Page 8 of The Quarterlands (Dark Water #4)

Chapter Three

Josiah

Josiah woke up the next morning to a delicious smell. He wandered downstairs to find Alex in the kitchen, cooking as well as he could with one arm in a cast.

“Hey, what’s all this?” he asked, smiling because Alex was singing as he danced around the kitchen.

“Me trying to make up for being such a shitty IS these past few weeks.” Alex paused while dancing past him to press a kiss to his cheek.

Josiah grunted. “I’m glad you’re feeling brighter, but pace yourself, Alex. As I said before, you’re on a rollercoaster right now.” He was under no illusions that this new state of mind would be permanent. Alex was like a pinball, ricocheting all over the place.

“Don’t be such a grouch. Come on, it’s all ready. You carry the tray into the dining room and I’ll bring the tea with my free hand.” He picked up the teapot awkwardly and followed Josiah into the dining room.

“Dad looked well, didn’t he?” Alex babbled as they walked. “I know he’s not in great health, but he looked better than I’d have expected, and Charles was so much fun. We laughed our heads off.”

It would have taken a heart of stone to begrudge him the joy of his family reunion.

Josiah could only imagine how it must feel to lose the people you loved most in the world and then, magically, be reunited with them again when you least expected it.

He was delighted that he’d been able to give Alex such a happy experience after so many terrible ones.

He just wished he could only ever give him such joy, but that was impossible. He cleared his throat.

“Uh-oh.” Alex made a face.

“Yeah. Much as I’ve loved spending time with you, I have to get back to work.”

“I understand, and you should. I’m fine now,” Alex said far too brightly.

Josiah didn’t contradict him because he didn’t want to bring him down, but he knew Alex wasn’t fine. It was impossible to undo years of damage in one day.

“Alex, I need to explain to you the reality of Tyler’s trial,” he said in a serious voice, reaching for his holopad. “I’m going to record our conversation, not for any reason other than to jog my memory.”

“Uh… okay.”

“In court, we have to present a narrative to the jury to explain why Tyler hated you so much. The entrapment by Solange, the fraud, the affair with your mother… all of it will come out. Do you understand?”

Alex was quiet for a beat, and then he nodded. “I suppose I hadn’t thought about that, but yes.”

“The jury will need to appreciate why he was so consumed by rage the night he lost control. We have to help them understand the nature of the vendetta Tyler conducted against you, and they’ll need to be told about all the blackmail material he has, and how he prostituted you and others to get it.

It’ll all come out, and the media will go to town.

It has all the ingredients they love, frankly – money, sex, and you. ”

“Fuck.” Alex stared at him glumly. “I suppose I hadn’t thought about what the trial would actually entail.”

“I thought not,” Josiah said softly. “Alex, I’m going to ask you a question, and I want an honest answer. Is there anything you haven’t told me?”

Alex blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Is there anything – anything at all – that might conceivably come up in the trial that I should know about? I don’t ask to pry but because we can’t have anything derail this once we reach court.

I must know if you’ve told me everything, or if there’s anything you’re still hiding.

” Alex gazed at him for a long moment, without speaking. “Alex?” Josiah prompted.

“I’m trying to think, but no, I don’t think there’s anything.”

“You’re sure?”

Alex nodded. “Absolutely.”

Josiah tapped his fingers on the table thoughtfully.

That was a lie, and it hurt after all they’d been through.

What was it about this family and all their secrets?

He supposed he shouldn’t judge, given all the secrets he carried, but he’d kept them for the sake of all the people he’d rescued. What possible excuse did Alex have?

“I need you to be very sure. I can help you, however bad it is, if you just tell me. Tyler will go through your life with a fine-tooth comb, so if there’s anything you’ve withheld, then I need to know about it, so we can prepare a response.”

Alex gave a bitter snort. “Trust me, Joe, there’s no new information that Tyler can use against me in the trial.”

That wasn’t the question Josiah had asked, and he was too good an investigator not to notice. “So there’s nothing else I should know? No more skeletons lurking in the Lytton family closet?” he pressed one last time.

Alex gave a bark of laughter and shook his head. “There’s nothing more I can tell you.” Which also didn’t answer the question.

Josiah knew that whatever the Lyttons were hiding, Alex wouldn’t reveal it.

He’d already told him so many deep and dark secrets, some of which painted him in a bad light, making no effort to sugar-coat any of it.

So, what else could there possibly be that he would refuse to reveal it at this stage in the game?

Josiah wondered if it was worth speaking to Charles or Noah but decided to hold back on that for now, not wanting to sour their relationship with Alex so soon after being reunited.

Alex’s mood had changed on a sixpence, as it tended to these days, and all the joyful energy of earlier dissipated. He looked flat and low, suddenly exhausted .

“Sorry. Wore myself out,” he muttered.

His face was so white that Josiah was alarmed.

“Making breakfast was the most you’ve done in weeks, to say nothing of all that dancing around.” He grinned. “Come on, let’s get you to the other room so you can lie down.”

He helped Alex into the living room where he immediately collapsed onto the sofa.

“You’re so good to me. Too good,” Alex muttered. “I’m sorry I’ve been such a shit lately, but this is me, Joe. I’ve always been a shit. I’m not the sweet little IS I pretended to be. I did wonder if my experiences had changed me, but I guess not.”

“I don’t want you to pretend. I want you to express yourself in any way that feels right, even if it means you’re not very nice to be around,” Josiah told him firmly. “After all you’ve been through, this is a necessary rebalancing. It’ll take a while for you to find a way back to yourself.”

“But what’s the point?” Alex asked wearily. “I mean, I appreciate the chance you’re giving me, but after the trial, even assuming Tyler is convicted, I’ll have to put that mask back on and say, ‘Yes sir, no sir,’ to some shitty new houder.”

“Tell me about the mask,” Josiah asked. “I mean, it’s impressive, but where did you learn it?”

“Belvedere.” Alex gave a wan smile.

“Ah. That’s one thing we haven’t talked much about.”

“I know.”

“Was it bad? I wondered if something terrible happened to you there.”

“Actually, no. It wasn’t without its challenges, but for the most part, it was a respite after the awfulness of life at Tyler’s.”

“And you learned how to be an IS there?”

“Yes. I enjoyed that. I’ve always liked learning, even though I don’t think I’m anyone’s idea of a natural valet or butler.” Alex gave a twisted grin.

“And the mask? Seems an odd thing to be on the curriculum at a training centre.”

“Well, that’s a whole different story.” Alex sighed and closed his eyes .

Josiah let him rest for a moment, then prodded him. “We have all day.”

“I thought you’d say that. Okay.” Alex sat up and put a cushion behind his head. “I made a good friend at Belvedere, a man I admire and respect more than almost anyone else, except for you.” He grinned.

Josiah grinned back. “Flattery will get you everywhere. Go on.”

“He was a friend to me when I needed it most. He taught me how to construct the mask and gave me the tools I needed to keep myself mentally strong, my face impassive, so I wouldn’t give myself away.”

“The yoga and the song?” Josiah hazarded.

“That’s right. It wasn’t an easy thing to learn, but he was a good teacher. His name was Gideon.”

“Gideon. Was he the man Tyler referred to in that meeting after the break-in? The one who died of cancer several months ago?”

“Yes.”

“So, he ran Belvedere?”

“Yes. He set me up in the beginning. He befriended me without telling me who he was so he could get close to me. But if he hadn’t, I wouldn’t have opened up and told him about Tyler and what he’d done to Solange.”

“You told him?” Josiah asked, surprised. “He knew but didn’t do anything?”

“No. He was an IS too, and he wouldn’t do anything to compromise his houder. He was weirdly obsessed with her.” Alex shrugged. “Tyler tasked him with turning me into the perfect IS, so he did. Once he knew about my mission, he equipped me to complete it. That’s how he helped me.”

“And this man became your friend?” Josiah stared at Alex, perplexed.

“What?” Alex asked truculently.

“Alex, your friends are people who at best aren’t honest with you but at worst have betrayed you in some way. Solange, Gideon… You speak so highly of them but they both deceived you.”

“I know.” Alex’s mouth was set into a hard line.

“I told you when we first set out for Tyler’s house, weeks ago, that I wasn’t sure if I could trust you, and I said that if you knew my history you’d know why.

Maybe I’m a monumentally bad judge of character, or maybe I just underestimated the effort people would go to in order to trap me.

All I can say is that I do view both of them as friends.

I was lonely , Joe, and Solange and Gideon were both good to me in their own way.

Besides, they were all I had.” He gave a miserable shrug.

“Or all you felt you deserved,” Josiah murmured.