Secrets and Sin, page 18
“What are you looking at?”
“Ethan,” she replied. “We just had the craziest interaction. He came out of the alleyway between the buildings. He asked what I was doing here, and I told him. He said that we should drop it, and I said that we wouldn’t. Then he said that he was meeting someone here, and then about ten seconds later he said he had to go. Then he gave me a hug. That’s weird, right? It’s not just me?”
“That is weird,” Zack agreed. “What did he say when you told him we weren’t going to drop it?”
“That was strange, too,” Lucy explained. “He said to drop it, and I said that we wouldn’t because Sarah’s disappearance might be linked to your mother’s. Then he said that it wasn’t. He seemed sure about it, too. Then he said he was meeting someone right before he practically ran out of here. I have to tell you, he seemed really nervous the entire time, constantly looking over his shoulder. I was starting to get paranoid just because he was.”
“I think Ethan and I need to have another talk,” Zack replied. “In the meantime, I think we should go see Ed Farrow. I have a few questions for him.”
Lucy could only hope that they might finally get some answers.
18
The meeting with Ed Farrow was a gigantic bust. He’d blown Zack off immediately, saying that he didn’t remember back that far. When Zack had tried to ask about underage kids getting into the bar, Farrow almost exploded, telling him to get the hell out of his restaurant and to not come back or he’d call the cops.
“That escalated quickly,” Lucy said when they were back in the car. “Ed Farrow seems to have anger issues. He was quite defensive.”
“That’s an understatement,” Zack agreed, driving out of the parking lot. “That guy should never play poker. He had guilt written all over his face. He’s not fooling anyone.”
“What’s the next step?” Lucy asked. “Where do we go from here?”
“We go talk to Ethan again,” Zack replied. “No matter what he says, he and Sarah were definitely dating in high school, and he knew her well. I don’t want to wait for the investigator that Cooper and Frankie are going to hire and give Ethan a chance to think up a better story. He knew what was going on in her life, and he’s trying to hide it for some reason.”
“I’m guessing because he was involved in it.”
“Probably, although he was pretty wild back in high school, and he wasn’t ashamed of it in the least.”
It didn’t take long to get to Ethan’s house. It was in one of the nicer middle-class neighborhoods in Winslow Heights, just a few blocks from the high school. Zack had just pulled in front of the rambling ranch-style home when his cell phone rang. Checking the screen, he had a strong urge not to answer the call.
It was Joel Winslow.
“It’s my dad.”
“Are you going to answer it?”
No. Absolutely not. Fuck it. What did the asshole have to say for himself today?
“What’s up, Dad?”
“What in the hell are you doing?” Joel growled, not bothering with a greeting or social niceties. “Why are you bothering my friends? Ed Farrow is a good man and friend. I don’t know what you’re accusing him of, but I can assure you that he’s a man of great character.”
Zack checked his watch. Five minutes. That was it.
It had taken less than five minutes for Ed Farrow to call Joel to whine and complain about Zack’s visit. That had to be some sort of record.
“It’s interesting that you use the word accuse, Dad, because I didn’t accuse Farrow of anything. I just wanted to ask him a few questions about the bar that he used to own and manage. He’s the one that jumped to the conclusion that he was being accused. Maybe he has a guilty conscience about something.”
Zack had learned early on in his life that poking the bear wasn’t a good idea. Now that he was a grown ass man, he didn’t give a flying rat’s ass about upsetting his father. He’d poke away and damn the consequences. As far as he was concerned, his father wasn’t challenged nearly enough. He’d surrounded himself with people who only said yes.
“I don’t like your tone, Zackary. Ed Farrow is my friend, and as such I expect you to treat him with respect.”
Fuck that. My tone? What am I? Twelve?
“I respect people who have earned it. I don’t respect people just because you play golf with them or smoke cigars at the club with them. I asked Farrow a question and he immediately flew off the handle. Then he called you to get your son in line, like I was a kid or something. That isn’t going to fly with me. Now did you want to talk about anything else? Otherwise, I’m hanging up.”
Zack didn’t wait for his father’s reply, simply ending the call and tucking his phone back into his pocket. If his father called back - and he doubted that would happen - he wasn’t planning to accept it.
“I only heard half of that, but it didn’t sound happy.”
“Farrow tattled on me to Dad. Dad called me to tell me off. Just the usual shit with my father. I’m sorry you had to hear any of it, though. My family must seem like a nightmare compared to your own.”
“Mom can be a little gossipy, but most of the time they’re both terrific. I know that it’s not always that way with everyone, though. Your siblings are great.”
“They are,” Zack agreed. “It’s been nice to spend some time with them. Are you ready to talk to Ethan again? I hope he’s here.”
There was a vehicle in the driveway, but Zack didn’t know if it was Ethan’s.
“Should I stay in the car? He might talk to you more easily if I’m not there.”
“He doesn’t want to talk to me, period. I doubt your presence is going to sway him either way.”
They walked up to the front of the house, and Zack intended to ring the doorbell, but Lucy pointed to the fence.
“The gate is open,” she said. “And I hear music, too. Maybe he’s in the backyard.”
When they’d all met for drinks, Ethan had mentioned doing some yardwork if the weather stayed nice.
Zack passed through the open gate and into the backyard and patio area. Lucy grabbed his arm, her fingers clutching tightly.
“Oh my god, we need to call 911.”
Ethan was lying facedown on the green lawn, a bright red stain - was it blood? - on his t-shirt. A wheelbarrow and gardening tools, plus a flat of flowers from the home improvement store were next to him as well.
“Call 911,” Zack commanded, hurrying to Ethan’s side, and kneeling next to his old friend. “Christ, I think he’s still alive. Tell them he’s alive.”
There was a faint pulse although Ethan looked ghostly pale, a trickle of blood leaking from his mouth. Through the roar in his ears, he could hear Lucy talking to the emergency operator.
At the sound of footsteps, Zack turned to see Deputy Blake jogging up to them, also kneeling next to Ethan.
“Someone heard the sound of a gunshot and called it in. I was close by, so they dispatched me here. You and Lucy are out in the open, and it might not be safe.”
A gunshot? Ethan being the victim of a shooting hadn’t even crossed Zack’s mind. He’d assumed that somehow his friend had been hurt in some sort of bizarre gardening accident.
Ethan had been shot? Why on earth would anyone shoot Ethan? It didn’t make any sense.
Except that Lucy had said that Ethan had been acting strangely earlier in the day. Shifty, looking over his shoulder. Had he known he was in danger? People didn’t get randomly shot in Winslow Heights. There was no gang violence, and hardly any drug trade unless the kids smoking some weed counted.
“I need to secure the scene,” Blake went on, the sound of sirens getting closer. “You’ll need to step aside for the EMTs.”
It was all so surreal. Before he could register Blake’s words, an ambulance had pulled into the driveway and two first responders were crowding Zack, asking him to step aside so they could work. He did as they bid, moving to stand with Lucy who was also watching the scene unfold with horror.
His stomach twisted into knots watching them try to stabilize Ethan enough to transport him to the hospital. By the time they loaded him into the back, he already had several tubes coming out of his body.
“They’re taking him to the university hospital,” Blake said as the ambulance sped away. “I have to wait here for the forensic guys, and make sure no one else stumbles into the crime scene.”
“Does Finn know?” Zack asked. “Because Lucy told me earlier today that Ethan was acting strangely. Paranoid. Like he had someone following him.”
“Finn knows now,” Blake replied. “We’ll want to get a full statement from both of you. Why were you here?”
“We came to talk to Ethan,” Zack explained. “We didn’t have any idea…”
“You were lucky that the shooter was gone,” Blake said. “Or you might have been hurt, too.”
“Are you sure he was shot?” Lucy asked. “Do you know for sure?”
That’s what Zack had been hoping. He didn’t want to think that Ethan had been shot.
“There was the sound of what sounded like a gunshot reported. I guess it could have been a car backfiring but when you add that to Ethan’s injuries…yes, I would say he’s been shot. The EMTs also think that. It will be confirmed at the hospital, of course. Once again, I have to say that you’re lucky not to have been shot as well. Both of you need to be more careful.”
“We weren’t expecting to walk into a shooting,” Lucy replied. “That’s the last thing I would expect in this town.”
“It can happen in any town.”
Lucy placed her hand on Zack’s arm.
“Do you want to go to the hospital?”
“Yes, let’s do that.” Scraping his fingers through his hair, he turned back to the deputy. “Have Ethan’s wife and parents been notified yet?”
Zack had always liked Ethan’s mom and dad. If he needed to be the one to tell them, he would do it.
“They haven’t. We’ll find them. In the meantime, I’ll be here when they come back. I can let them know. It’s my job. Don’t worry about what’s going on here. Go to the hospital. Be with your friend.”
Still dazed, Zack didn’t argue. Lucy gently asked for the keys, and he willingly surrendered them, not sure he could drive now. He needed to wrap his head around what had happened in the last thirty minutes.
Ethan had been shot. Shot.
Had Ethan been afraid of someone? Had he simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Once again, there were more questions than answers.
Lucy had kept a close eye on Zack all the way to the hospital, and even after when they were in the waiting room hoping for positive news from behind the double doors where doctors and nurses bustled in and out. They never looked in Lucy or Zack’s direction, focused on doing their jobs. The nurse at the desk had been interested in them, however, her gaze following Zack as he paced back and forth.
“Ethan’s strong,” Lucy said. “He’ll fight.”
Zack stopped pacing, scraping his hands down his face before replying.
“I can’t believe this is happening. How did this happen? Or better yet, why did this happen?”
Lucy had her suspicions. Ethan had been acting strangely earlier when they’d ran into each other outside of that campus bar. He’d been acting…paranoid. She hadn’t wanted to put a name to the behavior at the time, but that’s how she’d felt. He’d been a man literally looking over his shoulder.
The doors to the elevator slid open before she could answer, and Ethan’s mother, father, and wife spilled out, all talking at once. Lucy hadn’t met Ethan’s wife Jenny, but she’d seen her at the wedding. The poor woman appeared frantic, clinging on to Ethan’s mom.
“Zack,” she exclaimed. “Thank heavens you’re here. Blake said that you found him. Did he say anything? Did he say what happened?”
“He didn’t say anything,” Zack replied. “He was unconscious. Lucy called 911, but I guess someone heard the gunshot and had already called. Blake was there pretty quick. The EMTs stabilized him and then loaded him into the ambulance. Brought him here. That’s the last I’ve heard.”
The nurse from behind the desk that had been watching them this entire time came around to Jenny, a clipboard in her hand.
“Ma’am, are you the patient’s next of kin? We need you to fill out some forms.”
“Oh, for Christ’s sake,” Ethan’s dad complained loudly. “Her husband, and our son, is fighting for his life and you’re worried if he has insurance. He has insurance, okay? Don’t worry, the bills will get paid. Now where is my son? I want to speak to a doctor right now. Did you hear me? Right now.”
“I would imagine everyone on the floor can hear you,” the nurse replied tartly. Apparently, she wasn’t easy to intimidate. “Currently, the doctors are attending to your son. When they can they will come out and update you on his condition. In the meantime, we do need some information so that we can admit him to the hospital.”
With that, the nurse placed the clipboard down on the arm of one of the chairs and marched back to her desk.
“Bill, it’s okay,” Jenny said, her tone hushed. “They’re with Ethan and that’s where they should be.”
“It’s not okay,” Bill replied, his face red with anger and frustration. “We have no idea what’s going on. Zack, what do you know about what’s happened?”
“I don’t know much,” Zack explained. “We came over to speak to Ethan. We heard music from the backyard and that’s where we found him. He had a bloodstain on his t-shirt and he was pale. Lucy called 911, but Blake got there right away. He said he thought it was a gunshot wound. That’s all we know.”
Ethan’s mother hadn’t said anything yet, but when Zack had uttered the words “blood” and “gunshot” she’d wailed and began sobbing. Jenny helped her mother-in-law over to one of the sofas in the waiting room, holding her hand and telling her that it was going to be alright.
“Jesus, Margaret,” Bill said with a scowl. “Get a hold of yourself. Crying isn’t going to help anything.”
Ethan’s dad had always been a tad old school, not encouraging too many emotions in his family. He was like Joel Winslow in that way. They weren’t much for public displays of any sort of feelings - positive or negative.
Bill’s admonishment only made Margaret cry harder, and that made her husband frown more. Jenny was trying to play peacekeeper but there was far too much tension in the room for any of that.
Well, this is awkward.
“Can I get any of you some water or coffee?” Lucy suggested. “There’s a machine just down the hall. I’d be happy to get you something.”
Jenny hopped up from the sofa, nodding her head in agreement.
“That’s a great idea. I’ll help you. We’ll get everyone a coffee.”
Margaret dabbed at her wet cheeks with a tissue, and Bill growled something that sounded like a yes.
“I just had to get away for a minute,” Jenny confessed when they were out of earshot. “I love my in-laws, but they have their moments. They’re upset.”
“I’m sure you’re upset, too.”
“I am—”
Jenny broke off, a flood of tears suddenly streaming down her face. Lucy gently guided Jenny into the small room that housed the vending machines.
She didn’t press Jenny to do or say anything, simply letting the distraught woman have a momentary breakdown. Her husband had been shot, and she’d been through it and then some. Lucy didn’t know how this story was going to end. There might not be a happy ending, and already Jenny was feeling the pressure of being strong for her mother and father-in-law.
Digging a few tissues out of her purse, Lucy pressed them into Jenny’s hand.
“You’re being amazingly brave. You’re doing great. Ethan would be proud of you.”
Lucy wasn’t all that wonderful in stressful situations. She was sort of okay, but she never quite knew what to say. It all seemed to come out in platitudes, but they surprisingly seemed to help Jenny who gave her a watery smile as she scrubbed at her wet cheeks.
“I hope so. He’s good in a crisis, you know? He’s like a rock. I don’t know what I would do without him.”
There were more tears, and Jenny sagged against the wall.
“I’m not sure how we got here,” she said. “My friend is watching the kids for us. Thank god they’re not here for this. Blake said that Ethan was shot. I’ve never heard of anyone being shot in this town. Can you?”
“I can’t remember a time when anyone was shot,” Lucy replied. “This is a pretty safe little town.”
“It was supposed to be a fun, relaxing summer, and it’s turned into a nightmare. It’s been this way since Sarah’s body was discovered, to be honest. Ethan has been acting strangely, not himself. He’s normally so laidback and fun, but he’s been in a terrible mood.”
“I saw Ethan earlier today,” Lucy said. “He seemed to be nervous about something.”
“Yes,” Jenny agreed. “I noticed it, too. He’s been nervous and jumpy and just generally tense. I asked him if he was upset about Sarah. If he was still in love with her. He swore to me that he wasn’t. He said they weren’t even all that serious back then, but that he feels guilty about what happened to her. That she got into some things because of his influence. He said he could never forgive himself.”
That was one hell of a confession.
“Was it drugs?”
“He wouldn’t say. I pressed him about it, but he said he couldn’t talk about it. He just said that he was sorry, and he wished he could go back and change it all. He was crying when he told me. He said that he didn’t treat Sarah right when they dated.”
What had Ethan done back in high school? And what had he influenced Sarah to do?
Those were questions that only Ethan could answer.
If he survived.
19
The elevator doors opened again, and this time Finn stepped out. Zack hung back as the sheriff spoke with Bill and Margaret, not wanting to be in the way. After Lucy and Jenny had gone for coffee, it had been awkward between all three of them. Bill was angry and Margaret was emotional, still crying and staring at a blank wall.
