I told youI dont know anything about that family.
Youre lying, Kate said. And heres the thing. You can keep lying, but this is a small town, kid. I can unwrap your lie pretty easily. And if I do find out youre lying to me, then well start digging into the drugs. Maybe find some of the people your not-so-bright brother has listed in that black notebook under his bed. Maybe tell them that you told us where to find the book.
Jeremys eyes widened at this thought and he started to shift in his seat. Kate also wondered if there might be a card to play in terms of his older brother. She wondered which of the two might crack under pressure first.
But apparently, she was not going to have to go that route. She could practically see the moment when Jeremy Branch decided that his own self-preservation was the most important thing.
Fine, I know her. But we werent like dating or anything. We just hooked up every now and then.
So it was a sexual relationship?
Yes. And thats about all it was.
Did you not care that she was fifteen?
I kind of did. I figured Id just break it off with her when I turned eighteen. So I wouldnt get in trouble, you know?
When was the last time you saw her? DeMarco asked.
Maybe a week or so ago.
Did she come to your place?
Yes. We had this sort of blueprint. When she wanted to come over, shed text me and Id pick her up over on Waterlick Road. Shed tell her folks she was going to a friends house and Id pick her up and wed go back to my place.
How long had this been going on? Kate asked.
Four or five months. But look, I know it sounds dirty or whatever, but I really dont know her all that well. It was just sex. Thats all. I was her firstand she was sort of curious, you know? She wasnt like sex crazy or anything, but we met up a lot.
I thought you said she was friendly with most guys, DeMarco said.
His only response to this apparent lie in an attempt to save face was a shrug.
What about her parents? Kate asked. What can you tell me about them?
Nothing. I knew who her dad was, you know? I mean, its a small town. You sort of know everyone. Plus, she always used to joke that if her dad found out we were fuhaving sex, he said, apparently not finding it appropriate to drop other terminology in front of two female agents, hed kill me.
And did you believe her?
I dont know. But I guess. A guy never really wants to think about the father of the girl hes sleeping with finding out. I didnt know what to think about her parents. I mean, she hated them. Like loathed them, you know?
She did?
Based on the way she talked about them, yeah I think so. If I can
He stopped here and seemed to think about something for a minute. He then looked at Kate and DeMarco as if he were trying to figure out his boundaries.
What is it? Kate asked.
Look. Yeah, it was messed it up that we slept with each other like twenty times or so and I didnt know her all that well. But I always thought it was sort of weird to hear her talk about her parents like that.
Like what?
Before he could answer, there was a knock on the door. Sheriff Barnes opened it and poked his head inside. There was a quick look exchanged between Barnes and Jeremy, making Kate think this was probably not the first time Jeremy had spent time in this room.
Jeremy Branch? he asked. What the hell is he doing here?
You want to tell him or should we? DeMarco asked. She gave Jeremy a few seconds and when he did not start talking, she brought Barnes up to speed. He was sleeping with Mercy Fulleras recently as last week. He was just telling us how he found it strange that Mercy would speak so negatively about her parents. How she hated them.
Sleeping with her? Barnes asked. Damn, sonhow old are you?
Seventeen. I dont turn eighteen for another month.
Go on, Kate said, redirecting him back toward the point. Tell us what kind of stuff Mercy would say about her parents.
Just how they never let her do anything. How they didnt trust her. I think she had some really bad beef with her mother because I know there were at least two or three times where she said something like I just want to kill that bitch. She hated her mom.
Did she ever talk about the relationship between her parents? Kate asked.
No. She rarely talked about them. Shed vent for a while, get sort of mad, and then thats usually when wed have sex. I justI dont know. I never thought shed actually do it.
Do what? Barnes asked.
Jeremy then looked up at them as if they had missed the entire point. Seriously? Looklike I said. She seems sort of innocent, aside from being sort of a nympho, but if youre looking for her parents killerfind her. I guarantee you Mercy killed her parents and then just split town.
CHAPTER SIX
So far, no one had actually taken the seat on the opposite side of the desk; Kate, DeMarco, and Barnes were all still standing. But when Jeremy made such a bold statement, Sheriff Barnes walked slowly to the chair and sat down directly across from the teenager. There was a mixture of sadness and fury in his eyes as he pointed an accusatory finger in Jeremys face.
Ive been sheriff in this town for sixteen years. I knew Wendy and Alvin Fuller quite well. And as far as I know, Mercy Fuller was a stand-up young woman. Certainly not a trouble-making piece of shit like you. So if youre going to sit here and make such an accusation, I suggest you have a damn good story to back it up.
Jeremy nodded, clearly very scared now. I do.
Barnes folded his arms, leaned back in the chair, and sneered at Jeremy. As Jeremy started to talk, his eyes never left Barnes. If Kate had to venture a guess, he was probably concerned that Barnes might launch himself across the table at any moment to strangle him.
Wed been fooling around for maybe three or four weeks the first time she ever mentioned running away from home. She asked me if Id go with her. Said she wanted to go somewhere to North Carolina or something like that. I made fun of her because I didnt see the point in moving just one state away, you know? Plus, I didnt like her like that. My brother joked with me how the first guy a girl sleeps with, she gets obsessed. I guess she sort of did. Anyway, there was no way I was going to run away with her. But the way she talked about ityou could tell she had actually thought about it.
Do you think she wanted to run away because of just how much she disliked her parents? Kate asked.
I guess. I mean, its the only real reason I could think of that would make her want to leave home. I meanmy parents are assholes, too. But I didnt run away or nothing.
No, Barnes said. You just moved two miles away into your older brothers trailer. Maybe Mercy didnt have an option like that.
Still, Kate said, making sure Barnes didnt take them too far off-topic. Are you certain she was being for real when she spoke of running away? Not just filling your head with fantasies so youd stay with her?
No. But she kept talking about how her mother would go crazy trying to find hernot because shed actually want to find her but because shed feel like Mercy got one over on her by running away.