Page 106 of To Die For

“What did you say to Betsy to make her pick you as her guardian?”

“It was a complete surprise to me.”

“Bullshit!”

“No, it’s the truth,” Devine replied calmly.

“You are going to tell me why, right this second.”

“Do youreallythink I want to be her guardian, Danny? Or that I consider myself capable of taking care of a twelve-year-old girl? Didn’t you see how shocked I was in the courtroom? I had no damn clue she was going to do that. I was certain she was going to say that she wantedyouto be her guardian.”

Glass looked as if he was going to really lose his shit, and Devine suddenly wondered if the man was armed.

Instead, Glass rose from the chair and looked out the window.

Devine glanced down at the man’s pant leg and saw that the monitor was gone.

Danny Glass, a free man. For now.

Glass turned to look at him. Before he could speak, Devine said, “I was nice to her, okay? I took her out to buy a book and a Frappuccino. I listened to her. I didn’t judge her. I brought her clothes and some of her other things from her home. I guess those things count with Betsy. Not all that complicated, really, if you’ve just lost your parents and are scared and feeling vulnerable.”

Glass dropped down in the chair. He looked weak and defeated, two things Devine had never before seen in the man, in or out of uniform.

“This whole thing is so messed up, Devine, I can’t see a way out.”

“For who, you or me?”

“For everybody.”

“I need to understand the situation. Then I might be able to find a way out. Forallof us.”

Glass snorted. “Right, like you’re looking out for me all of a sudden?”

“I’m looking out forBetsy. I actually believe you care about her. So if helping you helps her, I’m all in.”

Glass’s wall of opaqueness cracked just a bit and Devine, for the first time, might have glimpsed the real man behind it.

“I do love Betsy. I always have, always will.”

“But you just met her, right?”

“Not for lack of trying. Dwayne did not want me in her life. Ever since she was born, I tried to visit many times. And this was when I was still in uniform. I sent money, when I didn’t have a dime to spare. When I got out of the Army and was building up my business, I offered to pay for Betsy’s schooling. As the years passed, I offered to buy them a home, cars, set up a college fund for Betsy. Find Dwayne a good-paying job that would have allowed him to support his family. But he refused it all. Told me to stick my joboffer where the sun doesn’t shine. Wouldn’t let me near Betsy. And I didn’t want to force it because I didn’t want Betsy—”

“—to hate you for that?”

“What can I say? She loved Dwayne, warts and all.”

“Why did he dislike you so much? Because of what you do for a living?”

Glass slowly shook his head, his expression becoming bitter. “I don’t think Dwayne gave a damn about how I made my money. If I’d been a cookie-cutter billionaire on Wall Street, it would have been the same result.”

“Why then?”

Glass shrugged. “Who knows? The guy was never playing with a full deck.”

“They were given an expensive car and a mobile home. Was that you?”

Glass shook his head. “No. I tried, believe me, like I said, but Dwayne wouldn’t do it. Not with me.”

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