Fate Actually (Moonstone Cove #2) - Elizabeth Hunter Page 0,76
thought he was loyal.”
“I thought he was too.” Nico shook his head. “I don’t want to keep guessing. Did you call him?”
Henry nodded, and the wave of guilt nearly knocked Toni over. “Yeah. I didn’t say anything, just asked when he would be back.”
“Okay.” Nico walked over and leaned against the barn. “Then we wait.”
Nico and Henry went back to work, so Toni and Drew went to Nico’s office to wait. Toni stretched out on Nico’s couch and leaned against a threadbare pillow that smelled a little dusty. She didn’t care. It was nearly three o’clock, and she was about to pass out from exhaustion.
“Your symptoms getting worse?” Drew asked, eying her from the easy chair next to the desk.
“They’re not too bad so far.” She yawned. “Exhaustion is the most obvious one. I get morning sick at night, so sometimes I have to force myself to eat. Uh…”
“Your hips hurt?”
She nodded. “Yeah! What is that about?”
Drew shrugged. “Something about your joints loosening up. My wife hated that part.”
“I don’t blame her.” Toni shuddered. “Was it worse with twins? Probably, right?”
“Oh yeah. Everything is real… extreme. It’s, like, extreme pregnancy, all-star edition or something.”
“Well, this one only has one heartbeat,” Toni said. “So I think I’m in the clear for that.”
“Probably a good thing.” Drew smothered a smile.
“What?”
“Nothin’.” He shook his head.
“No, not nothin’. I can see you’ve got some smart-ass comment or something you’re just dying to—”
“I was gonna say at least Henry will have someone to watch Sesame Street with now.”
Toni snorted. “Good one.”
“Mister Rogers probably.”
“I can’t even argue with any of these. He probably loves all those shows. He’s very…”
“Wholesome?” Drew asked.
“Like a Midwestern dairy product.” Toni nodded. “And that’s good. At least one of this kid’s parents is going to be up for the task.”
“Oh, you’ll do fine. Just remind Henry—when he gives you shit about letting the kid listen to the Sex Pistols—that you don’t have to worry about toddlers repeating song lyrics for about two, maybe three years.”
“I’ll tuck that bit of wisdom away,” Toni said. “Thanks, Drew.”
“I’m full of fatherly advice.” He stretched his legs out. “Wish I knew more about this Danny Barba guy though.”
“Well, you wouldn’t know about Danny because he’s a very normal, very noncriminal person. I do not know what is going on here, but I guarantee it didn’t start with him.”
Danny stared at the bloody shirt for a long time, not saying a word.
“Mr. Barba?” Drew snapped his fingers in front of Danny’s face. “I understand your confusion, but if you could answer the question for me—”
“I don’t know whose it is.” His face hardly moved when he spoke.
Toni and Henry were watching from the couch. Drew was in the chair across from Danny, and Nico was sitting on the edge of his desk.
“Danny, whatever is going on—”
“I’m serious, boss.” Danny turned to Nico. “I didn’t hurt anyone. I don’t know whose blood that is.”
Drew glanced at Toni.
“You’re lying,” she said, leaning her elbows on her knees to get closer to Danny, trying to sort out the confusing mix of emotions coming off him in jagged, panicked bursts. “You’re telling the truth, but you’re lying too. You believe you didn’t hurt anyone. You really believe that.”
Danny’s eyes darted to the bloody shirt; then he looked away.
“But you know—or you think you know—who that shirt belongs to. You know whose blood is on it.”
He snorted and looked at Toni from the corner of his eye. “What are you? Psychic or something? You don’t know shit.”
Drew said, “I may not be psychic, but I know that this shirt looks like it belongs to someone who beat the shit out of another human being. And I know there’s more than enough blood on it to get a match. So whose is it, Danny? It’ll be better if you tell me yourself. Whit Fairfield or Marissa Dusi?”
Danny went pale. “I’d never beat a woman.”
“So you’re admitting you killed Fairfield then?” Drew nodded. “I mean, everyone said he was an asshole, right? Probably better that he’s dead. Who’s gonna miss him?”
“I never said I killed that Fairfield guy!”
“It’s either Fairfield’s blood or Marissa’s, Danny.” Drew scooted closer. “Nothing else makes sense.”
“That’s bullshit.” Danny was on the verge of panic. “I want a lawyer,” he said. “Right the hell now.”
Toni tried to sort through the emotions. There was too much. Drew’s calm focus was the easiest to ignore, but Nico and Henry were both tense and intent on Danny.