Thicker Than Water by P.J. Parrish Page A

from Duvall, he was the last person who wanted Duvall dead. But there was something else here, too. Cade represented a part of the past that a lot of people wanted to forget. Suing Spencer Duvall would have brought back bad memories for a lot of people, no matter how hard the courts tried to keep the focus on Duvall’s alleged malpractice and away from the evidence that convicted Cade in the first place. The media alone would retry the case. He wondered if Jack Cade looked at it from that angle.
    â€œWhat do you think would have happened if you could have sued Duvall?” Louis asked.
    Cade just looked at him.
    â€œThe evidence would have been reexamined, Cade,” Louis said. “Other people, the newspapers, would retry it all over again, outside of the courtroom. Things would come out that have nothing to do with Duvall’s ability or intent. Hell, other lawyers would step forward with new technology, raise questions. It would have been a circus.”
    â€œTold you, it doesn’t matter now.”
    â€œNot to you, but maybe it did to someone else.”
    Cade looked up at him. “Who?”
    â€œThe person who really killed Kitty Jagger?”
    Cade gave a snort, shaking his head. “Now you’re saying you believe me, that I didn’t do it?”
    Louis hesitated. “Let’s just say I believe that if someone thought Duvall could be sued, they’d be worried about what might come out.”
    The Haitian man raised his voice and Cade looked over at him.
    â€œWho did you tell that you planned to sue Duvall?” Louis asked.
    â€œEveryone from here to Raiford for the last year.”
    â€œDid you see a lawyer?”
    Cade shook his head, his eyes still on the Haitian. “No money.”
    â€œThen we’ll have to go another direction,” Louis said. “We have to talk about Kitty Jagger.”
    Cade looked back quickly. “Fuck that, man.”
    â€œIt’s a believable defense for the mess you’re in now,” Louis said.
    Cade was silent. The Haitian man was ranting, his girlfriend’s crying growing louder.
    â€œYou’ll have to tell me everything that happened twenty years ago,” Louis said.
    Cade sucked in a slow, long breath that expanded his chest under the orange jumpsuit.
    â€œThe only thing I’m going to say is that I was set up.”
    Louis didn’t reply.
    Cade raked at his hair with both hands, glancing again at the Haitian. Suddenly, he spun toward the man. “Hey, shut the fuck up!” he yelled.
    The Haitian man and his girlfriend froze, staring at Cade.
    Louis tapped on the plexiglass.
    â€œCade, forget them. Look at me.”
    Cade’s eyes shot back to him.
    â€œNow tell me about Kitty Jagger,” Louis said.
    Cade shook his head slowly. “It’s over, man.”
    â€œHow did you lose the garden tool?”
    â€œLook, I told you I don’t know nothing about it.”
    â€œWho else had access to your tools?”
    â€œI said I didn’t do it, man.”
    â€œBut someone—”
    â€œI told you!” Cade spat out. “I told you I don’t know who killed that girl!”
    Louis’s eyes flicked up to the deputy watching Cade’s back, then he looked back at Cade.
    â€œShe had a name, Cade. Her name was Kitty.”
    Louis was amazed to see a small smile tip Cade’s lips.
    â€œKitty,” he said slowly. He cut Kitty’s name into two sharp syllables, holding each between his teeth before spitting them out.
    Louis felt something tighten inside his chest.
    â€œI didn’t kill Kitty,” Cade said. “Kitty killed me, man.”
    Cade sat back in his chair, staring at Louis. His eyes had gone opaque in the florescent lights. The Haitian man had started up again, his voice ricocheting off the concrete walls.
    Louis rubbed the bridge of his nose. Suddenly, the room seemed to close in on him, the stale stench, the clang of a door, the