Then his features smooth, turning cold and aloof again with a little smile playing on his lips.
“I would too.” He winks at Neve but doesn’t dare do the same to me. “Keep secrets for Faust, that is.”
“What was the cause of death?” Neve’s question, no doubt to me. Her tone is steady, hard, but the way she’s still nursing her drink, she’s not as stoic as she pretends to be. I saw her roommate laughing with some guy beyond the doors to the private room, but I’m sure she’ll be looking for her soon.
That means our time here is limited.
And unlike last night, I don’t think she’s going to let me give her a ride anywhere tonight. Judging by the distance between us and the fact she seems to feel as hostile toward me as she does Sylvan, no doubt lumping us together, she won’t want to be anywhere near me.
“Undetermined.”
“What did itseemlike the cause of death was?” she seethes, correctly inferring Coach or someone close to him had eyes on the body.
I drove here after her text, nowhere near House Memorial Library, but I have no doubt cops, investigators, and nosy Drayton U kids are crawling around that crime scene despite the cold.
Someone saw something.
And I know enough about what it was.
“Stab wound.” The words are almost torn from my mouth. I don’t look at Neve to see how she’ll react, though. “Multiple.”
I stare at Sylvan.
A grin pops up on his face, and he’s refusing to look at either of us.
I inhale deep through my nose and don’t look away from him.
“How did you know Will was at my place? How did you know where I lived? How did you find my number?” Neve’s questions to Sylvan.
Questions I, too, want the fucking answers to since Sylvan Connor is a pathological liar.
“I don’t think any of that is important right now, Neve Devine.”
“Connor.”
He turns to me as I say his name, like he’s a puppy and I have his leash. It’s powerful, and I don’t really relish that kind of thing. Making people dance at my command. I don’t even believe he’s giving it to me. He’s just good at pretending.
But right now, I want to know what Neve wants to know and I’ll do whatever it takes to get the answers.
“Answer her questions. We’re alldyingto know the truth.”
Neve takes another drink. I hear the ice clink against her teeth. When she walks out of this room, she’s going to be wasted. I could see it in her eyes when I stood behind Sylvan, her on his lap. She’d already been drinking. Even the questions she asked, the words were slightly slurred.
I don’t want her to go to Cynthia.
I want her to come with me.
Sylvan reaches for his drink, but Neve suddenly snatches it away from him, sliding it toward her. She sets her own down—it’s empty, I realize with a twist in my stomach—then grabs both cherries by the stems from the glass.
I don’t need to watch her eat them.
I don’t need to think about what else she could do with that mouth.
I can’t afford a distraction. Not in general, and definitely not tonight.
Sylvan slowly retracts his hand.
I realize he’s not wearing gloves, and I note how pale his skin is. But I don’t see anything unusual. No scars, no visible wounds.
