She’d been a blonde, and if Gabe noticed her for anythingbeyond her excellent service, Garrett couldn’t tell.Gabe’s eyes had constantlybeen on Gigi and the men she was dancing with.But he had thought it was oddafter an hour and a half of hovering she was suddenly nowhere to be found.Keane had offered to grab what was supposed to be their last round.He’d onlybeen gone for a few moments.
The timing didn’t line up.
“We sat there for another thirty minutes after you cameback.I don’t think Miranda ordered Olivia’s drink before you ordered ours.”Hesat back.“I need to see the footage.”
“They said Olivia named me.”
The words dropped like a land mine ready to go off.
“Cops can lie.They’re under no obligation to tell the truthto someone they’re interrogating.In fact, lying can be an excellent way tothrow off a suspect.”
“She thinks I tried to hurt her.”There was a deep shame inKeane’s tone.
This was going to be even harder than he thought.His friendwas in a dark place.“She’s not awake, Keane.At least she wasn’t when weleft.”
“We can’t know that because they wouldn’t give us anyinformation.They wouldn’t let us back to see her.They let Gigi back.They letGabe back.I overheard the sheriff talking to Jack Barnes, and he believes thatI did this.He wants them to throw the book at me.”There was a slight trembleto Keane’s hands.
“I think Mr.Barnes is reacting to his daughter nearly beingkidnapped.He isn’t thinking,” Garrett returned.
“Or he saw the footage and it’s believable.”
“It’s not true, so it’s not believable.Like I said, Isuspect the timing is off.I want to see it.”
“They told me you would be in here soon.”Keane seemed tosettle, clenching and releasing his fists.“I asked for my lawyer and they saidyou’ll see me in a cell as soon as they have some proof.They told me theywould go easier on me if I turned you in.Maybe I could even avoid hard time ifI gave you up.”
“Like I said, they lie.”
Keane’s head nodded slowly.“They lie because I don’tmatter.They lie because they can.”
“You can’t shut down now,” Garrett pleaded.“I need you herewith me.Something is incredibly wrong, and we have to figure it out.Someoneis setting you up.”
“Have you wondered why they picked me?”
“Because you were the one who grabbed the beers.”
“No,” Keane insisted.“Because they knew about my record.They knew everyone would believe it.It doesn’t matter how much time I spendpeacefully.All that matters is those ten minutes that cost me three years andthe rest of my life.”
Emotion welled in Garrett’s soul.He could lose Keane allover again.“I need you to fight.”
“Garrett, they are going to try to put you in here with me.”
“They’re going to fail.”This was precisely why he’d gone tolaw school.After he gained his bachelor’s, Keane was released from prison withthe help of a smart lawyer working pro bono with an innocence mission.MitchellBradford had taught him a lot and then introduced Garrett to some people whohelped him apply for law school.He’d done his internship with the man and hispartners before finding a place at Barnes-Fleetwood, where Lucas O’Malley tookover the role of mentor, and he was an excellent one.“I’m going to give Lucasa call.We might need to bring him out here to represent us.”
“Don’t call Lucas.”
Garrett sighed.“Why?I know this is everything you everfeared, but you have to have some faith.”
A bitter expression settled on Keane’s face.“Faith in what?Faith in a system that already ground me down once?Faith in a town that hatesthe sight of me?Faith in a woman who has never said I love you?”
“Faith in me.”
That seemed to shut Keane down.He was silent for a longmoment.“It was all pretend, wasn’t it?The whole ‘I’m in control’ thing.The whole‘I can take care of you and Livie.’I was never in control.”
“No one is when it comes to something like this.”There wasreal fear in his heart now.“Keane, you never deserved this.Once Oliviaunderstands what happened…”
“It won’t matter.”Keane stopped him with a firm tone.“Ineed to do the only thing I can do now, and that’s save you.I’m sorry.It’sprobably going to cost you your job.”
Garrett took a deep breath to slow down the panic he felt.He had never realized how much he counted on Keane to be the stable one, theone who didn’t panic, who didn’t jump to conclusions.Keane was steady, and nowit was so clear to him that Keane had been the top for years.Even when he wasin prison, he was the one who supported Garrett.Once a week, Garrett wouldmake the long drive to Huntsville and spend their visitation time talking aboutschool and wanting to quit and Keane would build him up for another week.
