Silas shrugs. "There was no way for Foster to confess his sins without forcing Sullivan to confess his as well."
I take a deep breath and look directly at Silas. "He told me your wife, Margaret, was the one driving Paul's truck that night my parents were killed."
He seems surprised but recovers quickly. Silas frowns when he says, "Yes, that's what the video showed. I had no idea she was the one driving until I saw it yesterday." It looks like he wants to say more but he doesn't.
So I push. "I thought Ben was the driver. Why else would he try so hard to get that video from Foster unless it showed that?"
"The truth of what happened to your parents wasn't the only file on that drive. Ben wanted information that he could use to his benefit. That's all I can tell you."
"So what happens now to Deacon?" I ask.
Silas pulls out his phone. "We gotta call this in but trust me to take care of it." He steps away to make the call.
I knew this couldn't be avoided, but calling the cops has always been the absolute last resort. They don't show up looking to help people like us. They show up looking to blame us. And all I can think is Deacon killed a cop. There's no way he's not going to jail.
When tears start rolling down my face, Deacon pulls me onto his lap, holding me close.
Shane and Eddie rush through the kitchen door but stop cold when they see Frank sitting at the table.
"You son of a bitch," Shane says, lunging for Frank, but Eddie holds him back.
Deacon throws his hand out, stopping the chaos that has erupted. "We have a much bigger problem."
Just as Deacon finishes filling them in, Silas rejoins us.
He doesn't look happy that Shane and Eddie are here. "Not sure it's a good idea to have so many people involved in this."
Deacon shrugs. "I called them as soon as I got off the phone with Frank to see if they were closer to home than I was. Told them Aubrey was in trouble. And we don't have any secrets in this house."
I can tell Silas doesn't want to say anything in front of the guys but we're so past that. "Look, we're all in this shit together so just tell us what's about to happen."
Silas gives Shane and Eddie a long look, then turns to Deacon.
"A friend of mine on the force, not Dad's, will be here shortly.
Tell him the truth. That you walked in while Sullivan was choking Aubrey and you knocked him off her.
Sullivan pulled his gun and you fought over it.
It discharged and struck him in the chest."
"Sure, man. And he'll believe me, no problem."
"He will." Then he gestures to me. "With those bruises blooming all over her neck and the blood under her fingernails, it'll be clear what Sullivan was doing to her and how she was trying to fight back."
"They're going to wonder why Sullivan was choking me, right? They're going to want to know how we're connected. It's not like we can tell them he tried to frame me for Ben's murder but we got rid of the knife before the cops showed up."
Shane and Eddie share a look that Deacon interprets immediately. "You didn't get rid of it, did you?"
They glance at Silas before looking back to Deacon. They both shake their heads no. Shane says, "It's in a safe place. We both thought there may be a chance we'd need it. That we could plant it somewhere advantageous if necessary."
My mouth drops open as I consider what this means.
"I could suggest the perfect place to put it," Silas says, as if he's reading my mind.
Without another word, Shane and Eddie sprint out of the kitchen.
"Having the knife found at Sullivan's obviously helps, but I don't see how you connect Sullivan killing Ben to him showing up here today to hurt Aubrey," Deacon says.
Silas leans back in his chair. "Honestly, that's going to be easier than you think.
Paul Granger has always said someone partying at his house that night took his truck after he passed out and was the one who hit Aubrey's parents.
And he was right. Detective Nathan Sullivan was on the list of potential drivers and his uncle was the first cop on the scene.
It's easy to connect the dots that Foster covered for his nephew.
And everyone will believe that because it makes sense.
" Silas looks toward Sullivan's body in the foyer.
"And neither of them can deny it since they're both dead. "
Deacon and I stare at him, taking it all in. But he's not finished.
"Hank has already been to Angola to talk to Paul about his case. Won't take much for Hank to get on board and confirm he and Ben, both, suspected Sullivan."
Deacon's head tilts to the side as if he doesn't believe it will be that easy. "And why would Hank do that?"
"Hank's going to have his hands full with taking over the firm now that Ben's gone. It'll sure make it easier if Ben died trying to get an innocent man out of prison, especially when everyone finds out it was a dirty cop who put him there. He'll have clients lining up at the door."
I'm shaking my head. He's right, this seems too easy. "But how does this connect to me?"
He frowns, regret clear in his eyes about what he's going to ask me.
"You're going to have to say Foster told you Sullivan was driving the truck that night when the police question you today.
He went to Paul to clear his conscience, but you'll need to say he came to see you too.
And it's not a complete lie. He sent you that drive. He wanted you to know the truth."
I'm chewing on my bottom lip as I consider what he's saying. "This is too easy. Too perfectly wrapped up. As if you've already known all of this before now and had time to work it out."
"It works because it is pretty damn close to the truth. We're just putting Sullivan in the driver's seat of that truck." He's frustrated I'm questioning this, questioning him.
"And no one ever finds out your wife killed my parents."
Silas leans forward, his arms resting on the table.
"I will deal with Margaret, but not publicly. And that's going to have to be okay.
" Then he nods toward Deacon but keeps his eyes on me.
"That's the only way I can make sure Deacon doesn't go to jail for killing a cop.
If it comes out Margaret is involved, I can't help you. "
My anger starts to rise about the fact that he'd put conditions on helping us, that my lie will protect his wife after what she did to my parents, but then I look at Deacon and I know I'm not willing to risk his freedom. Letting the world know who killed my parents doesn't bring them back.
"You think that's all it will take? Me telling the cops Foster told me his nephew was driving Paul's truck."
He nods. "Yes. You were the last loose end Sullivan needed to tie up after killing Ben. He tried to silence you. But thankfully, Deacon showed up in time to protect you."
Deacon pulls me close, whispering in my ear, "Don't agree to anything you don't want to. We didn't do anything wrong. I was protecting you. We can get through this without Silas's help."
I pull back so I can look at him and cup my hands around his face, kissing him softly.
"I love that you are giving me that option. And thank you for saving me. Now it's my turn to save you.
" I turn to face Silas. Lines you couldn't imagine crossing disappear when someone you love is at risk.
I will do whatever it takes to protect Deacon like he protected me.
"You have a deal as long as it keeps Deacon out of trouble."