Page 61 of Little Bitter Truths
For a moment, she said nothing.
Then her eyes filled with tears.
“I had no idea,” she said.“No one told me.”
“I don’t think anyone knew what to say,” I said.“Or maybe they assumed someone else had already reached out.”
“It doesn't change the fact that I deserved to know.Things between us weren’t good, but I never stopped caring about him.I wouldn’t have wanted this for him.”Her gaze drifted away.“What did his mother tell you?”
“She told me you called her when you were thinking about breaking up with Christian.”
“I did.I didn’t know how else to handle it, and I needed advice.”
“She had a lot of nice things to say about you.”
I paused, trying to decide whether I should mention the fact that Christian was attempting to send her a text message when he died, which could have been the cause of the accident.Telling her wouldn’t make a difference now, and it wouldn’t change the outcome, but if she was going to hear it from someone, I’d rather it be me.
“There’s something else you should know,” I said.“When the accident happened, the police feel confident Christian was writing a text message, one he planned to send to you.”
“Me?Is that why he had the accident?You know what?Don’t answer that.I don’t want to know.I don’t even want to think about it.It’s too much right now.”
“I understand.”
I allowed the topic of Christian to settle before shifting back to the case.“Mia, I’ve spoken to almost everyone we’ve discussed so far.Christian and Renee are no longer possibilities.I’m running out of people to question.”
She nodded but said nothing.
“It means one of two things,” I continued.“Either the murderer has done a great job of eluding me, or we’ve overlooked someone and why that person would want you dead.”
“I’ve been thinking a lot about the names I gave you since we last talked, going over everything and everyone.”
“And?”
“I don’t know.No one else stands out.”
“I’d like you to give more thought to your past and your present.People at work, people you’ve dated.Friends, past and present.Neighbors.Anyone you might have crossed without realizing it.”
“I will,” she said.
For now, it was all I could ask.
We chatted for a few more minutes, and I stood.“I should get going.”
“Thank you for telling me about Christian, even if it wasn’t easy for me to hear.”
“You deserved to know what happened.”
As I walked away, my thoughts moved in too many directions at once.I tried bringing them into focus, and I thought about Simon.I couldn’t get him out of my mind.There was something about him.Something almost familiar.But I was certain we’d never met before.
I pulled away from the curb, my mind turning it over, trying to place him.
His face, his voice.
I drove down the street, the house shrinking in the rearview mirror as I got farther away.Halfway down the block, it hit me, hard, and I tightened my grip on the steering wheel.
Simon Sullivan had lied to me.
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