us. It was close enough now that I could tell it was Dirt in the driver’s seat.
We parked, Dirt pulling in right beside us. Now some of my bravado had left and I was left feeling a little bit nervous.
We all got out at the same time and Dirt walked over to stand in front of his car. It took me a moment to realize that spot partially hid him from the restaurant because of the angle of the slots. He was definitely being careful, which made me feel a little better. I was right; he wouldn’t want to cause a scene.
We all just stood there for a few seconds until finally I couldn’t take it anymore.
“What are you doing here, Dirt? If you went through all the trouble of escaping jail, why not head somewhere people don’t recognize you? Why are you hanging out where you grew up?”
“You have to help me, Presley,” he said with the sound of desperation in his voice.
“Dirt, you’re an escaped convict from jail. What could I possibly help you with?”
“You’ve got to help me clear my name.”
Tobey and I looked at each other, both of us thoroughly confused.
“Dirt, I don’t understand. You were tried and convicted by a jury of your peers and all that. Now you’ve added escaped convict to that list of transgressions. I can’t help you. I mean, what the hell do you want me to do?”
“I can explain everything. I’m innocent and I’ll tell you what happened, but not here. You’re right; it’s dangerous for me to be out here where people can recognize me. Meet me tonight at 10:00 p.m. at the old bridge we used to play at. And bring Katy and Chris.”
“What old bridge?” Tobey asked.
“Presley knows. 10:00 p.m.,” he said again and then got back in his car and sped off.
“What bridge?” Tobey asked.
“From when we were kids, but who cares about the damn bridge. Did you not hear what he just said to us? That he’s innocent.”
“Do you believe him?”
I thought about it for a minute. I had been so shocked when Dirt had admitted he’d killed Senator Daniels on the orders of Garrison Palazzo, but he had admitted it, so of course I believed it. So, no. It wasn’t that hard to believe he was innocent because it had been hard for me to believe his guilt.
“That’s a hard question, but honestly, I think he might be telling the truth.”
“So you think we should meet him?”
I thought about it for a minute and slowly nodded my head. “Yeah, I do.”
“OK. How do you propose we get Chris and Katy to go along with this?”
“I don’t know, but we need to talk to them now.”
“You want to skip trying to talk to Diane and Trish?”
“For now. Don’t you think this takes priority?” I said as he pulled out of the lot.
“You’re right.”
“You need to call Chris and tell him to meet us at Katy’s.”
While Tobey called Chris, I sent Katy a text telling her we were on our way, it was important. She didn’t argue so she either didn’t want to be alone anymore, or she assumed important meant she had no choice. And for the moment, as much as I hated the thought, she really had no choice but to deal with Chris. At least until we heard what Dirt had to say, and knowing Katy, she would put her own feelings aside to help Dirt.
“Voicemail,” Tobey said. “I told him to call me right away, that it was an emergency.”
Chapter 13
O h my God, I can’t believe this! How could I be so stupid to have trusted him again?” Katy said through her tears. “I will never talk to him again!”
We had just arrived at Katy’s and she had met us at the door in sweatpants, with a tear–stained face, and a pint of Chunky Monkey in her hand. A girl’s go–to self–pity food.
“I understand. I completely do, but you have to listen to me. Temporarily, I need you to pull it together and face Chris.”
“What? Are you crazy? Oh, no. This is the last time he’s made a fool out of me. I will never forgive him this time and he knows it.”
I grabbed the Chunky Monkey and set it down on the
We parked, Dirt pulling in right beside us. Now some of my bravado had left and I was left feeling a little bit nervous.
We all got out at the same time and Dirt walked over to stand in front of his car. It took me a moment to realize that spot partially hid him from the restaurant because of the angle of the slots. He was definitely being careful, which made me feel a little better. I was right; he wouldn’t want to cause a scene.
We all just stood there for a few seconds until finally I couldn’t take it anymore.
“What are you doing here, Dirt? If you went through all the trouble of escaping jail, why not head somewhere people don’t recognize you? Why are you hanging out where you grew up?”
“You have to help me, Presley,” he said with the sound of desperation in his voice.
“Dirt, you’re an escaped convict from jail. What could I possibly help you with?”
“You’ve got to help me clear my name.”
Tobey and I looked at each other, both of us thoroughly confused.
“Dirt, I don’t understand. You were tried and convicted by a jury of your peers and all that. Now you’ve added escaped convict to that list of transgressions. I can’t help you. I mean, what the hell do you want me to do?”
“I can explain everything. I’m innocent and I’ll tell you what happened, but not here. You’re right; it’s dangerous for me to be out here where people can recognize me. Meet me tonight at 10:00 p.m. at the old bridge we used to play at. And bring Katy and Chris.”
“What old bridge?” Tobey asked.
“Presley knows. 10:00 p.m.,” he said again and then got back in his car and sped off.
“What bridge?” Tobey asked.
“From when we were kids, but who cares about the damn bridge. Did you not hear what he just said to us? That he’s innocent.”
“Do you believe him?”
I thought about it for a minute. I had been so shocked when Dirt had admitted he’d killed Senator Daniels on the orders of Garrison Palazzo, but he had admitted it, so of course I believed it. So, no. It wasn’t that hard to believe he was innocent because it had been hard for me to believe his guilt.
“That’s a hard question, but honestly, I think he might be telling the truth.”
“So you think we should meet him?”
I thought about it for a minute and slowly nodded my head. “Yeah, I do.”
“OK. How do you propose we get Chris and Katy to go along with this?”
“I don’t know, but we need to talk to them now.”
“You want to skip trying to talk to Diane and Trish?”
“For now. Don’t you think this takes priority?” I said as he pulled out of the lot.
“You’re right.”
“You need to call Chris and tell him to meet us at Katy’s.”
While Tobey called Chris, I sent Katy a text telling her we were on our way, it was important. She didn’t argue so she either didn’t want to be alone anymore, or she assumed important meant she had no choice. And for the moment, as much as I hated the thought, she really had no choice but to deal with Chris. At least until we heard what Dirt had to say, and knowing Katy, she would put her own feelings aside to help Dirt.
“Voicemail,” Tobey said. “I told him to call me right away, that it was an emergency.”
Chapter 13
O h my God, I can’t believe this! How could I be so stupid to have trusted him again?” Katy said through her tears. “I will never talk to him again!”
We had just arrived at Katy’s and she had met us at the door in sweatpants, with a tear–stained face, and a pint of Chunky Monkey in her hand. A girl’s go–to self–pity food.
“I understand. I completely do, but you have to listen to me. Temporarily, I need you to pull it together and face Chris.”
“What? Are you crazy? Oh, no. This is the last time he’s made a fool out of me. I will never forgive him this time and he knows it.”
I grabbed the Chunky Monkey and set it down on the
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