“Des said you’d gone out to Queens to find me. When he told me something had happened … I know people in Jamaica Houses. I went out there to see if I could do anything.”
James closes his eyes. “But …”
“A guy named Cady lives on my mom’s stairwell. I’ve known him all my life. He’s a two-bit crook, but he owes me because I saved his brother’s life, so when Des called me, I decided to go and have a word with him.”
“You went out to Queens to talk to a crook?” His head rolls onto the back of the couch again.
I laugh. “I lived my whole life with people like Cady. He wouldn’t harm me. We have history.”
He shakes his head as his hand reaches out and he weaves his fingers through mine. I stare down at our hands. Why is he being so friendly? Doesn’t he know I lied about having a degree? Was Jane lying? I’ve only got her word that she told him, after all. My stomach sinks. Whether he’s aware or not, I have to tell him. I should have told him a long time ago. Maybe he won’t be feeling so affectionate then.
“You saved his brother’s life?”
“His brother had mental health problems and took an overdose late one night. As luck would have it, I was on my way back from a babysitting job, and I found him stretched out on one of the benches next to the playground as I was cutting through it. After I called 911, I did CPR on him until the ambulance arrived.” I look down at my hands. “I learned first aid in school because it was the only class where people didn’t pick on me. None of the assholes took that option.”
He gives me a small smile.
“It was touch and go whether he was going to make it, and we all sat in the waiting room while Cady’s mom paced around, praying. She’s Catholic, and her husband ran off with another woman a long time ago. The doctor told Cady his brother wouldn’t have survived if I hadn’t given him CPR, andhe pulled me into a big bear hug and didn’t stop saying thank you and that he owed me.”
“I can’t believe that a guy who jumped me from behind would be kind to anyone,” James mutters.
“He jumped you?”
“Yeah. After I saw Jake.”
“I can’t believe you talked to that asshole.”
He tuts. “Jake and I are best buddies now. He was delighted to see me. He talked to me about getting his grubby paws on your paycheck. He mentioned some debts.”
Jesus. Jake. In all the madness of the last twenty-four hours, his debts have seemed like the least of my worries. It’s all moot now anyway. I’m going to lose my job so I won’t even have a paycheck anymore.
“I don’t know what his debts are, but that’s why he’s been chasing me for money. I’m sorry for all this trouble, James. I’m sorry I disappeared from the office today.”
“What the hell happened, Sadie?”
“When I went out for lunch, Jane was waiting for me outside.” God, that conversation with Jane seems like eons ago.
He groans. “I knew it. That woman, the problems she’s created.” He shakes his head. “Not sure I’m going to be able to forgive her any time soon.”
Oh God, will he ever forgiveme? “You spent twelve years with her!”
“I know. What an idiot.”
“She said she’d told you that …” I can stand up to Cady, but can I tell James this? “… that I said I had a degree when I applied to Williams Security and I don’t.”
His face is impassive as he turns toward me. “Yeah, I know.”
I blink at him.What? That’s it?
“At the end of the day, Sadie, it’s not great that you lied, but I understand why you did it. I talked to Des. We didn’t check it out, so that’s on us, and you’ve done an excellent job since you joined, however you got the job. We’ve really struggled to find good developers as the company has grown. We want you working on the code.”
I stare at him. Open my mouth and close it again. How … What … He’s notmad? There’s no legal case or … a cold wave washes through me, but God, I don’t deserve this. All that anguish and worry and … I can’t just sit here and ... I stand up and pace over to the kitchen island.
“I just … I just … How can you say that?”
“Come here, Sadie.”
“After Jane said she’d told you, I was so mortified. What must you think of me? I applied for so many programmer jobs and never got so much as a sniff of an interview, so I put it in my application to Williams Security. I meant to take it out, but then I submitted it in a rush and forgot. I never thought you’d ask to see me! When Des offered me the job, I thought that, if I got through my probation, I’d tell you. I was planning on coming clean, I promise.” When I look over at James, he’s on the edge of his seat, eyes warm behind his glasses. “I thought I had no way out of that life in Jamaica Houses.” I tip my head back and stare up at the lights in the ceiling.
