Identity Crisis (Sam McRae Mystery #1)

Chapter 31

Skip unfolded himself from the car, pointing the gun at me. It pretty much answered the question I'd started to ask. He looked about as natural with a gun as I would have carrying a jackhammer.

He looked from me to Rhonda and back at me. "What's going on?"

"Put that away," Rhonda said.

Skip shook his head.

"What are you going to do with it?" Rhonda spoke as if to an unruly child.

"What's going on?" He repeated the words in a soft, throaty voice.

"I'm ready to go. Are you?" Rhonda said.

He nodded my way. "What does she know?"

"Nothing. Not a goddamn thing. Now shut your mouth."

"The cops came by my place."

Rhonda did a double take. "What? When?"

"Today. This afternoon."

"What'd you tell them?"

"I didn't answer the door. I heard them talking about getting a warrant."

"How the hell can they do that?"

"I don't know." He looked at me. "What do you know about this?"

"Nothing," I said in complete truth.

His gaze shifted to Rhonda.

"What?" she said.

"Did you tell them anything?"

Rhonda's jaw dropped. "Are you crazy?"

"Why would they be able to get a warrant?"

"I don't know. Don't look at me. I wouldn't ... you know I wouldn't. Not after everything—"

She shot a nervous glance at me.

Skip appeared dazed. "After everything I've done for you?"

"That's enough," Rhonda said.

He didn't react to her words.

"What did you do?" I asked.

"Shut up!" Rhonda yelled.

I wasn't sure if she was talking to me or Skip.

"Nothing," he said. "Everything."

"What do you mean?"

"Skip, don't say another word."

"You killed them?" I said. "Why?"

"No," he said. "But I let it happen."

"Goddamn you." Rhonda's face was livid. "How can you do this to me?"

"I can't let it go on," he said.

"What?" I said. "Let what go on?"

"The lies. They'll come after us, you know. They'll come after me."

"Did you steal the money?" I asked, trying to make sense of his words.

"Yes. And that's all it was supposed to be. No one was supposed to get hurt."

I looked at Rhonda. Tears streamed down her face.

"Oh, you fool," she said. "I love you, but you're such a fool."

"All this time, I covered for you," he said. "I protected you. All because of an accident fifteen years ago. But I'm not going to prison, not even for you."