Allison Brennan - See No Evil

“What do you want with me? With all Tristan’s money, the two of you could have escaped, been halfway across the world by now.”

Tristan shook his head. “You’re an example of the corrupt system, one of the twisted people who decides who lives, who dies, who goes to prison, who goes free.”

Julia shook her head. “I’m doing my job. Trying to get people the justice they deserve.”

“Bullshit!” Tristan grabbed a manila file from the top of a desk near the door and threw it to her feet. A few papers-they looked like court documents-slipped out. “When we were researching you, we pulled all your cases. Your plea agreements. Your prosecutions. When you asked for the death penalty and when you asked for minimal time.”

“Every case is unique,” Julia said. “I look at them based on the evidence and what I think a jury will convict on. And my boss-”

“Stop. Don’t offer some lame justification. We’re not buying it.”

“But none of this has anything to do with me.” Julia was grasping at straws, hoping one would hold. “It’s Faye, right? You think I hurt her. I didn’t. I didn’t bring her a knife. I swear to you, I had nothing to do with her suicide.”

Tristan looked torn, and Michelle interjected. “Shut up. We don’t believe you.”

Julia glared at the girl. “You were there? Why? What reason did you have to go to the hospital? You must have known the police were getting closer.”

“You wouldn’t have figured it out in time,” said Michelle. “And I’m on my way south. Way south.”

“You’ll never make it. We know all about you. Your mother must have told you about my visit, that I have your picture. You changed your appearance a little-lightened your hair, changed your clothing style-but anyone who saw you would realize that Cami and Michelle are one and the same.”

“None of that means anything,” Michelle snapped, “and it doesn’t matter what you know because you’re helping me get out of town.”

“Just tell me how you killed Jason. I’m curious.” Julia was trying to buy time. By now, Connor would know she was missing and be looking for her. They knew about Michelle; had they figured out Tristan Lord was involved?

“Don’t you want to know why? Why is much more interesting than how.”

“I know why.”

“Really?” Michelle stared at her with disbelief. “Why?”

“He raped your best friend. This elaborate plan of yours was a way to seek justice because the system failed Shannon.” Julia stared at Tristan. “I don’t understand why you’re involved.”

But Tristan wasn’t looking at her. He stared at Michelle. “Who are you?”

“Don’t listen to her.”

“You’re Shannon’s sister.”

“We were like sisters.” Michelle turned her head from Tristan to Julia.

Julia remembered something in the back of her mind, from Garrett Bowen’s party.

“Where’s Camilla?” Bowen asked his girlfriend.

“She’s in the little girls’ room.”

What was her name? Marisa Wohler. The triangle took shape. “Marisa is Laura Chase.”

Tristan turned to her, an edge of panic in his expression. Michelle just laughed. “Give the lawyer a prize.”

“They’ve been lying to you,” Julia said to Tristan, trying to find a way to turn the two against each other. It might be her only hope to find a way out of here alive.

“Cami is Shannon’s sister,” Tristan said, his confidence waning.

Julia said, “I can positively identify this girl as Michelle O’Dell. I spoke to her parents, got her photograph. It’s in my purse. Go look.”

Tristan didn’t move.

Julia continued. “She was friends with Shannon Chase. She also dated Jason Ridge before he raped Shannon. I’m sorry the system failed Shannon, I really am, but why do you care, Tristan? What’s in it for you?”

Tristan wasn’t paying attention to Julia. He was still staring at Michelle. “Laura isn’t your mother? Why’d she bring you in?”

“You saw how reckless she was when she tried to kill Garrett two years ago. She was a disaster. I convinced her she needed my help. You’re the one who assumed I was Shannon’s sister. We just let you keep thinking that. Camilla died when she was a baby, before Shannon was born.”

“Then why?” Tristan asked the same question Julia was thinking. The bonds of friendship didn’t go so deep as to kill, did they?

Michelle didn’t answer his question. Instead, she turned to Tristan, hand on her hip. “Go ahead, tell her all about your master plan to restore truth, justice, and the American way.”

Tristan shook his head. “You never understood. Faye was the only one who saw the aesthetic beauty in my plan. Revenge means little if you don’t use the wicked against themselves. Garrett deserved a fate worse than hanging. In destroying his reputation, his image, his own ego, I found justice for my mother. Everyone else was part of the game, the chessboard. It was balanced.”

He looked at Julia as if pleading with her to understand his reasoning. “Laura and I met outside of Garrett’s office. She was going to kill him. I stopped her. Each kill led back to Garrett. I never expected you to go as far back as Jason Ridge.”

“If I hadn’t,” Julia agreed, “we wouldn’t have figured it out so quickly. But everything’s public record. You just have to know where to look.”

“Let’s go,” Michelle said, motioning toward Tristan with her gun. “Go help her up. We’ll drive across the border and if anyone tries to interfere, we have a hostage.”

“Why did you stop here?” Julia needed to buy more time. She couldn’t get in a car with them.

“I had to get money,” Michelle said as if the question was stupid. “You fucked up my timeline, I hadn’t planned on leaving until tomorrow.” She glared at Tristan. “What are you waiting for?”

He stared at Michelle with an intensity that scared Julia. “Why did you help Laura? If you weren’t Shannon’s sister, what hold did she have over you?”

“She had no hold over me,” Michelle snapped. “You’re wasting time.”

“There was no reason for you to get involved. You told me a long time ago that you couldn’t save Shannon in time. What did that mean?”

Michelle let out a long, exasperated sigh.

“Look, Tristan, it was just a game. It was never supposed to go that far. Jason broke up with me to date my best friend. And she went out with him! I couldn’t believe it. The traitor. She slept with him, was all goo-goo-eyed. If she only knew how down and dirty he could be, but she was so fucking romantic about everything.”

“He raped her,” Julia said before she realized she’d spoken.

“Funny what a little mixing of Rohypnol and Ketamine will do to a man. I thought they were just used on women,” Michelle said thoughtfully. “Anyway, I screwed it up, okay? I just wanted Shannon to see how rough Jason really liked it. I didn’t think he’d hurt her, and I didn’t think she’d go all batty and tell everyone he raped her. I figured she’d dump him and he’d come willingly back to me. And I certainly didn’t think she’d go off and kill herself! Who does something that stupid? Only whack jobs like Faye.”

“Shut up! Don’t talk about Faye like that-” Tristan began.

“Faye was as crazy as they come and you know it.” Michelle’s eyes hardened. “I know what you did with her. How could you?”

“You know nothing about Faye.”

Julia saw her opportunity. “Faye was alive and well when I left her.”

Tristan shook his head, his hands rubbing his scalp. “Just stop!”

“I want you to know the truth,” said Julia. “Michelle gave Faye the knife.” It became clear to Julia then. “You loved Faye, didn’t you?”