Page 42 of The Devil's Mercy

“Not true.”

“Aodhan and I both attended his brother’s wedding. We’re both medically trained and could easily separate a man’s head from his body. Aodhan brought you to a party where you saw a man cut in half, and every time you were confronted by me, you got a bad feeling.”

“You made me have the bad feeling,” Calix snapped. “I don’t want to discuss how it’s likely you also made Rhett act crazy in your office, or about how it’s likely you and Aodhan framed him for the murders you committed. Or—”

“How we probably did all of that to get you here?”

“Don’t.”

“Why not? It’s already out there. We might as well finish the thought. You’ve known the truth for a while now.”

“I have not!” Calix shot to his feet, the chair falling to the carpet, making a soft thumping sound. “I didn’t know shit until you shot a cop and knocked me out in your kitchen! If I had, I would have—”

“Arrested us?” Titus stood as well, slowly, and though he didn’t bridge the gap between them, the menacing air around him altered enough it could be felt.

“Stop it.” He retreated a full step, not even caring about his pride. “Just let me feel my own emotions.”

“Your own emotions are liars.” The director slid his hands into his front pockets, but instead of feeling comforted by the fact he didn’t plan to reach out, Cal felt even more nervous. “Why didn’t you tell Bruce about Aodhan’s connection to the party?”

“Bruce knew about the party.”

“He didn’t know what it really was.”

“Did you kill him because he found out?” Calix tossed up a palm immediately and shook his head. “Wait. Don’t answer that.”

That would ruin everything.

Which meant he should want him to answer. Should want to hear straight from the director’s mouth that they had been responsible, that way this stupid, tiny flame kindling in his chest toward them could be snuffed out before—

“I didn’t,” Titus said. “Neither did Aodhan. Do you believe me?”

“No.” They’d lied about everything else to trap him here, why wouldn’t they lie about this?

“Why would we want to kill him? You cared for him.”

“Maybe you had your reasons, or maybe it was an accident. It doesn’t matter. What matters is he’s dead. What matters is you both messed up my investigation and framed an innocent man.” He pursed his lips. “No, two innocent people. Was Amory involved at all? Did you kill her for fun?”

“Do you feel bad because you think it’s partly your fault that they’re dead?” Titus hypothesized. “If you’d reported what had actually happened at the party, Bruce might have investigated and realized Aodhan has more involvement with criminal organizations than the good chief would have ever guessed. He really liked Aodhan.”

“I know he did.” That was half the reason Calix had trusted the doctor. He rubbed at his temple and admitted, “I’m confused. I don’t know how much of this is your suggestion and how much of it is true. Stop messing with my emotions and let me think.”

“I gave you a mild sense of foreboding so you wouldn’t get any bright ideas about attacking me,” Titus said. “You’re unchained. You could try it. But that was all I did.”

“Liar. I feel…” He pressed a hand against the center of his chest, his heart beating wildly, his breathing growing more frantic with every breath, “…I…”

“You’re having a panic attack,” Titus informed him, casually, like it was no big deal. “It was too soon for this conversation. You aren’t ready to face the truth.”

“Which is?”

“We covered our tracks. We had alibis for the wedding and for all the times of the murders. You could sense something was off, but there was no way for you to really know that it was Aodhan you were after, Calix.” He sighed when Cal merely glared. “I’m saying you’re being too hard on yourself. Yes, it seems obvious now, but two weeks ago, with the information you had?” He shrugged. “You weren’t the only one working the case. No one else suspected my little killer either.”

“Get out.”

Calix didn’t want to hear this because what type of person did that make him?

He’d slept with Aodhan despite his suspicions, despite all the signs that pointed to the doctor's potential involvement. Bruce had said Aodhan was clear. That Titus was clear. Cal could have done some digging on his own after the party, but he’d chosen to keep hush-hush about the whole ordeal instead.

Even now, having put the pieces together and proven his instincts about this case had been correct, he wasn’t willing to accept it.

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