Page 73 of The Other Side of Green

“Jack, if you could give me a heads up now before I take you in for processing it will help me. No one wants you to go to jail for what happened to that monster. He doesn’t deserve anyone paying a price for putting him where he belongs.”

“Exactly how soon after Dad got arrested did you make a move on Mom?” I raised an eyebrow.

“It wasn’t like that. I’d thought about your mother a lot over the years.”

“That’s a non-answer.”

Phillipe pushed his hand through his hair. His dark-blue eyes matched his olive skin, making him look suave, not sleazy. “I was the one who arrested your father. After what your mom told he had done over the years, he was lucky that was all I did.”

“So you get it?”

Phillipe peered at me closely. “I do. But that doesn’t mean I think you did it. Your mom is convinced, and while I might not always approve of the decisions that she’s made, I trust her to tell the truth.”

I frowned. “What do you mean, the decisions she’s made?”

“Let’s deal with one thing at a time, shall we?”

“We might need to get things cleared up now. Who knows when I might be a free man again?”

Phillipe snorted. “Jeez, you definitely got your momma’s sense of drama. Come on, let’s get this processed. You can tell us that you found it down an alleyway and didn’t know what to do with it, or that someone gave it to you.” He side-eyed me which made sweat prickle across my back. Yeah, I wouldn’t be saying that. Not today. Not ever.

As we walked back through to the main living room, Mom sprung from the sofa. “Jack, please, you’ve got to tell the truth.”

“I will,” I lied.

“Don’t worry about anything else. Just the truth.”

I nodded. “I’m sorry, Mom.”

“Oh my baby, don’t be sorry. I know you haven’t done anything wrong.” Her words made me stop still.

“Mom, you don’t know the half of what I’ve done.”

“And I don’t care.”

I took her hand and kissed her palm, then her cheek. “I’ve written Evan’s number down, here.” I pulled the scrap of paper out of my pocket. “Can you call him and let him know what’s going on. Tell him I need him in Boston.”

“Why? Why do you need him in Boston?”

My throat constricted. “Because I need someone to make sure she’s okay,” I whispered.

“Oh, Jack,” she said with a sigh.

“Okay, let’s get this done.” Phillip grasped my elbow lightly, like he expected me to bolt. Where was I going? The dude had a side arm and no real reason to keep me alive apart from the fact my mom might never forgive him.

“It’s okay, I’m coming in willingly.”

Outside, I was taken aback by the still sticky edge to the air. Boston had definitely re-acclimatized me. Phillip beeped his car and opened the door for me, I was getting the full works treatment. He stared at me hard. “Alleyway, right?”

I gave a small nod of my head. Sure, whatever.

A screech of tires had us both turning. Phillipe’s hand landing automatically on his gun. Lyra leapt out of a car, swiftly followed by Luca. “What’s going on?”

“Lyra.” I sighed. “I told you to go to the airport.”

“Yeah, and you wouldn’t tell me why, which means I’m not going.” Her sharp gaze swept to Phillipe, who was in one hundred percent smooth detective mode, and she noticed the carrier bag in his hand. She clapped her hand to her mouth, eyes wide as she stared back at me. I held my hand up giving a small shake of my head while Luca whistled an inhaled intake of air through his teeth.

“Detective Lufette is taking me to the precinct to ask me some questions is all.”