“Jeez, Jen, I came this close.”
She started to blubber. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I was wrong. I know I was wrong. If you want me to, I’ll tell the police.”
If I wanted her to. Like it was up to me. Like she had a choice. I waited for her to calm down a little. Then I said, “The cops are going to want to talk to you again, Jen. They’re going to want to ask you again where you were. If you don’t tell them about Peter this time, I’m going to have to. You understand that, right?”
She wiped her tears. Then she nodded.
“I know,” she said. Her voice was soft, but solid now. Ready, maybe, to do the right thing. Ready to think about someone else for a change. Me. She looked over at my friend.
“Who’s that?” she said. “Your new girlfriend?”
I glanced down the sidewalk where Rebecca was standing, waiting for me, her red hair ablaze in the afternoon sun.
“Maybe,” I said.
After all, a guy can hope, right?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Norah McClintock is the author of several mystery series for teenagers and a five-time winner of the Crime Writers of Canada’s Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile Crime Novel. McClintock was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec. She lives in Toronto with her husband and children.
Truth and Lies Page 16