“Austin is just gonna keep hanging around and messing with folks’ heads until people begin to think he’s telling the truth, that maybe he didn’t kill Heather. Hell, the newspapers are already hinting at that shit.” Troy shook his head. “I can’t let that happen. You heard what Violet said, the bastard’s asking to see the files on the investigation. Why the hell do you suppose he would do that?”
“How should I know?” Keith flung his arms in the air, his frustration over the top. “I’m telling you, Troy, we need to let this thing go. Burning down his house ... hell, man, that’s a felony ... could’ve been a murder charge. Somebody’s taking some big-ass risks.”
Troy scoffed. “Just not big enough or he’d be dead.”
Keith got that suspicious look in his eyes again. “You said you had nothing to do with that.”
“I didn’t.” Troy held up his hands and waved them to show they were clean. “Back off, man. He’s the enemy, not me.”
“Well, if not you, then who?”
“Who knows?” Troy was the one getting suspicious now. “You ain’t getting like Emily Wallace, are you?”
“Emily’s a good person, Troy,” Keith countered, evading the question. “You know that. You and Larry were too hard on her last night.”
“She’s a traitor.” Troy needed a beer. He wished he’d brought along more than the two six-packs he’d already consumed.
“I have to ask you something, Troy.”
Troy swiveled his head to stare at the man who was supposed to be his best friend. “What?”
“You been binging on alcohol lately? Like before?”
“This meeting is not about me,” Troy snapped. He didn’t need nobody telling him how much he should drink. He got enough of that crap at home. Patricia was threatening divorce. Divorce! His whole life was falling apart and it was Austin’s fault. “This is about making things right once and for all.”
Keith shook his head. “I can’t do this anymore, Troy. The damn court says he was wrongly accused. Whether we believe it or not, we can’t change it. The bottom line is that this thing with Austin is ruining all our lives. Don’t you see that, man?”
“At least we have one to ruin,” Troy snarled. “Heather’s was taken away from her.”
Keith stared at the ground a moment, his hands hanging uselessly at his sides. “I can’t do it, Troy.” He lifted his gaze. “I’m finished trying to make Austin pay. The law had the final word. We’ll just have to get right with the way it is.”
“Oh, I see the problem.” Troy moved his head from side to side in disappointment. He stopped abruptly when the world started spinning. He blinked a couple of times, regained his balance.
“You okay, man?” Keith reached for him.
Troy snatched his arm away. “I know what your problem is. I thought about it all night. What Austin said got to you. That bullshit about asking your friends’ for their alibis in front of all those people threw you for a loop, didn’t it?”
Keith looked mad and maybe a little afraid. The anger Troy could understand ... but the fear, what the hell did Keith have to be afraid of?
“What Austin says or thinks means nothing to me. This is about having some peace. We can’t keep going like this, Troy. We have families to think of.”
Troy pounded his chest. “Heather was my family.”
Keith took a big breath, let it out. “You’re right. And I’m sorrier than you’ll ever know. But I’m out, got it?”
Maybe it was the way the alcohol suddenly kicked in or the lack of sleep, but this just didn’t feel right. “Are you saying you’re not gonna help me finish this? After what he did?” Troy blinked some more, tried to keep Keith in focus.
Keith met Troy’s gaze and that hint of fear was still there or, hell, maybe he was imagining it.
“That’s what I’m saying.”
Troy’s anger detonated. “What’re you hiding, Keith?” He stepped closer to the man who’d been his best friend, his closest confidant, since Heather’s murder. He’d been right there, helped Troy through his trouble with women and drinking. He’d gotten Troy the job at the plant his daddy owned. He’d been the best friend a man could want. But something wasn’t right and it wasn’t the alcohol. “What’d you do that you’re not telling me?”
Keith sidestepped to go around him. “I’m going home now. I can’t talk to you when you get like this.”
“Hell no.” Troy grabbed him by the arm and pulled him around. “You’ll tell me what you’re hiding. That’s what you’ll do.”
“What are you talking about, man? You’re drunk.”
