“How are you doing?” Korbin leaned up against the bars, hands in his pockets, one foot kicking the cold, tiled floor with the toe of his boot. It was morning, about nine, and I’d only been able to make one call. Just one, and now he was here.
“I’m doing swell.” I rested my head against the bars and closed my eyes, wishing I could sink into a vast, black hole and never face this life again.
“Are you eating?”
“Does it matter?”
“Yes.”
“Quit trying to be nice,” I teased. “It doesn’t suit you.”
Korbin cracked a smile, but there was no humor around it. Not this time. “We’re going to figure this out,” he said. “I know you’re innocent.”
“I’m glad someone does.” I ran my hands through my hair, wishing for a hot shower. Even the days in here felt like years. “I have something to tell you.”
“What?”
I took a deep breath. “Jake Finn was here last night.”
“Finn?” said Korbin. “Why?”
A migraine was coming on, and my stomach swam with nausea. I hadn’t eaten much in days, primarily due to constant nausea and panic that floated in my chest, anxious to pop up at the worst time. “He admitted it, Korbin. He admitted to starting those fires.”
“Wait, what? Paisley, what in the hell are you talking about?” Korbin’s brow furrowed as he stared at me, his expression confused.
“He told me he started the fires,” I said again, lowering my voice to a whisper for no real reason. “I still don’t know why, but it was him, Korbin. It wasn’t me.”
“He admitted to it?” Korbin repeated. “P—”
“Hedid.” I sounded desperate. I know I did, but the fact that I wasn’t crying on the floor in the fetal position yet was reassuring. “He told me he did it, and then he walked out. I begged him to fess up, but he wouldn’t. He just apologized over and over.”
“Who have you told?”
“You,” I said, exasperated. I flung my hands in the air, on the verge of tears. “You really think someone is going to believe me? I’m in here, Korbin, and he’s out there.”
“Jake Finn,” Korbin said, and a muscle in his jaw popped. “Why? Why would he do such a thing?”
“I have no idea.” I rested my head against the bars, shaking my head. “He was threatened by someone, I think. He said, ‘he’ll kill me’.”
“Yeah, well, they’d better get in line,” Korbin snapped. He looked thoughtful for a moment, then reached through the bars, taking my hand abruptly in his. “I have to go,” he said. “But I’ll be back.”
“Korbin, what are you going to do?”
“Just wait here,” he called over his shoulder. I rolled my eyes, wishing I could throttle him.
“Yeah, no problem,” I yelled after him. “I won’t be going anywhere any time soon.”
Chapter48
Hansen
Around noon, a loud banging on my front door pulled me out of my concentration. I’d been in the middle of researching the police reports, the ones Chief Davis had slyly emailed to me a few hours earlier. I had three pages of notes on the yellow legal pad in front of me as I read and reread each report, trying tirelessly to find a hole in the statements that could prove Paisley’s innocence. My hand still hurt from punching Jeremy, but the adrenaline coursing through me forced my body to ignore the pain.
“Who is it?” I yelled at the door. I could only pray that it wasn’t a police officer sent here on assault charges. Then we’d both be screwed.
“It’s Korbin. Open the door, Cap.”
I crossed the living room and opened it up for him, squinting into the bright light as Korbin shouldered past me into the darkened house.
