a fight with his mom.”

“Colt wanted Jamie to side with him and agree that Isabella should stay away from me.”

“Which proves Colt didn’t know the first damn thing about his son, as usual. Jamie sided with you in that scandal crap. We agree on that, me and him. Always have.”

“Jamie?”

“He said there was more to the story. Well, he did once he was older. At the time, he wouldn’t talk about it. But when he was a teenager, if your name came up, he’d say you didn’t have a fling with his father, that it was a misunderstanding. Izzy didn’t argue – if he believed that, so be it.”

“It affected him, though. The scandal.”

Justice purses his lips. “Not really. Of the three, I think he was the least impacted. By the scandal, at least. Losing you was another thing.” He glances over.

“But if you think the kid was permanently traumatized? Hell, no. Jamie’s problems go deeper than some silly tabloid scandal, and they all trace back to Daddy. ”

“His relationship with Colt? I do remember… issues.”

“Yep, Colt had a certain set of expectations for Jamie. He was the son of Colt Gordon, action star. You gotta be a man’s man to follow in those footsteps.”

“And that was never Jamie.”

“Toxic masculinity is toxic. Isabella did her best, but even when she made Colt shut his mouth, Jamie could sense his f ather’s disapproval.

Sports? Yes. Ice skating? No. Music? Sure.

The violin? Hell, no. Colt judged, and Jamie felt that judgment.

He wasn’t living up to expectations. Colt was certain his son was gay.

Turned out he’s not… and Colt’s Princess Tiana is. Oh, the irony.”

“How’s Jamie doing?”

Justice brightens. “Good. Great, actually. We’re friends.

Have been for years. I think he knows about his mom and me – he’s hinted at it – but Izzy wanted to wait until he was released to tell him officially.

Jamie has a self-medication problem, no doubt about that.

But even in his addiction, he’s responsible as hell.

Checks himself into rehab and stays there until he’s back on track. ”

“Good.” I nod. “That’s really good.”

“If you were picturing some broke-down mess, that’s not Jamie.

He’s a kid with demons, but a kid who’s fighting them tooth and nail.

Which is why this bullshit with Colt pisses me off.

I’ve been trying to talk to Jamie since Sunday.

So has Tiana, from what I’ve heard through mutual friends.

Jamie’s gone into self-imposed lockdown.

We’re waiting him out. You remember what he’s like.

He needs his space, and he wouldn’t appreciate either of us driving up there to hover.

Now that I know Colt was there Sunday night, though, that puts a whole new angle on it.

Jamie isn’t just in need of alone-time to deal with his mom’s death.

He knows his dad was an hour from New York.

He’s working that through, deciding what to do about it. ”

“Because Colt could have seen Jamie and still had time to kill Isabella.”

“Exactly.”