From there I almost sprint to my car, feeling my discomfort swell. Jamie told Sam that he’d had no idea who Jess Nolan was. Why would he deceive his best friend?
I assure myself there has to be some kind of explanation, that Sam might even be remembering incorrectly.
My phone rings as I’m unlocking the front door of the house, and when I check the screen, I’m surprised to see Sam’s name. I gave him an easy way out yesterday afternoon, and I assumed he’d take it. Another surprise: I find myself letting it ring. He’s probably calling out of politeness to make sure I’m doing okay, but why torture myself with the sound of his voice? I’m sure I’ll have to talk to him again over the next weeks as more information about Percy surfaces, but I don’t feel up to it right now.
A half minute later, a ping indicates he’s left a voice message. My curiosity gets the better of me and I tap the forward arrow to listen.
“Hey, Kiki,” he says, sounding rushed. “Call me as soon as you can. It’s urgent.”
With my heart skipping, I immediately return the call. Has Percy been released, and he’s calling to warn me she’s at large? Or did the police decide that some crazy love triangle had in fact gone down on Ash Street, and this is going to blow back on Sam and me?
“Where are you?” he asks, not bothering with a “Hello.”
“At the house. What’s going on?”
“I’ve got some news from Drew—but you’re not going to like it. According to the cops, there’s no way Percy could have killed Jamie.”
“W-What?” I say, the word nearly stuck in my throat. “Why do they think that?”
“She has a rock-solid alibi.”
“But how could they know that already?”
“They apparently looked into her right after the party—sincethey’d been told she’d left in a huff. I guess they were doing more than we gave them credit for.”
Percy is clearly dishonest and unwell, so I’m not buying anything yet. “Where was she, supposedly?”
“She went directly from the party to the Boat House in Salisbury, where she sat at the bar for close to two hours, having a burger and a couple of beers, and talking to the bartender. They’ve got her credit card receipt and CCTV footage of her coming and going.”
I drop into one of the kitchen chairs, stunned and distressed, and force my mind back to the early morning attack by Percy.
“But Percy said Jamie got what he deserved,” I protest. “That he paid for his sins.”
There’s a short pause before Sam speaks.
“But she never came right out and claimed she murdered him, did she?” he says, his tone even. “Even though we heard it as a confession, it may be that she simply resented Jamie for whatever grief she thinks he caused her and didn’t sweat the fact that he died.”
God, he’s probably right.
“Where do you think Drew’s head is at now?” I ask. “Even if Percy isn’t responsible, can he be made to understand that Jamie didn’t take his own life?”
Another pause.
“I hate to say it, but I’m not hopeful at this point,” Sam admits. “And there’s apparently more bad news on the horizon. Vic heard that the police are finally going to release their findings in the next day or two, and the ruling will be suicide.”
I let out a groan, feeling all the relief from the past hours seep from my body. I’m back to square one again, wondering who the hell the killer is. And I don’t have a single idea.
“And what doyouthink, Sam?”
He groans as well. “I keep coming back to the dog, like you do, Kiki. That the Jamie I knew wouldn’t have abandoned a rescue animal. But at the same time, I just can’t be sure.”
“I better go,” I say, eager to have this call over and done with. “Thanks for alerting me.”
“Of course. I’ll let you know if I hear anything else.”
“Wait, one more thing,” I say, suddenly remembering my conversation with Gillian. You said the other day that Jamie didn’t know Jess Nolan, but I don’t think that’s true.”
“What do you mean?”
