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“No buts. All you did was be a good friend.”
“If I hadn’t?—”
“Maybe he would have found her another way. You can’t blame yourself.”
“Can you tell her I’m sorry?”
“Just give her a hug when she gets back. She’s going to need people like you around her.”
“She’s coming back?”
“I’m doing everything in my power to make that happen.” Nico only hoped it would be enough. How much would Emmy Black charge for a jailbreak?
“Did…did Kaylin really kill a man? There are all these rumours flying around…”
“No, she didn’t. But the Cavallaro family made it look as if she was guilty and then held the charges over her head so she couldn’t leave.”
“When I heard the news, I didn’t believe it, but the police said…”
“The legal system doesn’t always lead to justice.”
Brooke gave Nico a strange look. Curiosity mixed with a hint of apprehension.
“No. No, it doesn’t. You’re not the only person around here who thinks that way.”
It dawned on Nico what she was talking about. Who she was talking about.
“Yes, you’re right.”
Brooke chewed on her bottom lip, mentally battling between fight and flight. Nico had seen people struggle with that dilemma a thousand times, usually in his father’s company but occasionally in his own.
Finally, Brooke spoke. “Luca thinks it’s you, you know.”
Present tense? Interesting. Though it made a certain amount of sense. What better way to hide the truth about one’s alter ego than to falsely accuse him of killing a man while you were busy shooting someone else? Deck would never spill the secret, and neither would Kaylin.
“And what do you think?”
“I think…I think that if you did do any of those things, then I should say thank you.”
Nico could hardly say “you’re welcome,” could he? The Bad Samaritan didn’t mind being blamed for a death she hadn’t caused, but would she be as relaxed if a third party took the credit for her handiwork? Far better to let ambiguity do the heavy lifting.
“At times like this, it’s hard to see a way out of the darkness, but fate works in mysterious ways.” There, that sounded suitably philosophical. “Can I interest you in a drink or something to eat? I don’t suppose there was much on offer at the hospital.”
Nico hadn’t been hungry enough to check. All he’d eaten today was a few bites of Matty’s omelette and a handful of grapes.
“I shouldn’t. Honestly, I don’t even know why I came here. I guess I just wanted you to find out what happened from me rather than somebody else.”
“No, you came because you have a conscience.” A rarity these days, but Brooke Bartlett was quite possibly the kindest woman Nico had ever met. That she should throw herself on the proverbial sword out of guilt was no surprise. “You came because you’re a good person. How did you get here, anyway? Did you walk?”
Brooke nodded. “I needed to clear my head.”
“Then I’ll have the chef prepare a box of food to go, and my driver can drop you home. I’d do it myself, but I can’t leave Matty.”
“Is he okay?” Brooke face-palmed. “Duh, what a dumb question. Of course he’s not okay. He must be traumatised, and confused, and missing his mom. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“There is one thing. The team of attorneys I’ve hired needs the assistance of a good local counsel. Could you put in a word with your brother?”
“Did you ask him already?”
