Zane leans into him, talking so softly I can barely hear. “I owe you one. Now, shut up and let me repay you.” He claps him on the shoulder before swivelling to face the officers. “I’m happy to come with you and answer any questions but Maddox has nothing to do with any of it. He wasn’t anywhere near the industrial area that night.”
I bite my lip, tears welling as I stare at Zane with gratitude, giving him a small nod when he meets my eye. I understand the impulse to protect his friend. When he confessed his guilt over what happened with Addie, it was easy to see how deeply he blamed himself.
If this is penance for his sins, I hope he finds the comfort he deserves.
Maddox opens his mouth to protest but I tug his hand, stopping him before the sacrifice is derailed. The police escort Zane from the party, using the stairs leading off the balcony rather than dragging him back through the main room.
“Let him do this for you,” I whisper to Maddox when his expression fills with concern. “A good lawyer will either get him off the charges or knock the punishment down to size.”
“You think?”
“Yes, I do.”
“We should probably go hire one for him, then.” He wrinkles his nose, waving at the party. “I think every halfway decent lawyer in town is inside.”
Before we can, Ant comes through to the balcony, giving a concerned glance over his shoulder. “Do you know this man?” he asks, showing me his phone screen.
I gasp, shuddering at the sight of Vale, a headband wrapped around to disguise his forehead scars. “Is he here?”
“He’s gone now, but he sat outside in his car, watching while the police put someone in the back of their patrol car.” He frowns at Maddox. “It looked like they were arresting your friend.”
“They were,” I confirm. “We need to get to the station. If Vale’s spilling his guts—”
“Wait.” Ant’s voice is sharp. “This is the man who hurt Addie?”
“He also hurt Evie,” Maddox growls. “But he’s insane to hand evidence to the police just to settle a score. He holds secrets for powerful men all over town.”
Ant looks thoughtful. “What I’m hearing is that a roomful of rich men would be grateful if someone took him out before that could happen. Have I got that right?”
Maddox gives him an assessing stare. “If you’ve got the energy, I’ve got the resources.”
And it’s probably not something I should encourage but as we head inside to find help for Zane’s legal troubles, I’m happy to support their plans.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
MADDOX
“Get it into the corners,”Evie orders me. “What’s the use of putting the tall guy on the ladder if you won’t do the job properly?”
I raise the roller, blue paint dripping, but it’s hardly a threat considering how much of the colour decorates her overalls already. She grins, pokes out her tongue, and points to the offending patch of white still showing on the wall.
It takes a carefully angled stroke to disappear.
“That wasn’t too hard, now, was it?”
My eyes narrow as I wonder about the likelihood that’s a double entendre, then shrug. Who cares if it is? Part of my anger management work has been closely focused on the skill of letting things go.
My father has also let things go to head overseas, though ending his most lucrative contracts wasn’t his choice. After the ball, word spread about Addie, about him colluding with Vale to release information to the police.
It didn’t take long for the starting gossip to become enriched with bigger and more fanciful details. In a matter of a few weeks, he became a pariah, relocating to London to start afresh, selling the family home.
I might never see him again and the only emotion to accompany that thought is relief.
“What’s my reward for this again?”
“The knowledge you’ve done a good deed.”
It’s winter term break and the walls we’re decorating are those of the drop-in centre in town. A come-as-you-are community hub for addicts in the district. We haven’t quite got the permissions set to reinstate the methadone treatment program, but one more meeting with the local health authority and it’s pretty much assured.
