Twister’s eyes narrowed slightly.“Her brother come over unannounced a lot?”
I shrugged.“He lives right down the hallway.”
And then it clicked.
The reason for the look.The line of questioning.The shape of the thought I did not want to have.
I stared at Twister.“You think her brother…” I let it trail off because I didn’t want to finish that thought.
I didn’t want to put it into words because once it was spoken, it would start to feel real.
Twister rubbed at his jaw.“The few times I’ve met the guy, he seemed decent,” he said.“But I can’t ignore the fact that he just appears, suggests you leave, and then two minutes later you’re shot at.”
That hit like a fist to the ribs because he wasn’t wrong.
And if Tyson had just set me up to get killed?That changed everything.
Not just for me, but for Britta.
For how safe she really was and for who she could trust.
“It’s gotta be a coincidence,” I said.
Wheels shrugged.“It very well could be.But you might want to be careful about what you say and do around him.”
I nodded, my eyes going back to the third-floor window even though I couldn’t see her from here anymore.“I’ll keep an eye out and let you know if something else weird happens when he’s around.”
Twister nodded once.“Sounds good, brother.I don’t want her brother to be in on this any more than you do, but right now we really can’t trust anyone.”
That was the truth of it.The simple, ugly truth.
I glanced back up at the apartment building.Could Tyson be in with The Ledger?
He’d lived in Madison his whole life and knew the town.Knew the people.Maybe he was twisted up with them somehow.Maybe not willingly but maybe through work.Through family.Through something he didn’t even realize mattered.
Or maybe it was just a coincidence.
Either way, it was a possibility now.
And possibilities got people killed if you ignored them.
“From now on,” Twister said, “I wouldn’t trust anyone to keep an eye on Britta unless it’s someone from the club.”
I nodded.“Good idea.”I exhaled and adjusted my cut.“I better get back up there before more coincidences happen.”
The cops had taken my statement.I’d walked them through the SUV, the shots, the timing, the angle.They’d nodded and scribbled and promised to look into it, which meant exactly nothing to me until they actually had something useful.They were still looking for Britta’s shooter too.At this point, I trusted the club a hell of a lot more than I trusted a badge and a report.
I clasped Twister’s forearm, then Wheels’.“Later.”
“Keep your head up,” Wheels said.
Twister’s expression went hard again.“And keep hers down.”
I headed back into the building, past the gawking crowd and the curious assholes trying to stretch their necks around police tape for a better look.
The lobby was quieter than outside, but my nerves were still burning hot.
Every person I passed got a second look.
