Abby stared out the cloudy front window of the police station at the traffic passing on the street. She didn’t appear focused or fixed on anything. I sat down beside her, and she pretended not to notice me. I waited a few moments, not sure if I should even bother to say anything. Finally, I decided to try. “I’m not trying to hurt Caitlin,” I said. “Or you.”
She didn’t say anything, but I saw a muscle in her jaw twitch.
“I think this is our last, best chance, letting her talk to Ryan today.”
Abby turned to me. “You talk about last chances, Tom. Caitlin is the one who matters. Our focus needs to be on her. She’s what matters-to both of us.”
I stared at the floor. Then my phone rang. I stood up and took the call.
“Hey,” a voice said through the line. It sounded flat, almost unrecognizable.
“Buster?”
“Where are you?” he asked.
“What’s wrong?” I said.
“Where are you? I came by the house.”
“We’re at the police station,” I said. “They made an arrest.”
“Look,” he said. “I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For everything you’ve been through. You and Caitlin.”
There was something about his tone, something off.
“Where are you?” I asked.“What are you doing?”
“We’ll talk soon, I think. Okay?”
“Buster. .”
But he was gone. I called right back, but it went to voice mail immediately. Three times in a row.
Ryan appeared again and summoned the two of us with a quick wave of his hand. He led us to the conference room. No Caitlin.
“Where is she?” I asked.
Ryan pointed to the chairs. “She’s fine, Tom. I wanted to talk to you alone.”
“Did she have to see him?”
“No,” Ryan said. “Please. Just sit. You can take Caitlin home in a minute.”
Abby nodded at me. It’s okay. So we sat.
“We really didn’t make much progress today,” he said. “At least not with Caitlin.”
“Talking to her alone didn’t help?” Abby asked.
“She told us a few things,” he said.
I scooted to the edge of my seat. “Like what?”
“She didn’t so much say anything,” Ryan said. “But she did ask something. Over and over again. She asked to be allowed to see John Colter. She asked to see him multiple times. Repeatedly and passionately. Finally, I told her to stop asking because it wasn’t going to happen.” He sighed, shifted his weight a little. “And then Caitlin said that she’d tell me whatever I wanted to know if I would just let her see Colter again and spend a few minutes with him. I told her that we couldn’t allow that to happen, that the victim of a crime couldn’t speak to the alleged perpetrator.”
“How did she respond?” Abby asked.
“Like a pouty teenager.” Ryan rubbed his hand across his chin. “You asked me to let you know everything that was said in there. If you still want to know all of that, I can share some more details.”
“Yes,” I said.
Abby moved in her seat, but she didn’t say anything. She didn’t object.
“Caitlin told me that she’s in love with John Colter. She said he didn’t do anything wrong, that no one did anything wrong, and she wants the police and the two of you to drop all of this and let her life go back to the way it was before.”
“Meaning. .”
“Meaning she wants to go back to her life with him, not with you.”
He let that settle over the table, a deadweight dropped into our lives.
“We’re going to hold Colter on the suspicion of arson charge. We’re still talking to witnesses and waiting for the arson investigator’s report.”
“So he’ll stay behind bars,” Abby said.
“We need Caitlin’s story,” he said. “She’s the only lead-pipe witness we have. Without that, and without the evidence that went up in the fire. . Have the two of you thought any more about that picture I showed you of John Colter?” He dug in his pocket and brought the photo out. “Why don’t you look at it again?” He slid it across to us. I didn’t look.
“Do you know something else?” I asked.
“Do you?” he asked. “Are you absolutely certain you’ve never seen that man?”
Abby picked the photo up and looked it over. “How can I answer that?” she asked. “Maybe I passed him in the grocery store. Maybe he came and fixed our plumbing. How can I remember every face I’ve ever seen? But, no, I don’t know him, if that’s what you’re asking. I don’t. Do you, Tom?” She held the picture out to me, but I didn’t take it.
“Is there something you’re not telling us?” I asked.
Ryan held my gaze, unblinking. I didn’t look away either. He was digging for something, pushing. I couldn’t imagine what it was. He took the photo back.
“Nothing,” he said. “But we need to be sure.”
“Nothing?” I said.
He stood up, hitched his pants. “I’ll have Caitlin brought right out to you,” he said.