“In February. You know that, too. I met you the first week I was here.”
“How many times were you in Cascade Falls before then?”
“None. I wasn’t in Cascade Falls before then. What are you talking about?”
Pops comes up behind me, pressing both palms to the surface of the desk as he glares toward Cherry. I stand, mimicking his pose.
“What about your apartment?” I ask, more forcefully now. “You had to come and secure an apartment before you moved here.”
“I did it online.” Cherry shakes her head. “Reid should know that. I looked at online pictures, signed a temporary lease over email, and sent my deposit while I was still in Accident. I signed the permanent lease after I got here, the same day I moved in.”
“Isn’t that convenient,” I mutter.
“What is that supposed to mean?” Cherry stares at me, and I start to see anger in her eyes. “Why the interrogation, Nate? What is it you think I’ve done?”
I look at her and try to see what’s behind the anger in her eyes. Does she know what I suspect? Is she feigning anger now to throw me off the trail? Has her apparent innocence all this time been some kind of act? Could anyone really pull that off for so long? I have no idea, and that scares me.
I also have no idea how I should approach this. Should I just come right out and ask her? Maybe I should start with some leading questions—questions she’ll try to answer based on her cover story—and try to catch her in a lie. If she isn’t lying, she won’t trip up.
“She’s lying. You know she’s lying.”
“Shut up.” I glare at Pops.
I hear Cherry’s sharp intake of breath.
“Nate, you’re really scaring me,” she says softly. “Please tell me what’s going on.”
“Tell me how you met Aaron Hunt.”
“Who is that?”
“Stop it, Cherry!” I slam my hand on top of the desk, and Cherry jumps at the sound. “You know who he is! You went on a date with him, for fuck’s sake!”
“The guy I met at Big O?” Cherry looks at me incredulously. “I completely forgot about him!”
“Convenient,” Pops sneers. “She’s probably been fucking him on the side, too.”
I clench my hand into a fist as the images of Cherry with Aaron parade around in my brain. My legs cramp up and start to shake.
“Why was he following you?” I ask through gritted teeth.
“Following me?”
I stare hard at her, my jaw set. I’m not about to repeat the question.
“I have no idea,” she finally says.
“When did you first meet him?”
“Online first and then that night at Big O. You know that.”
“And how many times did you meet with him after that night?”
“What the hell, Nate?” Cherry stands, placing her hands back on her hips. “Is that what this is about? You think I kept seeing that jackass after we met?”
“I know he saw you.” I grab the photo Antony left of Aaron sitting in a car outside Cherry’s apartment and toss it at her. Cherry grabs it reflexively and stares at the image.
“The fire hydrant guy,” she says quietly.