“And you’re here to try to convince me that you’re innocent,” he guessed, a pensive look on his face. “You already met Jacob Hall. Mr. Hall is helping me look into anyone who might want to pin Jaz for the murder of Brittany Pots. Your name has come up more than once.”
I was about to say more, but Oliver held up a hand, stopping me.
“You blame Jaz for word getting out about your father, even though she swears she has nothing to do with it. You hated Brittany for figuring everything out and using it to blackmail you into a relationship. By killing Brittany and framing Jaz, you eliminate them both simultaneously. I still haven’t figured out how her DNA wound up at the crime scene, but I’m sure something will come to light—”
The way he talked, it sounded like he was already positive I was the one who killed Brittany, that I’d be smart enough to frame Jaz and get rid of them both. I might get decent grades, but a frame job wasn’t my forte, and as for getting rid of Jaz? I…even though I might not like her right now, I didn’t want that.
“I didn’t do it,” I cut in. “I’m not a killer.”
“But you did hide your relationship with Brittany from Jaz from the beginning, did you not?”
I sat back, stunned. Damn. Jaz really did tell him everything, didn’t she? I wasn’t sure what to make of that, because I’d been banking on her keeping certain things to herself, like that.
“And you took Jaz to a party, knowing Brittany would use the opportunity to get her revenge,” Oliver plowed on. “How can you look at me here, right now, knowing that I am aware of your past with Jaz, knowing that I am aware you felt great bitterness toward Brittany blackmailing you, and try to claim innocence? Even if you are not the one who murdered Ms. Pots, you still are guilty of dragging Ms. Smith into your mess without a care in the world. If it was not for you, Jaz would not be in this situation. You might not be guilty of murder, Mr. Vega, but you are guilty of something.”
His blunt words made me feel…well, guilty. Like this was all my fault. Maybe it was. Maybe Jaz was just an innocent soul, caught in the web I’d dragged her into while she was blindfolded, not knowing the danger I led her to.
Oliver was a lawyer, and a damned good one at that, so I knew he was good at acting. A courtroom was a stage, and he’d become a master at it. Yet, as I sat there, listening to his speech about how guilty I was of something, I couldn’t help but feel like he was right. Like this wasn’t an act, like Oliver sincerely believed Jaz’s innocence.
Like I was the biggest ass in the world.
My emotions must’ve been plain on my face, for Oliver’s voice quieted as he said, “You’re still so young. You have your entire life ahead of you. Do not let your mistakes cloud your judgment, and don’t let your hatred guide you. You say you’re innocent? Prove it. Prove to me that I should be looking somewhere else. Prove to Jaz that you’re not the egotistical liar she thinks you are. Be better than your father, Archer.”
Did Oliver Fitzpatrick believe me? I…I didn’t know what to think, and I definitely didn’t know what to say at this point. This whole thing wasn’t going at all how I imagined it would, but, as much as I didn’t want to admit it, maybe that was for the best.
I opened my mouth, but no words came out, so I settled for leaning forward and leaning my face against my hands, as if I could blink and make all of this disappear. Make everything simple and easy again.
But this was Midpark, and things were never simple or easy here.
“You and Jaz…” Oliver’s voice broke into my thoughts, and I was slow to remove my hands from my face to look at him. “You both point fingers at the other, and either one of you is right, or you’re both wrong. Ms. Smith is my client, so I’m bound to her side, but I’ve spent years pretending that these cases don’t bother me. Years pretending that I’ve done enough. What happened