“Because I’ve seen the real one.” My pulse pounded in my ears. “She was doped up on antidepressants, and she had a head wound to the back of her head, made by a cylindrical object.” I swallowed. “Which means she didn’t hit her head in the wreck. Someone hit her in the head, put her in the car, and pushed it off the bridge.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Accusation and pain laced her words.
“I didn’t want to put you in danger. Someone doctored the autopsy report, and everyone who’s aware of the real one is a threat.”
“A threat to who?”
I chewed on my bottom lip, unsure how much to disclose. If I gave her a name, she’d insist on handing it over to law enforcement, and I wasn’t willing to do that. I knew there were dirty cops, and I didn’t trust this wouldn’t get buried.
“I can’t tell you,” I finally said. “For your own safety.”
“Don’t bullshit me, Harper,” she snapped.
“This is big, Louise.” My voice went flat. “My mother uncovered some criminal activities, and they killed her to keep her quiet.”
“How do you know that?” she asked skeptically.
“She had a safe deposit box with evidence.”
“Your mother wasn’t exactly living on the edge,” Louise said dryly. “Did she uncover an illegal bridge game in her garden club?”
“No. Worse.” I pushed down the grief that caught me by surprise. “And I think she’s been collecting proof for years.”
“From where? How would she even get her hands on it?”
“If I tell you, you’ll be obligated to act,” I said, frustration leaking into my voice. “And I’m not ready for that yet.”
Her voice went cold. “So you’re investigating this on your own? Outside the law?”
“I have a PI license,” I said matter-of-factly. “I’m not outside the law.”
“But you’re not doing this alone.” It was a statement, not a question. “Malcolm’s helping you.”
I didn’t respond.
“Why would he do that?” she demanded.
“How would I know the inside of James Malcolm’s mind?” I said lightly. Too lightly.
“But you do know the inside of his pants?” she asked dryly.
I wasn’t sure how to answer that. I didn’t feel like lying, but I didn’t want to confirm it either.
Louise groaned. “I would hope to God that if you trust him enough to work this with you, you’d know why he’s doing it. How do you know you can trust him?”
“I need you to trust me on this, Louise.”
“Harper.”
“I can’t take this to law enforcement. I don’t trust them. And based on what you told me about the car fire? You don’t either.”
“That’s not fair.”
“Isn’t it?”
“There’s a lot of good people in this department,” she shot back.
“I think you’re right,” I agreed. “But all it takes is one or two who aren’t.”
