The phone rang again. Stilton dug into his pocket. Andrea saw the caller ID.
USMS COMPTON.
He looked at her for clarification. She gave the smallest shake of her head, begging his mind to clear so that he didn’t make a mistake that got them both killed.
Stilton cleared his throat. “Hello?”
The phone was loose against his ear, propped up on his crooked pinky finger. Andrea could hear the murmur of Compton’s voice, but could not make out the words.
“Huh,” Stilton said.
There was a long pause as he listened to Compton. Andrea could guess what the boss was saying. Wexler in custody. Nardo at the diner. Arrest warrant in place. Could be armed and dangerous.
Stilton did the exact wrong thing. He looked at Nardo as he responded.
“I’m at the diner now,” he said. “Sure. Sure. I get what you’re saying. No problem.”
Andrea watched Stilton end the call. He placed the phone face down on the table. He moved slowly, resting his arm on the back of his chair. His fingers were inches from the handle of the revolver.
But he left the gun in its holster.
“Nardo,” Stilton said. “Why don’t you tell me about Emily?”
Andrea bit her lip so hard that blood swirled into her mouth.
“Fuck me,” Ricky said. “Let it go, Jack.”
Nardo snorted. His elbows were still cocked back on the counter. Either he or Stilton could reach for their weapon at any time. “Bit of a slut, wasn’t she?”
Andrea felt her jaw ache from clenching together her teeth. Why was Stilton asking about Emily? Compton had clearly given him the go-ahead. Why wasn’t he making the arrest?
Stilton said, “I know you raped her.”
“Do you?” Nardo turned his head to the side, making it clear that he knew Stilton was armed. “I’m not up on the law, old boy, but I believe the statute of limitations ran out—oh, maybe thirty-five years ago.”
“So admit it,” Stilton said. “You raped her.”
“All right, that’s it.” Ricky rapped her knuckles on the counter for attention. “Cheese, you’re drunk. Nardo, I’m tired of your shit. I want everybody out of here. You, too, hon.”
No one moved. The room turned so quiet that Andrea could hear the blood rushing through her body.
Nardo said, “Hell yes, I fucked her.”
Ricky gasped. Andrea’s heart stopped. Stilton didn’t move.
“What?” Nardo looked delighted by their responses. “Don’t tell me no one’s ever thought it before. Of course I fucked her. Did you see her tits?”
Andrea tried to quell a sudden, staggering panic. She had chased a confession for days, and now that it was here, all she could think was that none of them were going to get out of this alive.
“Stilton,” she said. “Nardo has a gun.”
“So do I.” Stilton wrapped his fingers around the handle of the revolver, but he inexplicably left it holstered. He told Nardo, “You didn’t fuck her. You raped her.”
“What I did was fill every single hole that young lady had with my cock.” Nardo drank in Stilton’s look of horror. “She was gagging for it. She couldn’t get enough.”
“Nardo,” Ricky warned.
“Here.” Nardo cleared his throat and hurled a wad of phlegm on the floor. “Test my DNA against Judith’s. All that it will prove is that I came inside of her mother. Though if you must know, I came inside of Emily several times.”