"She said that for now, you have nothing to worry about."
"Why? What happened?"
"They told you?" Roman says, folding his arms over his chest. "I didn't think they were ready to go public with that information."
"What information?" Jackson asks.
Roman turns to face his son. “We found out who told the police you were responsible for Kristen's death."
"Who was it?” Jackson asks, his hand tightening around my shoulder.
"Your former principal," he says. "Kristen's father. Steven Edwards."
Chapter Nine
"Steven Edwards is the reason I was locked in jail?" Jackson lets me go. "What the hell? Why the fuck would he accuse me of this? He knows I was friends with Kristen. Why the fuck would he say I killed her?"
"He said you two had been arguing a lot," Roman says. "And that you were tired of Kristen interfering with your new relationship."
"That doesn't mean I killed her!" Jackson yells.
"Son, let's go home. We need to discuss this in private."
"No!" I wrap my arm around Jackson's. "I want to hear this. What else did he say?"
"I'm afraid we can't share that with you," Roman says. "I'm sure it'll all come out later."
"Uncle Brock," I say. "What did Ms. Wietz tell you?"
Brock clears his throat, seeming uncomfortable as he glances at Jackson. "There was mention of some marks on the body."
"Because she was strangled," I say. "But not by Jackson."
Jackson turns to Brock. "Did the lawyer say anything else?"
"The marks on her neck," Brock says. "They weren't caused by someone's hands, but by something else."
Roman looks at Jackson. "The lawyer mentioned it on the phone this morning. I was going to tell you when we got home."
"Yeah?" Jackson's eyes bounce between his dad and Brock. "What is it?"
"The marks were from a man's tie," Roman says.
Jackson lets out a humorless laugh. "It's not mine. I only have three and I don't even know where they are. I stopped wearing them when I stopped going to Twisted Pine and having to dress up for shit."
"Yes, and I told our lawyer that. That you no longer wear ties. I wasn't even sure you owned them anymore."
"I probably don't. I probably threw them all out."
"Maybe you should go look," I say. "Can you get in your house?"
"Not while it's still a crime scene."
"Jackson, let's go," Roman says. "I'll call the lawyer and see if he can meet us at the house."
"This is good, right?" Jackson says. "It's not my tie. They can't charge me. It proves Steven's accusations are false."
"It doesn't prove anything," Roman says. "They could claim you bought the tie. We'll discuss it when we get home."
