"I wouldn't stay for you."
"Probably not."
His mouth opened, as if he'd been prepared for me to disagree. He paused and then said, "I wouldn't. You know I wouldn't."
"Doesn't matter. You're my partner. I watch your back."
He paused. Then he cleared his throat. "What if I've done something that I'm quite certain would make you change your mind about that?"
"About what?"
"Whether we are, indeed, partners. Whether you should stay to watch my back."
I checked out the door again. "If you mean about your mother, I already know."
Silence. I was still peering out the door, listening. After a moment, I backed in and closed it a little more.
"Evans told me," I said, not turning. "He called me here for that. He'd done a background check when you first tried to interview him. An extensive one."
More silence. When I turned, his face was taut, blank.
"You said something about my mother," he said finally. "He told you that she left, I presume?"
"And the rest."
"The rest?"
I backed into the room, flexed my arm, shoulder still aching.
"Evans told me that the police found her body; they just never made the connection. Evans tried to say you gave her the overdose. I think you just moved her, so you wouldn't get sent to children's services. Maybe I'm wrong. Frankly, I don't care. Whatever you did, I'm not leaving you behind."
"Found her body...?"
His tone made me look over, and when I saw his expression, I knew without a doubt that he had not moved Seanna Walsh's body. That he had not killed her. That he'd had no idea his mother was dead.
Shit.
His gaze lifted to mine. "What exactly did Evans say?"
"Nothing. Never mind. I shouldn't have opened my mouth. He was just trying to throw me off the trail."
"What did he say?"
"Never--"
"Olivia."
I met his eyes and saw not anger, but shock. Dread.
"He said they found her body a couple of months after she disappeared. He had photos. Maybe they were doctored. I just ... I thought that's what you meant. I'm sorry. But I'm not leaving, okay? We need to wait here until the cops arrive."
He was quiet for a moment before shaking his head. "No. We can't do that."
"Yes, it's not the most heroic conclusion but--"
"If we lose Chandler, we lose our explanation for all this. If the police show up, he'll bolt." He moved his leg and grimaced. "Damn it."
A line of sweat trickled down the side of his face. He was in extreme pain. Enough to distract him from any plan except getting me out of here. And having me tell him his mother was dead really hadn't helped.