Page 31 of Blind Trust
Terrel swallowed. He used the napkin to wipe his forehead. “Look, I don’t want no trouble. I only did what he asked. He never told me why he wanted to send the letters to her.” He tilted his head in Lyla’s direction. “Only that he had to—every third month, no exceptions. Jerry was easygoing about a lot of things, but not that.”
“Why was he obsessed with me?”
Terrel ran his palms over the Formica tabletop. Lyla noticed he was glancing around the bowling alley similar to the way Genevieve had in the alleyway.
“Was Genevieve always a part of the plan?”
“Who’s Genevieve?”
“Jerry’s sister.” Lyla caught the quick shift in Terrel’s gaze, revealing he knew exactly who Genevieve was. “Did you send her to give me the flash drive? What were you trying to steal?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t know Jerry’s sister, and I ain’t stealing anything.”
His frustration looked genuine, and so far the man seemed forthright in his answers.
Nicolás frowned. “You don’t know about the flash drive?”
“Look, I already told you I sent those letters, but you ain’t gonna pin no theft on me. Go ahead and call my PO.” He chewed on his toothpick. “I’m ready to go in. Safer in jail anyway.”
Lyla sat forward. “What did you say?”
Terrel eyed her. “What?”
Her heart began pounding faster. “You said you’re safer in jail. Why did you say that?”
“I don’t know. I heard it.”
“From who?” Lyla watched him press his lips together, and her frustration grew. “From who? Jerry?” His eyes widened a fraction. “Why was Jerry safer in jail? Did he tell you?”
“Look, I’m done.” Terrel started to stand. “Call the police or don’t.”
“Jerry Miller is dead,” Lyla blurted out.
Terrel froze. “What?”
“Two nights ago,” she said. “Killed himself.”
“Nah.” Terrel shook his head. “Nah, that’s not right.”
“Why not?” Nicolás asked.
“I don’t know what you’ve been told, but Jerry didn’t kill himself—he was murdered.”
11
Nic watched the color drain from Lyla’s face. He turned on Terrel and asked, “What do you mean Jerry was murdered?”
“Man!” Terrel’s breathing grew rapid, his eyes darting around the bowling alley. He was becoming agitated. “I thought the guy was blowing smoke, but you two come in here and now I got to be worried about my girl.”
This coming from the same man who sent his nephew to bust Lyla’s windshield with a brick. Nic wasn’t buying it. “What makes you think Jerry was murdered?”
“Look, I don’t want no trouble, but Jerry was scared, man. I’d been in two years already, and you have to get tough, ya know what I’m saying? Can’t come in looking like an appetizer. Tax evasion, fraud, or murder—brothers will eat you up. Not Jerry. Man waltzed in like he was checking into the Ritz. Set himself up real nice, and I thought,Man, this guy knows how to do it. ’Cept he gets a visit from his lawyer, and Jerry’s on edge, like he’s taken a hit on the good stuff, know what I’m saying?”
Nic was beginning to wonder if Terrel had taken his own hit from the way his knees were bouncing beneath the table. It was starting to make Nic nervous. Across the table, Lyla appeared calm, but the way she was worrying her lower lip told him it was a façade.
“Anyway, he asks me to write some letters.” Terrel looked at Lyla. “To you. Never told me what to say, just to make it scary. Iasked him what his beef was with you, but he wouldn’t say. Just wanted you to know he was still there. I never thought much about it until I was about to get out. Jerry asked me to write one more letter, ’cept this time he told me exactly what to say.” Terrel gave a nervous chuckle. “I thought maybe I’d taught him well, but there was something different about him. Brother was scared. First time I seen him like that. Asked him if he was okay, said I could keep writing the letters if he was willin’ to pay, but he said this would be the last letter and he wanted to make sure you didn’t miss this one. He called me a couple days ago and told me to deliver it. I paid my sister’s kid to deliver it, but”—his nervous gaze flickered to Nic—“I didn’t tell him how to deliver it.”
“Why was this letter so important?”
