Aiden raised an eyebrow. “What gave you the idea that something like that would change?”
“Wishful thinking, I guess.”
Aiden rubbed his elbow. Physical contact of the intimate kind was… hard for him. From before Claudia, yes, though it had gotten a lot worse after her death. He didn’t have anything against it per se; it was just that it always felt weird whenever someone got into his personal space, even if that someone was the one friend he had. The only person who he’d never had this issue with, right from the start, had been Claudia and every now and then he missed it, the memory of what it felt like to be held or touched and not hate it.
Rick squeezed Aiden’s arm. That Aiden could tolerate fine most of the time. “When are you gonna see someone about it?”
“I don’t have time,” Aiden clipped, sitting on the chair across from Rick, who lowered himself onto his with a sigh. Locks of his black hair came loose from where he had it tied at the nape of his neck, flopping in front of his eyes. He brushed them away. “Why are you on Europa anyway?” Aiden asked, changing the topic away from things he didn’t want to talk about.
“Well… I booked a few days off and decided to come see you.” He leaned forward, squinted and gave Aiden a calculating look. “I may or may not be looking for a new job here in Sinhle.”
This was news to Aiden, especially when Mars had a lot more going on than this moon. “Really? You’re looking to move here?”
“Maybe. We’ll see if I can make it happen. But hey, you are here and the job I want pays more, so I thought why not give it a go? Plus, it will make it easier to keep an eye on you,” he said pointedly, though worry still laced his words. “How have things been since the last time we spoke?”
The guilt in Aiden rose up, twisting his stomach. He considered how much to tell Rick, concluding that the one person who’d stood by his side from the start deserved to know. It had been easier to hide things when they weren’t talking face-to-face, but seeing Rick in person today made him feel like the biggest asshole.
“Rick,” Aiden said, lacing his hands together. “There is something I need to tell you.”
In a hushed voice, he caught Rick up on the progress he and PI Deverson had made. It killed him on the inside, but he omitted the part about working in Horizons for now, not willing to risk his friend’s concern ruining his plan. Once he had dealt with Darren, he’d confess that part, too.
“So you know where Howe is being held?” Rick asked.
Aiden averted his eyes. “Yes. And… I’ll try to talk to him.” He caught a glimpse of the comms tower behind the trees and it irritated him for some reason, just looking at it, even though he’d been marveling at the design not an hour earlier.
“Aiden. I don’t think that’s a good idea. If I… If I’d known that’s why you moved here, I wouldn’t have let you do it.” Rick rubbed his forehead and sighed. “Shit. I reallythought a change would be good for you and this whole time…”
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. But I need to figure this out, Rick, because something isnotright. Or I’ll go mad.”
Rick worried his bottom lip, looking both dejected and concerned. “Okay. This whole case? It doesn’t add up, you are right. But you should take it to the police, not try to solve it yourself.” He cursed under his breath. “I should’ve known you were up to something…”
Seeing the heartbreak on Rick’s face made Aiden feel ten times worse for not telling the whole truth. But he couldn’t do it yet. “I’m close. Closer than I’ve ever been. I need to see this through.”
Rick narrowed his eyes. “What aren’t you telling me?” When Aiden didn’t say anything, he pushed, “Aiden. Whataren’tyou telling me?”
Aiden’s heart lurched in his throat. He squeezed his hands in fists and gave his friend a lame smile. “It’s nothing. Don’t worry.”
“I know you. You are lying to me.”
Casting his gaze around the restaurant, Aiden contemplated telling Rick the rest again. But the deepening lines across his friend’s forehead cemented just how bad an idea it was to do it now. Rick would worry. Maybe even freak out. Probably try to stop him.
Aiden couldn’t afford that. Not now. So, as much as it hurt to do it, he gritted teeth, looked Rick in the eyes and lied again.
“You are right. I’m sorry. I promise I’ll tell you everything, I just… I’m waiting for PI Deverson to confirm something first. I don’t want to jeopardize his investigations, so, Rick, please drop this. The moment I hear from him, I’ll call you and tell you the rest.”
This was the best Aiden could offer, and he hoped it was enough. If he pulled off the accident without getting caught, he’d confess everything to his friend and that was hopefully going to include the real reason why Claudia had died.
Rick groaned, raking a hand through his hair as more locks came free. “I don’t like this. Shit, Aiden. You are obsessed. Whatever you are up to, you are not thinking straight. Your fixation on Howe is making you throw away everything just because—” He frowned as he cut himself off. “Just because some judge decided to show mercy and threw him in prison.”
Only, it wasn’t just that, was it?
Aiden wanted to hit something, Rick, preferably, for calling him out. Yes, he wanted Howe dead, because murderers deserved that. But there was more to it. It was Claudia too, the justice system, his need for this damn case to finally make sense. Something bigger was happening here and he needed to uncover it or it was going to drive him mad.
Rick draped his hand over Aiden’s. “I know how hard this has been on you. And the things you’ve found out… I’m not denying this thing about Cleveland is strange, but I’m sure there is a simple explanation. Money at play or a promotion because someone saw an opportunity there. That’s all there is to it.”
“No. I do—”
“Aiden, please. This is not healthy for you. You have to let Claudia rest in peace. Leave this obsession to die in prison with Howe or it will consume what’s left of you.”
