“Is this why you were sneaking into the county jail to talk to Conner Heller?”
“This is that ‘yet’ part, Margot. If you’re in, I tell you everything, but if you’re out? I can’t risk telling you anything. Are you in?”
“No.”
“That was a quick answer. You should think about it.”
“There’s nothing to think about.”
“Would it make a difference if I said I needed your help?”
Margot gave that one some thought before she said, “No.”
“You sure? We were good together.”
“Yeah, I’m sure. We’re not going to be a couple again and I’m not leaving town. Neither should you. Turn yourself in, you’re only wanted as a witness at this point.”
“We both know that’s not how it’s going to go down. I killed people.”
“In self-defense.”
“Even if that was entirely true, I’m somebody people have been looking to bust for a while. They won’t let me off the hook and you know it.”
Margot wanted to tell him he was wrong, but she couldn’t.
“Is it because of the choirboy?” Mal asked.
“Is what because of who?”
“The detective you’re seeing, Radcliff, is he the reason you’re turning me down?”
“No. Sure, he’s a factor, so’s my job with Shaw, but it’s more than that. I’m not like you anymore, Mal. I don’t feel like I have nothing to lose. Even if there was no Radcliff and there was no Shaw, though, the answer would be the same. I’m not a criminal, I’m not an outlaw, and I have no desire to become one.”
“You say that like you’ve never crossed the line before.”
“I never claimed to be an angel, but I’ve never gone far enough I couldn’t get back.”
“You think I have?”
“Do you honestly believe you haven’t?”
Mal opened his mouth like he was going to say something but closed it without uttering a word.
After a long uncomfortable silence, Mal pointed to a parking lot and said, “Drop me off here.”
“Look, there’s got to be something we can do…”
Mal shook his head and pointed to the mostly empty lot. Margot pulled in.
“Drive away, Margot. Don’t look back,” Mal told her. He was out of the car before she could reply.
He stood there by the car looking at her for a second and Margot thought he might get back in, but he just pointed down the road and said, “Drive away.”
Margot did as she was told. She did look back in the mirror, though. He was already gone.
Chapter 9
Margot was back at her office, trying to figure out what to do next. While she was glad Mal was not involved in the murder of Lucas, taking him out of the equation put her back at square one in trying to decipher who killed Lucas and why. It also left her with the uncomfortable feeling that despite his apparent innocence when it came to Lucas, Mal was about to do something terrible. Margot couldn’t think of anything Mal could do besides killing somebody that would pay near the money he was implying he was going to get.