Page 75 of This is Why We Lied

Dave didn’t react at first. He shook the lighter. The flame caught. He touched it to the tip of the cigarette. He blew a jet of smoke in Will’s direction.

He asked, “Did you follow me?”

Will had only seen Dave once before Mercy’s death. He was waiting for Will on the Loop Trail. Will had given him to the count of ten to leave. “You mean, did I follow you after you ran off with your tail between your legs?”

“I didn’t run off, dumbfuck. I chose to walk away.”

Will said nothing, but it made sense that Dave would slink away from Will, then find Mercy to take out his anger on.

“Shit, I know you followed me, you pathetic asshole,” Dave said. “I sure as hell know Mercy didn’t tell nobody. She’s a lot of things, but she ain’t no snitch.”

Will noticed he was still talking about Mercy in the present tense. “You sure about that?”

“Hell yeah I’m sure.” Dave smoked. He was nervous. “What do you think you saw?”

Will assumed he was worried about the strangulation. “I saw you choke her.”

“She didn’t pass out,” he said, as if that was a defense. “She fell against the tree, then her ass hit the ground. I had nothing to do with that. Her legs give out. That’s all.”

Will stared his credulity into him.

“Look, dude, whatever you think you saw, that’s between me and her.” Dave threw his hand in the air, then rested it in his lap. He flicked the cigarette end, knocking off the ash. “Why are you even asking? You sound like a fucking cop.”

Will guessed now was as good a time as any to give him the news. “I am, actually.”

“You am what?”

“I’m a special agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.”

Smoke puffed out of his mouth as he laughed. Then he stopped laughing. “For real?”

“Yep,” Will said. “That’s what got me through college. I wanted to help people. Kids like us. Women like Mercy.”

“That’s bullshit, man.” Dave pointed at him with his cigarette. “Ain’t no cop ever helped kids like us. Look at what you’re doing here now, asking me about some private shit that happened a couple’a three hours ago. Ain’t no way Mercy filed a report. You’re just all up in my business cause that’s what you fuckers do.”

Will slowly moved his injured hand across the ground until he felt the edge of his phone. “You’re right. Mercy didn’t file a report. I can’t arrest you for strangling her.”

“Damn right you can’t.”

“But if you wanted to admit to abusing your wife, I’d be happy to take your confession.”

Dave laughed again. “Sure, man, give it your best shot.”

Will forced his thumb to double click the button on the side of his phone, turning on the recording app. “Dave McAlpine, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say or do can be used against you in a court of law.”

Dave laughed again. “Yeah, I’m gonna be silent.”

“You have the right to an attorney.”

“Cain’t afford no attorney.”

“If you can’t afford an attorney, one will be provided for you by the courts.”

“Or the courts can suck my fat dick.”

“With these rights in mind, are you willing to talk to me?”

“Sure, dude, let’s talk about the weather. Rain passed real quick, but we’re gonna get more. Let’s talk about the good ol’ days at the children’s home. Let’s talk about that tight little snatch you got up at your cottage. Why you down here dickin’ around with ol’ Dave when you could be pounding it into that throat goat?”