Page 64 of Kiss Kiss Bang
“Yeah, but it’s been eighteen years. What the hell would he want with me?”
“This is the first time in eighteen years he’s really been free. He was in and out of jail. And now you’re all over the news and you have money. You were the only good clean thing in his life.”
“It can’t be . . . it’s just . . . it’s been so long. I’m not in his life. It can’t be about me. It just . . . it makes no sense.”
“For him, an angry caged man, having his first taste of freedom, eighteen years means nothing.”
“Oh, God. If this all comes out, I’ll lose the election.”
“It was a long time ago, Olivia. And you didn’t do anything wrong. You were a kid who got out of a bad situation.”
“I’m the good girl. The one who supports every bill dealing with drug enforcement. I can’t suddenly be the white trash chick from the projects whose best friend was in prison. Plus, how crazy can he possibly be? I mean, a million dollars? How many drugs does he need? That’s a crazy amount of money that Colin wanted.”
“I don’t know, but I need your permission to talk to Annie and the detective about this. It’ll help their investigations and the questioning. You’re right, that is a lot of money. There has to be more. I’m at least happy he’s checking in with his parole officer.”
She exhaled. “Yes. Okay. Please, keep it discreet. I don’t want it out there. I don’t want Sophie to ever know about this side of me.”
He pulled her in and held her tightly, kissing the top of her head. “What side, darlin’? The strong smart side that got out of a bad situation?”
“I wasn’t that smart, Joey.”
“You were just a kid. You got smart quick. Things could’ve been worse.” He pulled back and kissed her. “A lot worse, and you know that.”
She did know that. Instead of running for political office she could have been shooting up somewhere or in prison like everyone else from her past.
“So even with Colin in jail this doesn’t end?”
“Unfortunately, no, babe. It doesn’t.”
She didn’t think so either. There was something that just wasn’t adding up. “You have to protect Sophie, Joey. No matter what, she’s the most important thing.”
He kissed her lips before grabbing his keys. “You’re both my most important things.”
