Jeremy shook his head. “You can’t believe me capable of taking a life in that way.”
Nate frowned. “A man can do unimaginable things under trying circumstances.” Nate’s past several years, spent in the Army, had left an indelible and haunted mark on him.
“I didn’t pull that trigger.” Jeremy held Nate’s gaze, unwavering. Determination sat behind the lean lines of his face.
And something inside Stuart gave. Was there the slimmest possibility Jeremy was speaking the truth?
Was Norah right?
“Then who did?” Nate asked.
Jeremy watched him a moment longer, then licked his lips and shook his head. “I can’t say.”
“Because you don’t know or because you don’t want to tell us?” Stuart asked.
The question hung in the air.
The silence grew heavy, but Stuart refused to turn away. One glance sideways and he might miss a twitch of the mouth or a dart of a glance that would tell him once and for all whether his old friend could be trusted.
Jeremy leaned forward, dropping his voice to nearly a whisper. “I want to. I wish I could tell the world. But if I did . . .” His eyes shot toward the guard in the corner, whose interest seemed more intent on a speck of dirt on his shirt than on the three other men in the room.
“What?” Stuart finally asked, unable to wait any longer. “For the love of all that’s good, Jeremy, tell us why you accepted defeat if you’re so innocent?”
“Because they threatened my family!” Jeremy’s eyes blazed with a fire so intense it reminded Stuart instantly of Norah.
Stuart blinked at him, the words swirling through his mind as he tried to make sense of them.
“Who?” Nate pressed. “Who made the threats?”
Jeremy shook his head again. “I already said too much.”
Nate looked at Stuart, who was still staring at Jeremy. “Is this why you didn’t fight? In court, I heard you said you weren’t guilty, and yet you did nothing to help yourself.”
Shifting in his chair as if it had grown suddenly uncomfortable, Jeremy nodded.
“If you tell us who threatened you, we can help,” Nate said.
“I’m not risking my parents’ lives, or my sister’s, or Charles and Mary’s.” Jeremy swallowed visibly. “Forget I said anything. I only wanted you to leave here with some amount of respect for me.”
Stuart didn’t know what he felt—or what he even thought. “What am I supposed to tell Norah?”
“Nothing. Please, don’t breathe a word of this to her.”
Stuart let out a frustrated breath. Jeremy had no idea how intensely Norah wished to help him. She wouldn’t leave it be, no matter what Stuart might say to her. She was after the truth, and not even her parents’ rules or Stuart’s initial reticence would make her give up.
How in the world was he going to convince her to stop, knowing now what Jeremy had said?
And yet how could he keep the truth from her?
“Stuart. Promise me.” Jeremy was watching him, waiting for something Stuart couldn’t do.
“I promise I’ll keep her safe.” That was all he could offer. It was the only thing he could say with certainty.
But it seemed to be enough for Jeremy, because he gave a satisfied nod. “It’s best if you don’t return here. I don’t know who I can trust.”
“It was good to see you,” Nate said as they stood.
Stuart bade Jeremy goodbye, and they were soon whisked out of the prison and back on the other side of the wall.
