they weren’t close, but it’s tearing me up inside. I don’t understand why.”
“Because they’re your parents. They’re supposed to be together. They just took a jackhammer to the foundation of your life.”
“Exactly!” She looked at him with gratitude. “I knew you’d understand. That’s it. It’s like my life’s been shaken up in a bag and dumped out, pieces falling everywhere. I don’t know what’s true anymore.”
“And you feel helpless.”
“I do. That, too. I don’t think my mother knows, thank God. But I can’t figure out why all of a sudden Dad would do this. Something happened, don’t you think? Maybe Dad found out about Bill Fallon hitting on my mother... Maybe that night, Bill Fallon was with Mom instead of at poker... Maybe he was coming back when the accident happened... That could be what he’s hiding and why my mother seems so messed up.”
Her eyes were frantic, and he could tell the speculation was distracting her from the pain and confusion she felt.
“Sounds kind of far-fetched, don’t you think?”
But she didn’t hear him. “What if Faye found out? Maybe her let it go text was about the divorce. Maybe that’s why they were together that night. Maybe that’s why she saw a therapist. She would be even more upset than I am.” Her eyes darted like her words. “The poker guys! They have to know something. You said you’d talk to one of them, remember? That’s important.”
“I said I would if I could figure out the right approach.”
“I still don’t know where the car is. Maybe you could ask Fallon. Surely he knows. Also, you should confirm that they did collect the evidence. While you’re at it, check the photos.”
“I can’t hound the man, Tara.”
She locked gazes with him, finally acknowledging he was part of this conversation. “Hound the man? You mean make sure he does his job? They could junk the car any day, Dylan. We can’t waste time.”
“If I push, he’ll dig in his heels.”
“I don’t care how small the town, police are supposed to investigate. The law is the law. And you’re his boss. You could fire him.”
Dylan had to work with Fallon after Tara was gone. He didn’t need more enmity than already existed. He wanted no trouble from Fallon until he retired. “We’re not tracking a suspect, Tara. We have no reason to believe a crime has been committed. Fallon will do what I asked, don’t worry.”
She looked at him in a way he remembered with dread, as if he’d betrayed her. “And if we find evidence that a crime has been committed? What then? Will we pursue it? Or cover it up?”
“Come on, Tara.”
She stared at him, clearly fighting the urge to argue. She sat back, then spoke in a voice of forced calm. “Okay. You won’t push him. However, I think we should get a different mechanic to check the car. If Tony Carmichael serviced my father’s cars, like you said, he might not admit that the brakes failed.”
“Tony’s honest. He’s worked on our cars forever.”
“He’s human. Humans don’t like to admit failure. And with all this foot-dragging, I think I should hire an accident expert. They’ll have forensic mechanics who’ll know what to look for in the engine. Better yet, tell Fallon I’m bringing in experts and maybe he’ll snap to and do his job. Unless he’s guilty, of course, and then he’ll—”
“Hold it.” Dylan raised his hands. “The only thing Bill Fallon is guilty of is lazy police work. You agreed we’d find out what we could before you call out the artillery.”
“You said you’d help me,” she said, anger crackling in her eyes.
“I am helping you. I’m trying to be the voice of reason. But you don’t trust me. I can see that. Nobody’s innocent to you. Not even me.”
“I get it,” she said, her voice low with held-back fury. “Your job is to babysit me until I get tired of spinning my wheels and give up and leave. That’s it, isn’t it? You and Bill Fallon probably worked it all out, had a good laugh over me being so frantic.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“I should have known.”
“Known what?” he spat out, angry now, too.
“That you’re part of this town. You don’t see the corruption, the stupidity, the smugness. You put up with it. You go along. Well, I won’t. I’ll do what has to be done on my own.” She got up, bumping the table so the flatware rattled, and stalked off, every eye in the place following her.