"Verdict?" I say. "I've barely begun investigating."
"And if there is any sign that our decision is wrong, you may continue your investigation. For now, we declare Diana Berry guilty--"
"Whoa! Wait! You can't--"
"We can. We have. Our sentence is simple and fair, and if we are mistaken in our verdict, there is little harm done. Your friend will simply be removed from the community. Returned home."
"Returned..." I struggle to my feet, feeling like the floor has turned to rubber under them. "No, you can't ... Her ex ... If she leaves, then I have to go to look after her." Which I failed to do here.
Dalton rubs his mouth and then says, "There's no reason..."
I wait two seconds for him to go on. Then I finish it for him. "No reason for me to stay."
His eyes widen. "What? No. I..." He gets to his feet. "Detective Butler and I have to discuss this. We'll step out--"
"No need," Phil says. "What Eric is trying to say is that there's no reason for you to accompany her home because she's not in any danger. Diana Berry did not come here because her ex-husband was stalking and beating her. She's here because she conspired with him to steal a million dollars from her employers."
I stare at the radio. Just stare.
Phil continues. "They engineered the situation to persuade you to come here. Graham convinced Diana that her employers had discovered the theft, which appears to be false. He simply wanted her out of the way."
"That's--that's not--"
"Ask Eric."
"I never said--" Dalton begins.
"You contacted your father and asked him to look into it. Did you really think those calls were private, Eric? Nothing you do is private. We suspected you were checking residents, and we tapped his line to confirm it."
Dalton looks ill. His gaze flicks to me and then away. "I'll explain it all to Casey. Just let--"
"That isn't our concern. Diana is here under false pretences and therefore, under the provisions of her agreement, we may evict her. We were already considering whether to do so. The fact she is suspected--strongly suspected--of both murder and arson has settled the matter. Sheriff Dalton will escort her out tomorrow morning."
We've left Val's house. I'm heading for Diana's to ... break it to her? Confront her?
I remember the night Diana was attacked, when Graham looked right into that camera and spoke to me. Made me feel helpless and impotent, unable to help her.
He played me.
No, they played me.
I'm halfway to Diana's before I realize Dalton is following. He's a half step back and hasn't said a word since we left Val's. When I turn on him, he starts, as if expecting a right hook to the jaw.
"Is it true?" I say.
"About Diana?" He hesitates. "Yeah. She--"
"I mean all of it. That you got your father to investigate, and you've known the truth for a while and never mentioned it to me."
His mouth opens and from the way he shifts forward, I think I'm about to get a long-winded excuse. But then he pulls back and says only, "Yeah."
"That's what Diana meant earlier. You'd threatened, if she ever used rydex again, you'd tell me she'd lied about the reason she's here. You were blackmailing her."
Anyone else would at least try to wriggle out of it. Dalton says, "Yeah."
"Why?"
"Because you didn't need to know that you came here to help her and it was all a lie. You'd already cooled your friendship, so I didn't see the point of hurting you, and if I was wrong, then..." He shoves his hands into his pockets and rocks back, and when the next words come, they look painful. "Then I'm sorry, Casey. I'm sorry if I fucked up."