“Okay, that’s good to know. I came here to ask you something so let me just get to it.” She leaned in closer. “What aren’t you telling us?”
“You asked me that before.”
“And you didn’t answer me. And just so you know, I’m the sort of person that when I don’t get an answer, I keep asking until I do.”
“I’ve told you everything.”
“Your voice says you have, but your face says otherwise. I was a Secret Service agent. We read faces like nobody else, Tyler.”
He immediately looked away from her.
She sat back, folded her arms over her chest. “Okay. Is that how it’s going to be?”
Tyler stared down at his hands.
“You could have saved me a trip here, you know. I do have other things to work on,” said Michelle.
He let out a long breath. “I’m sorry. It’s just—I mean, I guess I was just being stupid. My dad’s dead. Nothing you could do will bring him back, right?”
“No, Tyler, there’s nothing we can do about that,” said Michelle quietly.
“And I was thinking about things last night. And… and I guess—” He faltered here and looked so miserable that Michelle’s heart went out to him.
“Tyler, if you want us to stand down, I’m okay with that. It’s your decision. Don’t beat yourself up over it. You have enough to deal with as it is.”
“I… I guess that’s what I want. I mean, for you to, like, you know, stand down, like you said.”
“You’re sure?”
He nodded. “So, how much do I owe you? I brought some cash with me.”
“Consultations are free, so you can keep your wallet in your pocket.”
“You sure?”
“Are you?” she said curtly.
He wouldn’t look at her. “I gotta go now.”
“Right, swim practice.”
He rose.
Michelle said, “Oh, we need to bring your dad’s gun back to you. I didn’t want to do it here because having a gun on school grounds would be pretty bad. We can drop it by your house tonight. You going to be home?”
Tyler looked nervously at her. “Um, I’m not sure. I might have stuff tonight.”
“No problem. We can just drop it off with your stepmom. That okay with you?”
Tyler turned and fled. He looked back twice at Michelle before he even got to the front door, and the distance in between was not that great.
Michelle sat there for a bit wondering one thing.
Who had gotten to Tyler Wingo?
CHAPTER
10