Page 434 of A Matter of Time

Already I knew where this was going. “Uh-huh.”

“Like inside you.”

“I got it.”

“When?”

“When what?”

“When do I get my makeup sex?”

“Was that the blowout? I thought you said it was gonna be big.”

“Fuck the blowout. I want you back in my bed tonight. Do you understand?”

“I understand.” I sighed. “After I talk to Susan Reid. I’ll just go out there and sit and wait. Maybe they’ll let me in. I’m cute and nonthreatening. It could work.”

“I cut you off earlier—tell me why you’re going there.”

“You’re gonna kill me.”

“Oh God, what?” he asked me, his voice lowering.

“I think I made a mistake.”

“How?”

“I think maybe Susan Reid is innocent.”

There was a silence.

“Sam?”

“Oh fuck that, Jory!” he erupted with a roar. “That’s bullshit! Can you please just kill the drama before it kills you? Why the need to create⁠—”

“No, listen. The stuff in the apartment wasn’t up in pieces; it was up in sheets.”

“I have no idea what⁠—”

“That’s what’s been bothering me all this time. It was too neat, but I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. If you were gonna create a shrine to someone, why would you create it, then take a picture of it and print it out in long panels that covered a wall. You wouldn’t—it would just be up wherever you started it.”

He was quiet.

“Don’t you see, Sam? That’s why there was no furniture in that one room, that’s why it made no sense—it was staged. I bet Campbell Haddock’s bedroom set went to charity or something. It was so clean in there, I bet it was professionally done. It was all set up to frame Susan. I have no idea why she’s letting it happen, why she’s not speaking, so I’m on my way to see her right now.”

“Wait.” Sam stopped me, and his voice had changed. He had slipped into his cop tone. “Turn around and go home. I’m serious when I tell you that it’s well past visiting hours and they won’t let you in to see her without cause, and definitely not without her lawyer. It needs to be set up, so let me do that. I’ll call everyone, and we’ll go in the morning.”

“But—”

“Listen to me just this once, all right?”

And I didn’t want to do it alone, because what in the world was I even going to say?

“Okay. I’ll wait.”

“For once he listens,” he groaned.

“I’ll meet you at home,” I said, and then I thought of something. “Or if you want, I can come and join you and your friends at⁠—”