Page 92 of Little Dark Deeds
I crossed my arms, thinking.“If I share some information with you, I need you to keep it to yourself for now.All right?”
“You got it.”
“Tyler is dead, and Jana is in the hospital.”
Jordan’s mouth fell open, and he gasped.“I can’t believe it.What happened?”
“She said he shot her in the leg.”
I paused, assessing his demeanor as the news I’d just delivered set in.
His shock seemed genuine, his head shaking back and forth like he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Is she all right?”he asked.
“I just saw her.She’s fine.I can tell you what Jana told me, but her story hasn’t been verified yet.She said Tyler showed up at the house earlier today.He was angry, and he had a gun.He accused her of killing Tiffany, and he said she needed to pay for what she’d done.He shot her, she lunged at him, got control of the gun, and then killed him in self-defense.”
“I don’t even know what to say.I can’t believe it.”
“When’s the last time you talked to Tyler?”
“Yesterday, in his office.”
“How did he seem?”
“Detached, angry, and on edge.I tried talking to him.It was like he was there but wasn’t, if you know what I mean, like I was talking through him nottohim.I didn’t think he’d been getting much sleep, and the way he smelled, it had been a while since he’d showered.”
“Did he say anything to you about Jana?”
He mulled over the question.“I hate to say it, but he tried to convince me that Jana killed Tiffany.”
“Did he have any proof to back up his claim?”
“He did not.I told him I disagreed with his accusation, and I tried to get him to calm down, which didn’t work.He was too riled up.”
“How did the conversation end?”
“He said a real friend would take him at his word.Ask me, he was trying to find someone to blame, and Jana was an easy target.”
“Even if he’d decided to murder Jana, what was his endgame?”I asked.“He knew he wouldn’t get away with it.He used his own gun, for heaven’s sake.”
“Who knows?He’s been irrational since Tiffany died.I mean, I knew he loved her, but I underestimated just how much.After our discussion, I was worried about him.I even swung by his house later that evening.He wasn’t home.I called him, and he didn’t answer.I figured he was still angry with me and needed some time to cool off.I wish I’d known what he was planning.If I had, maybe I could have talked him down.Maybe he’d still be alive.”
“Have you been visited by one of Tiffany’s neighbors since we spoke last?”I asked.
“I haven’t, but I heard she talked to both Tyler and Jana.She thought one of them was involved in Tiffany’s murder.Said something about having proof, a lighter or something with blood on it.”
“How did they react to her accusation?”
“I don’t know about Jana, but Tyler was upset.He told her to get lost.”
“She’s dead.”
“Yeah, I heard.Hey, I’m going to take off, see if they’ll let me see Jana.”
I nodded.
It was time I went home and got everyone’s story straight.
