Page 37 of Little Dark Deeds
“You didn’t ask?”
“Maybe I should have, but no, I didn’t.A few days later, when I got to work, he was sitting in my office, waiting for me to get here.That’s when he told me about Tiffany.”
At long last, we were getting somewhere.
Now I just needed to keep him talking.
“What did Tyler say about their relationship?”
“I don’t think I should keep talking about it.I feel uncomfortable, like I’d be betraying his trust any more than I already have.”
“If the police haven’t already spoken to Tyler, they will, and they’ll ask the same questions I’m asking you now.Whether the truth comes out today or tomorrow, it doesn’t matter.Itwillcome out.”
“Even if it does, I’d feel a whole lot better if it came from him, not me.”
I may not have liked his answer, but I respected it.
I decided to take a different approach, changing the subject in hopes of finding a way to circle back, asking the same question but in a different way, a tactic I called the Dodge and Confuse.
“Do you know why Tyler hasn’t turned up for work yet today and why he wasn’t here to meet his client?”I asked.“Not being here for a client isn’t a good look.”
“All I know is what I’ve already told you.”
“Still, you must have thought it was odd, given Lila told me Tyler often gets to work before she does in the morning.”
“I didn’t question why he couldn’t be here, but I did ask if everything was all right.He said we’d talk later.Beyond that, I didn’t press him for details.”He paused, then added, “I suppose it’s my turn to ask you a question.What can you tell me about Jana’s meeting with Tiffany?”
“They had an open, honest conversation, from what I’ve been told.Afterward, Jana confronted Tyler.She confessed she knew about the affair and told him she’d been to see Tiffany.He asked Jana for a divorce.Then he went to see Tiffany.He told her he’d asked for a divorce, and he tried to keep her from ending their relationship, but she did anyway.Speaking of their relationship, I don’t know much about it.Anything you could tell me would help.”
Jordan raised a brow.“Before I knew about Tiffany, I thought Tyler’s relationship with Jana was solid.Then he admitted to falling in love with Tiffany, said he was struggling with what to do about it.”
For all we knew, he could have been having an affair with multiple women.
“I didn’t know he’d fallen in love with her,” I said.“She felt he was someone she could have a future with, until she learned about Jana.”
“I was shocked when he told me.It didn’t seem like the Tyler I know.”
“What doesn’t sound like the Tyler you know?”
I’d been so involved in our conversation, I hadn’t realized the office door had just opened, and Jordan and I were no longer alone.I turned, recognizing Tyler from photos Tiffany had shown me.
He looked disheveled, like he’d been running his fingers through his hair all day.His collared shirt wasn’t buttoned right, with one side hanging lower than the other.And his eyes were red and bloodshot, full of emotion.
Upon seeing Tyler, Jordan rose from his chair, his voice low and sheepish as he walked toward him.
“Hey, bud, how’s it going?”Jordan asked.
Tyler shrugged him off, glaring at him.
Then he turned his attention on me.
“Who are you?”Tyler asked.“And why are the two of you sitting here talking about me?”
“It’s not what you think,” Jordan said.“We weren’t talking about you.Well ...that is to say, we were, but it was just a casual conversation.I can explain.”
“Sounds to me like this woman just said something about me, and you didn’t disagree.”
Jordan shot me a nervous look, like he wasn’t sure how to get himself out of his current predicament.
