“Harper.”
“Paul,” I said, letting the name land like a slap. “See? I can play this game too.”
“You’re being immature.”
“And you’re a murderer. Aren’t we a fine pair?”
“I never murdered anyone.”
“Maybe you never pulled a trigger, but you’re guilty all the same.”
“Who have I supposedly murdered?”
“My mother.”
“I had nothing to do with her murder. I didn’t even know Nicole had befriended her.”
“How did Nicole know about Mom’s file?”
He didn’t respond.
“You told her,” I said, my voice icy. “Which pretty much guaranteed she’d end up dead.”
“Just like you will be if you don’t give Nicole what she wants,” he spat.
“You honestly believe she’ll just let me go?” I asked in disbelief. “After I shot her and she spilled blood on her pretty silk shirt?”
“Of course not!” he snapped. “Which is why you need to give her the file and then run and hide.”
“If you believe she’ll just let me hide, I’ve got some swampland in Florida to sell you. You and I both know I’m a dead woman walking. The real question is why you care. Because you’ve never cared about me. Not like that.”
He gasped. “How can you say that?”
“You didn’t give two shits about me for years. So, I know you had a special reason for bringing me home from Little Rock back in February. Just like I know you have a special reason for wanting me to give Nicole the file.” When he didn’t respond, I pushed on. “I suspect neither of you know what’s in the file. And you really need to know for damage control.” I let that hang for a beat. “And since we’re throwing around theories, I’m going to add this: I think your life depends on me handing over that file. Correct me if I got any of this wrong.”
“These aren’t people you play around with, Harper,” he hissed.
“Maybe you should have thought about that before you got in bed with them.”
“I never slept with Nicole Knox!”
“That’s not what I meant, and you damn well know it.” My grip tightened on my phone. “But since we’re on the subject of affairs, I know about yours from years ago. Aunt Hannah saw you screwing a woman in your home office.”
I really wished we were doing this in person. I would’ve loved to see his face.
“That was years ago.” He didn’t sound as confident.
“I also know you were partners with Dale Ambrose and a man named Richard around the same time, and you and Richard had Dale Ambrose murdered.” I let a beat pass. “Funny how his car accident was so similar to Mom’s.”
“I never had that man killed.”
“Maybe not, but you didn’t turn in the man who killed him either.” I paused. “Here’s a freebie for what’s in Mom’s file—that’s when she started collecting evidence against you.”
“You’re playing a dangerous game, Harper,” he said, his voice colder than I’d ever heard it.
“Am I?” I countered. “Who put me in the game?”
“I sure as hell didn’t.”
