Page 12 of Deadly Sins: Gluttony
“We did.Even though we hadn’t seen each other in decades, he recognized me, and I asked if I could sit down.There was awkward silence at first, and then I blurted out how sorry I was about what happened in high school.”
“How did he react?”
“It went a lot smoother than I expected.He accepted my apology and told me he’d moved on, that there was no reason to keep revisiting the past.When I mentioned the divorce, he seemed relieved.He said Chester had always been a bad influence on those around him.He believed I never would have acted out the way I did if it hadn’t been for him.”
“Was Chester the ringleader of the group that bullied Gideon?”
“Not the ringleader—no.But he was part of it, and he never had a problem taking part in their bad behavior.That said, Chester had nothing to do with Gideon’s murder.You know that, right?”
“I can’t say I’ve ruled him out as a suspect.If he’s innocent, he has nothing to worry about.”
“Chester may be many things.But he’s no murderer.”
There was no point in arguing the fact.
She had her opinion.
And I had mine.
“What was it like to see Gideon again?”I asked.
“Surreal.Now and then I’d hear whispers—old classmates saying they’d spotted him around town.He looked so different, at least until our eyes met.Those eyes—the bluest I’d ever seen.You could lose yourself in them.”
“What did the two of you talk about?”
“He said he was happy, and in a peaceful place in his life.Well, all except for the bakery.He said he was in town to deal with it, and I could tell the decision was weighing on him.He was telling me a little bit about it, and then he got a call.He excused himself to take it, walking several feet away.I couldn’t hear what was being said at first, not until he got upset and started raising his voice.”
“Any idea who was on the other end of the call?”
She nodded.“He mentioned the person by name while he was speaking to him.It was his brother, Martin.”
9
After the funeral, Cade headed back to the RV to unwind and check on Boo, while I made my way to the wake, determined to speak with Martin.I spotted him in the backyard beneath an oak tree, his face buried in his hands.He looked like a man who wanted solitude, but I couldn’t ignore the questions weighing on my mind.
I needed answers.
Unlike Gideon’s muscular build, Martin looked as if he’d never set foot in a gym.He was husky, soft around the edges.Only when he lifted his gaze did I notice the one striking similarity between the brothers—those piercing blue eyes.
“Uhh, hey,” he said.“How long have you been standing there?”
“Long enough to contemplate whether I should introduce myself or give you some time to yourself.”
He tipped his head toward his sister’s house.“I can’t be in there, around everyone.None of them knew my brother.None of them cared about him.So why are they here?”
“They may not have known Gideon, but they know you and your sister, and they knew your mother.I hear she was well loved in this town.”
“I guess.It’s just hard to believe most of them didn’t show up to feed on the latest gossip surrounding the murder.”
“I’d wager some of them came for just that reason.”
“Yeah?Well, I’ve got no interest in talking to anyone.But you—I don’t mind.Camille told me she hired you to find out who killed our brother, and I’m glad she did.That sorry excuse for a sheriff might pretend he cares, but if you ask me, he doesn’t.”
I was relieved he was willing to talk to me, though standing over him made me feel awkward, like I was towering over him.The alternative was to sit beside him, but that meant risking grass stains on my charcoal dress—a thought I tried not to dwell on.
Decisions, decisions.
I sat.
