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“Would he have... hurt someone if it helped him?”
“I think I need to go.”
“Wait,” Val snapped. “I’m serious, Desmond. You knew him better than I did. You knew him. Tell me.”
“Okay,” Desmond said, defeated. “But I don’t know why you’re dredging all this up now. It’s not healthy.”
“Please,” she whispered, staring at Sylvi’s store window. It was filled with flower arrangements, mockingly cheerful. “Please.”
“Fine. Ivan was ruthless. People called him Ivan the Terrible, but he’d just laugh. He’d sell trash stocks and make them sound like gold. When the client lost their money, he’d shrug. Making a profit for the firm, and then for himself, was all that mattered. It affected our friendship.”
“It did?”
“It did. We were friends in college, but there were times that I didn’t... that I wasn’t comfortable with him. He’d walk over people to get ahead. Once he manipulated a study partner into doing the bulk of work on a project, then claimed she’d slacked off when the woman wouldn’t go out with him. The prof believed Ivan had done all the work, and the other student got a failing grade. No one wanted to be on Ivan’s bad side, but we were friends, so I was loyal. For a while, anyway. I’d already started pulling back, but by the time he started using drugs, I was done. I didn’t make a big deal of it. Just said no when he’d invite me out. He gradually got the message. The thing with Aaron was the final straw for me, though. I never would have told you any of this if you hadn’t pushed. You practically worshipped him. I didn’t want to hurt you. But... he wasn’t the man you thought he was.”
Wasn’t the man you thought he was. Such simple words. Yet they held the weight of a thousand unsaid things. “I need to go. Thank you for your honesty.”
“Are you all right?” Desmond asked worriedly.
No. Not at all. Not even a little bit. “I will be.”
He sighed. “Since Sandra’s let the cat out of the bag, I’ll file a statement with the police, telling them what I heard while I was employed at C&S. I imagine someone in law enforcement heard what she told you. There’ll be an investigation. This is my chance to clear my conscience. So... thank you for that.”
“You’re welcome,” Val whispered. “Be well, Des.” She ended the call and reached for the car door, checking their surroundings out of habit. With internet crazies trash-talking Kaj, she needed to be alert, despite her personal turmoil. The parking lot was about half-full of cars, a semitruck taking up the other half as it unloaded tires to the tire shop two doors down, effectively blocking the parking lot’s entrances. It was as safe as they were likely to get. “Let’s go.”
Kaj didn’t ask her what Desmond had said. He didn’t ask if she was certain. He simply met her at the front of the car and kissed her softly. “You can do this.”
She wasn’t sure about that, but she forced her feet to move to the front door of her sister’s shop. “She owns this place now,” she murmured. “She bought it from the previous owner when they retired. I should have been proud of her for this.”
Kaj squeezed her shoulder. “You still can be. But not from out here.”
21
Kenner, Louisiana
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 4:00 P.M.
VAL OPENED THE door to Sylvi’s shop, hearing a beep as she was hit with the fragrance of hundreds of flowers. She inhaled and stepped inside, Kaj behind her.
Sylvi came in from a back room, her arms laden with long-stemmed roses. “Can I h—”
For a long moment they stared at each other. Sylvi was small like their mother, but she had their father’s coloring—hair the color of a deer’s hide, all the browns and golds combined.
“Hi,” Val managed to choke out. “If this is a bad time, I can come back.”
“No, no.” Sylvi laid the roses on the counter. “What can I do for you, Ingrid?”
“I’m... I don’t know where to start.”
Sylvi’s smile was sad. “Let’s talk in the back.”
“Thank you. This is Kaj. My... boyfriend?”
Kaj placed his hand on Val’s back. “Kaj Cardozo. It’s nice to meet you, Sylvi.”
“Likewise. Mama said you two stopped by yesterday. Give me a sec.” Flipping the sign to closed, she led them to a room dominated by a worktable and shelves filled with vases. She opened three folding chairs. “Please, sit.” She folded her hands in her lap. “What brings you by?”
“I’m sorry,” Val blurted. “I’m so sorry.”
