Ch. 9: Ruins
Walt couldn't remember the last time he saw Vic sleep as hard as she did that night and into the morning hours. Not that he made a habit of watching her sleep. But, he was guilty of indulging from time to time.
It hadn't taken her any time to fall asleep once she laid down. He decided any discussion they needed to have could wait until the next day. He just didn't see any reason to stress her out more than she already was. He didn't sleep anywhere near as long as she did. He felt too on edge. He wanted to keep a watchful eye over her.
At some point, he did drift off.
For a while.
He woke up earlier than normal with the sun just starting to make an appearance. It was still mostly dark in the bedroom and he could just see her. Vic was on her side facing him. She was sleeping soundly and he was grateful for that.
Grateful.
He seemed to be using that word frequently as of late.
It was the truth, though.
There was no sound coming from either kid's bedroom. So, there was no reason to get up. His eyes lingered on Vic. She was breathing evenly and steadily. As opposed to the day before, her face looked relaxed and more at ease. Unfortunately, he knew that it wouldn't last. Once she woke up, there would be things they needed to deal with. There was no way around it and it couldn't be put off indefinitely.
For now, he was content to simply watch her as the sun continued its rise into the morning sky. The bedroom was gradually becoming illuminated with the warm light. The effect highlighted Vic's face as she slept. Walt didn't pay any attention to the clock and wasn't sure how much time passed before she finally moved.
It started with her head shifting slightly and her eyelids fluttering just a bit. Slowly, her eyes opened and she moved her head again. She was looking directly at him when her eyes opened all the way. Their eyes met almost instantly. For a few seconds, her expression wasn't really formed. She was just looking at him. Then, coherent thoughts filled up her face and her brow furrowed a bit.
"What time is it?"
Walt shrugged one shoulder.
"Don't know."
She didn't make any attempt to look at the clock or her cell phone.
"How long you been up?"
"A while."
Vic stretched her arms up over her head, bringing one down to cover a yawn that escaped her.
"You're so informative this morning."
He smiled at her wordlessly. Vic tilted her head on the pillow.
"What?"
He wasn't sure what to respond with except the truth.
"I'm glad you're here."
He said it with all the sincerity that he felt inside and hoped that she heard it. She seemed to.
"Me too. Way better than the alternative."
Walt felt his chest clench at the words.
"You know…"
He paused, knowing this wasn't really the right time, but also aware that it was necessary.
"…we need to talk."
The slight smile she was wearing left her face and Walt felt guilty about that. He never wanted to be the one to make her feel down.
"I know. But…not now."
"Vic."
She brought her hand up and placed two fingers on his mouth. The move effectively silenced him as she intended. Her thumb slowly stroked over his bottom lip.
"We will talk, Walt. But, not now."
He was going to give in and they both knew it. Vic's hand slipped away from his mouth. Slowly, Walt leaned over and kissed her. They both had morning breath, but he didn't care. Vic didn't seem to either. As a matter of fact, she was the one who deepened the kiss and pulled on him. What she wanted from him was clear. He was more than willing as they both knew that he would be.
Vic's hand slid into his hair and her fingers flexed into his scalp. Not that he minded. The physical aspect reminded him that she was here and she was with him. They were together and that was the way it needed to be in his mind.
"Walt."
She murmured his name against his mouth. He could hear the mix of emotions and feelings in the words. Desire. Need. Something that edged into desperation. On some level, that bothered him. There wasn't anything he could do about it in that moment, though. He simply wanted to erase everything that was painful for her. He wanted to take on her burden for himself and free her from it even though he knew that wasn't possible.
In that moment, it didn't matter.
Vic brought her legs up and around him, holding him in place and where she wanted him. Not that he had any intention of attempting to extricate himself from her embrace. He meant what he said. He missed her. He missed this. The thought of losing that…"
"Stop."
Her head was back on the pillow and she was looking up at him. Walt frowned.
"Stop what?"
"Thinking whatever you're thinking. Just. Stop."
That was easier said than done considering what was happening to and around them. He attempted to kiss her, but Vic's hands landed on his chest and pushed up slightly.
"Walt."
He was trying to gain some clarity. Her eyes were sincere with a touch of sternness.
"I mean it. Stop."
Her words were soft, but didn't leave room for argument. He released a breath and nodded.
"Okay."
She continued to look at him for another few seconds before she drew him back down, this time with more control and less desperation. The action was slow as she lifted her head up slightly and kissed him squarely on the mouth. Her hands cradled his face as she kissed him harder and with more intent.
One hand left his face and started a slow, downward trajectory. His mind went blessedly blank.
xxx
She was on the porch when he came out of the barn and up towards the cabin.
The rest of their morning went as well as it could. Walt took Julian to school and talked briefly with Eli about what needed to get done that day. She honestly didn't know how much Eli knew about the situation and made a mental note to ask Walt about it later on. She dressed and they had breakfast like it was any other day even though it was about as far away from that as possible.
It was important, though, to maintain some sense of normalcy for Julian and Anna. That included keeping the conversation as light as possible and keeping them on their schedules. Julian grumbled about going to school, but gave in when Walt gave him a stern look that Vic backed up. Vic kept Anna with her while the two of them drove into town. She busied herself inside playing with Anna and keeping herself distracted. She knew from the amount of time that Walt was gone that he went directly to the school and came back.
After that, he went out to the barn for a while. The morning passed quietly and she put Anna down for a nap. Taking the baby monitor, she slid on her shoes, pulled on her jacket, and walked outside to the porch. Setting the baby monitor on the porch rail, she took a seat on the bench and pulled her feet up to settle in.
Now, with nothing to occupy her, Vic's mind was being inundated with thoughts that she was no longer able to keep at bay. She let her eyes drift around, taking in sights that she could conjure up in her sleep with no problem. Her gaze eventually moved to the barn and she could see Eli working. Walt must have been in the barn because she didn't see him. Not for a while.
He finally emerged. From where she sat she could see him speak to Eli. After that, he looked in the direction of the cabin and she suspected that he saw her sitting there. It was no surprise when he started walking with measured and determined strides.
Walt crossed the yard and came up the steps and down the porch. Reaching up, he removed his hat and set it carefully on the rail beside the baby monitor.
"Bug sleeping?"
He knew she meant Anna.
"Yes."
He nodded and continued to look at her.
"Surprised to see you out here in the cold."
Vic shrugged and didn't say anything. Walt sat down beside her, leaving just a bit of space between them. Vic erased it almost as quickly as he stilled, tucking herself into him. He shifted his arm around her and she settled into his side.
"How're you feeling?"
Vic sighed. They were at that magical point where they were going to have this conversation and there wasn't much she could do about that. It was obvious in his expression and the way that he carried himself up here. He'd done as she asked and granted her some time. Now, that was over.
Fair enough.
"Overwhelmed."
She decided to go with straight talk and preferred to get it over with.
"About what exactly?"
Vic huffed out a breath.
"Everything. The charges, jail, being home. It's just…it's a lot."
"Yeah."
She took a breath.
"I don't want to go back. It's…I just can't."
She didn't bother trying to keep the fear out of her voice. She didn't have that kind of energy. Not right now. He harbored his own concerns and she knew that.
"You won't"
He tried to sound certain about that. But, they both knew he had minimal control over it. When she didn't respond, he continued.
"I mean it, Vic. We are going to figure this out."
"How?"
"By using all of our resources."
Vic sat up slightly out of his embrace.
"What resources? We're not cops anymore, Walt. We don't have any power."
She could hear the strain in her own voice and hated herself for it.
"That doesn't mean we're alone in this."
Vic huffed out a sigh.
"Optimism isn't really your thing."
"I'm being truthful. Not optimistic."
"Sure."
She knew how she sounded. She also knew that he wouldn't like it.
"Vic…"
"No, I'm being truthful, Walt. We have no power here and there's not a damn thing that we can do about it."
There was a long stretch of silence before he spoke.
"You sound like you've given up."
Vic shook her head.
"I just…don't know what to do here. If I go back…"
She paused, considering her next words.
"…I won't make it."
That was the truth. Her truth. He would have to hear it whether he liked it or not.
"You won't go back, Vic."
Vic bowed her head and looked at her lap.
"Don't make promises that you can't keep."
"I haven't. I'm not. Take a breath."
He waited, giving her time.
"You and I both know you didn't killed Perry. Neither did I. That much we know is the truth. But, someone did. We have to find out who that was in order to clear you."
Of course, he was coming up with a plan. Thinking was what Walt did.
"It's the same someone who broke in here and took your gun. Whoever it is…knew exactly what they were doing."
"So…how do we go about solving this case?"
"First, Cady is going to come in here and process the entire place."
"Walt…"
He broke in.
"I've already talked to her. She wants to do this. It's her job. Just because Whitlock thinks he has the right person doesn't mean Cady can't look into it farther. As long as everything is on the up and up, she won't get into any trouble."
"It's been too long. There won't be anything left. We've all touched…"
"I know she might not find anything. She knows. But, it can't hurt. This is what we do first. Who knows…maybe we'll get lucky and come up with a print that doesn't belong here."
She made a face.
"When have you and I ever gotten that lucky? Ever?"
Walt refused to allow her dark mood to infect him. It was for her benefit. She knew that.
"We have to treat this like a case, Vic. We have to solve it if Whitlock won't."
She was quiet for a minute or two, processing his words, mulling them over. It was a plan, even if she didn't feel great about it.
"What else?"
"Hmm?"
"You said first. What else are you thinking?"
He cleared his throat.
"I talked to Zeke."
"Zeke?"
"Yep. I asked him to look into this…professionally. He's good at what he does. We need all the help that we can get. Cady can only do so much legally. Zeke…is a different story."
Vic thought about it. It wasn't the worst idea. Zeke helped them before. Walt was right. He was a hell of a private investigator with a mind for puzzles and connections that reached into various law enforcement agencies.
"He agreed?"
"Of course."
Vic nodded slowly. For the first time since Walt sat down, she noticed the cold around her. Settling back into his side, she leaned her head onto his shoulder. His arm tightened around her as though he sensed that was what she needed.
She took a breath, trying to calm her nerves.
She wouldn't go so far as to say she felt better. She didn't. But, she did find something she couldn't really name in his presence as well as the fact that he was already thinking, and overthinking, about all of this.
For the moment, that would have to be enough.
xxx
They went out to dinner to give Cady time to do what she wanted. Ferg was with her. The two of them would process the cabin in hopes of finding something that might be useful. Walt didn't hold out much hope for that. He knew that Vic didn't either. No one did really. So much time had passed. But, they had to try.
It was Walt's idea to go out. Vic probably would have been satisfied going out to the barn. Her mood wasn't the best. Not that he blamed her. He understood the effect of what she was going through. Not necessarily the actual being arrested. He did have some experience with being a suspect, though. In a murder. He knew this could just as easily be him. The possibility existed. He did have access to Vic's gun.
It made him wonder. Why Whitlock was so focused on Vic. Men were more likely to commit violent crimes. Maybe there was something else that Whitlock thought implicated Vic. He didn't have any way of knowing.
Walt pushed the thoughts from his head as they entered the small Mexican restaurant and sat down. It smelled as good as always. They weren't strangers to this place as tacos were one of Julian's favorite foods. He hoped this would provide a distraction. For them all. He was worried. Vic was scared. Julian seemed to sense both and was on edge, watching them closely for any signs of what might be amiss.
They ordered drinks and he glanced at Vic. She was looking at menu the vacantly like she didn't really see it. She didn't even notice that he was watching her. She almost always did.
"Do you know what you're getting?"
Vic raised her eyes to meet his and shrugged.
"I'm not hungry."
He started to open his mouth and argue with her and thought better of it.
"Get something light."
She held his eyes momentarily before she lowered them back down to the menu. Julian leaned on the table.
"I want tacos."
"We know."
The reply came from Vic as she tossed her laminated menu mindlessly on the table. He looked her way and she offered him a smile that didn't reach her eyes. Walt felt something tug at him. The waiter brought their drinks and took their food orders before hurrying off again. Julian busied himself with coloring on the children's menu with the solitary crayon he'd been given. Vic stirred her straw through the water in her glass, her eyes on the clinking ice. She ordered a salad and he wondered how much of it she would actually eat.
"Look."
Julian slid his completely colored picture towards her. Vic looked at it and offered the boy a smile.
"That's good. Very creative."
Julian grinned at her, some of his blond hair falling across his face. She reached out to push the hair out of his eyes.
"You…need a haircut."
Walt caught the slight break in her voice. If Julian did, he didn't respond. He pulled the picture back and flipped it over to the back, which was blank. With his crayon, he started drawing. Vic watched for a few seconds before turning her eyes to Walt.
Anna sat on the other side and held up her own scribbled picture for Vic to see, mimicking Julian.
"Mama."
Vic smiled again.
"Very nice."
Walt watched the scene play out from his seat. She looked his way again and started to say something only to find his eyes drawn away. From where Walt sat, he could see the door. It opened and a familiar figure walked in.
Grayson Whitlock only took a moment to find them as his eyes scanned the restaurant. He paused when his eyes met Walt's. He clearly didn't quite know what to do. Noticing Walt's divided attention, Vic turned in her seat to see the DCI Agent hover just inside the door.
Recovering from his momentary surprise, Whitlock started their way. Walt's eyes flicked to Vic just in time to see her jaw flex.
"Vic."
Her name came out no more than a murmur. She either didn't hear him, which he doubted, or she ignored him outright. Whitlock approached.
"Evening."
Vic looked up at him.
"I notice you didn't say good."
"Don't want to push my luck. I heard you made bail. Just remember…"
His eyes shifted to her glass.
"…the terms of your release."
Walt felt a flash of anger surge through him.
"You should probably just keep walking."
Whitlock gave him a cool look.
"I'm just here to eat."
"Well…don't let us keep you from that."
The remark came from Vic, of course. Whitlock gave her another long look.
"Enjoy your meal."
With that, he left for his own table just as their food arrived. Once the waiter was gone and the kids were settled with their food, he looked her way. Just as he suspected, she wasn't really eating. She was pushing the contents of her taco salad around on the plate with a look that told him she didn't have any appetite. Her eyes suddenly lifted to find him watching her. Seconds stretched out as they held the eye contact. He refrained from telling her she should eat. That would only run the risk of setting her off. That was the last thing he wanted. So, he kept the thought to himself and continued to eat in silence.
xxx
"Play me a song."
He obviously didn't hear her come in from the bedroom fresh from a shower. She saw him jump slightly at the sound of her voice. Honestly, she was surprised to come out of the bedroom and find him sitting on the piano bench. He wasn't playing it. He was just sitting with his fingers on the keys lightly.
She walked over slowly and touched his back. The contact felt good to her. It felt…almost like an anchor. Her hand slid from him as she walked around the bench and joined him in sitting. Walt didn't respond right away. His eyes returned to the keys, his fingers stayed in place.
"The kids are sleeping."
Vic shrugged.
"I didn't say pound out a song, Walt. Play something…soft."
He continued to sit. She finally nudged him with her elbow.
"Play something for me."
The words came out intimately. He cast a look her way and nodded. A few seconds later, he started to play, his fingers moving over the keys slowly and softly. Vic watched his hands. She loved his hands. He was good with them. Whether he was building something or playing the piano, she always liked his hands. They were big and strong. They weren't soft hands with their callouses and roughness, but they could be soft when he used them correctly. It was such a stark contrast.
He finished the song and his hands left the keys. Time stretched out around them as they sat in the quiet that followed the end of his song. Vic finally reached over and put her hand on his thigh, her fingers flexing in with a light squeeze.
"That was nice. Thank you."
"You're welcome."
The exchange seemed odd. Walt cleared his throat.
"I'm worried about you."
"I'm okay."
He shook his head, clearly disagreeing.
"No, you're not. You haven't been since you got home."
"Walt…"
He interrupted, not letting her finish.
"Vic, stop."
He pushed out the words quietly with just enough force to get his point across. She stopped and closed her eyes.
"I'm sorry. I just…I don't want you to worry about me."
He turned his head and gave her a long, incredulous look.
"Do you know what you would say if our roles were reversed?"
Vic frowned at the question. She knew exactly what she would say.
"Come on. Tell me. If it was me that was a suspect and was arrested and I told you I didn't want you to worry about me. What would you say?"
"That's stupid."
"Okay, then."
She started to roll her eyes, but resisted the impulse. He was right.
"Yeah."
The word came out quietly. Vic stood up and stretched. Walt swung his legs over the stool and turned so that he was looking at her, planting his feet back on the floor. Vic stood in front of him and dropped her arms down to her side.
"You're right."
Walt looked up at her, his expression serious.
"I'm glad you see that."
"I bet."
She was still hedging slightly. Her defenses were going down slowly. Walt waited. He was good at that where she was concerned. Vic inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly. Lowering herself, she sat down in his lap. Walt's hand came up and landed on her back, starting to stroke out a slow arc across her spine. Tipping her head, she rested it on his shoulder.
"I'm tired."
He continued to run his hand over her back. It occurred to him that she seemed small sitting there.
"I know."
They sat in silence. Neither said anything as several minutes slipped by them unnoticed. At the end of it, Vic raised her head and looked into his face. He studied her, taking in the red eyes and the wet streaks on her face. He lifted his free hand and wiped her cheeks dry with his fingers. The rough texture felt familiar on her face.
"I'm afraid of going back."
She wasn't going to hold back now. The dam had broken. There was no reason to try and build it back up. Walt was on her side. If she wasn't sure about anything else, she was sure of that.
"I know. I'm afraid of the same thing."
It wasn't very often that Walt was willing to admit fear. The hand on her back stopped moving. He pressed his fingers into the back of her shirt. He took a moment to compose himself and his thoughts. She could see that her admissions were affecting him.
"We will figure this out, Vic. We always have in the past."
He was injecting certainty into his voice. She wanted to lose herself in it. The sureness she heard there gave her a warm, comforting feeling.
"Okay."
It might have been the first time she didn't argue or challenge him on that assessment. She wanted to believe him. In some ways, she knew that she needed to believe him. It was what would get her through the day, the coming days.
He tilted his head slightly.
"You believe me now?"
"I want to."
She answered quickly and with conviction. He smiled at her ever so slightly.
"Good. Because, it's the truth."
Vic tipped her head down and kissed him lightly before slipping from his lap. Walt rose and she again seemed small by comparison. He reckoned she was. As much courage as she possessed, as strong as her personality was, she was comparatively smaller than he was.
He took her hand and gave it a tug.
"C'mon. Let's go to bed. We will get this all sorted out. Starting tomorrow."
Vic nodded and allowed him to lead her to the bedroom.
xxx
It was too early when her phone rang.
They were in the kitchen eating breakfast when the abrasive sound nearly made Walt flinch. Vic sat across from him at the table eating eggs. She grimaced and pushed up from the table to retrieve the phone from where it rested on the counter. She paused to look at the screen before she answered. All he heard was her greeting because she left the kitchen and walked into the living room, keeping her voice low.
Walt turned his attention back to breakfast. Julian was nearly done and had also watched Vic leave the kitchen. His blue eyes drifted back to Walt and they were full of questions. Truthfully, Walt was grateful that he didn't ask them. He didn't have any answers for the boy just then. Not any that a five year old could grasp.
His appetite gone, he stood up and started clearing his and Julian's dishes. It was a fair bet that Vic wouldn't finish hers. So, he left her plate where it sat on the table. Julian stayed in his seat, quiet and observant. Walt turned to him.
"Go and brush your teeth. Almost time for school."
Julian slid from his chair and wandered from the room. He passed Vic as she returned with her phone in hand. She tucked it into her back pocket. Just as he expected, she picked up her plate and dumped the rest of her breakfast into the trash. She wasn't eating as much as he would like. If he brought it up, she would argue with him and that wasn't something he wanted to engage in just then. Nothing would be served by annoying her over something she saw as trivial.
He would pick his battles better than that.
"That was Rick Parker. He wants to meet me in Durant later this morning. So…I'll take Julian to school."
Walt dipped his chin.
"I'll come with you."
"You have work to do."
Walt was resolute in this matter.
"Eli can keep up with it. I'll come with you."
He half expected another argument. He was surprised when she simply accepted what he was saying and moved on.
"Okay. Does…Eli know?"
Walt nodded.
"Yep. I talked to him yesterday about everything. Told him I may need him to work some extra hours. He understands. He's on board."
It wasn't a shock. The young man was almost like a part of their family at this point.
She nodded and gestured with her right hand.
"I'm…gonna finish getting dressed."
She lifted Anna from her highchair and onto her hip, carrying her out of the room with her. As already scheduled, Anna would be going to her in home preschool that morning. There was nothing to keep him from going to the meeting with Parker as he wanted. He needed to know firsthand what was going on, what the man planned to do. Vic was too prone to filtering information in the name of him not worrying.
He left the dishes for later and pulled on his boots. Julian came back from brushing his teeth and Walt helped him with his shoes as well. By the time Vic returned with Anna, they were both wearing their coats and were ready. Vic slipped on her jacket and bundled up Anna against the chill.
The ride to drop off both kids should have felt mundane. It did not. There was a heaviness with everything else that was going on. It made everyday tasks feel weighted down. He knew why. He recognized the reasoning and chose not to think about it. Those were thoughts he didn't want to entertain. Not just yet.
Vic had agreed to meet Parker at the office of a fellow attorney who practiced in Durant. Walt knew the man. He was older with a quiet practice that focused mostly on property transactions with some minor civil disputes thrown in for good measure.
Rick Parker was already there with his case file spread out on a borrowed desk. He offered them both a smile as they came in, standing and offering his hand to each of them in turn. Once they were all seated, he focused on Vic.
"How are you?"
"Better now that I'm out of jail. Thanks."
"Let's keep it that way."
"I'm all for it. What do you have?"
Parker's face didn't really tell them anything.
"So far, their case seems to hinge on your gun. The ballistics report matches the bullet that killed Mr. Perry to the 9mm that they took from your house. Tell me about that weapon."
Vic gave a slight shrug.
"Not much to tell. I've had it for years. I used it in the line of duty. Now, it's a personal weapon. It stays in a lockbox in the top of our closet. Walt and I both have a key that we keep on our key chains."
"How often do you take out the weapon?"
"Not very much. When I need it. I don't walk around with it."
"So…it would be possible for the gun to be missing for a period of time and you not notice."
"I suppose. But…someone would have to get one of the keys."
"Is that possible?"
"Anything is possible."
Parker nodded.
"They may have other evidence as well. While the prosecutor is required to share with me, we haven't reached that stage yet. I would rather not. I believe our best route is to derail this before it ever gets that far."
"How exactly do we do that?"
"I'm working on a few things. This…Agent Whitlock contacted me yesterday. He wants to talk to you. I told him that we could meet with him this morning. I'll be with you and we will be careful about what questions we answer. There's no reason to possibly feed into anything he might be trying to construct. I understand you both did one interview prior to this. Without counsel."
There was a note of disapproval in his comment. Vic leaned forward, her arms folded on the table.
"I don't have anything to hide. Neither of us do."
"Still, no more conversations without me. Understood."
Vic nodded and tossed a look in his direction.
"Sure."
The rest of the short meeting was going over their version of events and establishing a timeline. There was nothing surprising or unexpected. Once Parker, packed up his briefcase, the three of them walked to the Sheriff's Department.
xxx
Whitlock was waiting for them in Cady's office. Cady wasn't in and Ruby sent them on through. Walt paused in the doorway and Whitlock gave him a look.
"I only need to speak to Vic."
Walt looked her way before he stepped back. She knew he didn't like it. There was nothing to be done about it. This was an official investigation and Whitlock could run it the way that he wanted. At least she had an attorney with her. As much as she didn't always like lawyers, she appreciated that Parker would give her some measure of backup.
"Sit. Please."
Vic sat down and Parker took a seat beside her. Whitlock gave him a look.
"Rick Parker?"
Parker nodded.
"In the flesh."
"I've heard of you."
"That's good to know, I guess. My client is only here because she's still interested in helping with this investigation. She won't be answering any questions that attempt to cast any sort of guilt or blame."
"Understood."
Whitlock leaned on Cady's desk. It rubbed Vic the wrong way that he seemed so at home here. His presence felt wrong in this space and he appeared oblivious to it.
"I'm curious about something, Vic."
She also disliked the familiarity with which he used her name now. As if he knew her.
"What's that?"
"Have you ever been accused of having an extra-marital affair before?"
"What does that have to do with anything?"
Parker jumped in almost immediately. Whitlock held up his hands in mock surrender.
"It's just a question. I can't convict her with it."
Parker shook his head, but looked to Vic.
"You can answer if you're comfortable. But, you don't have to."
She eyed Whitlock.
"You're asking me about something specific. So, why don't you get to it instead of beating around the bush."
"Fine. Were you already involved with your current husband when you divorced your first one?"
There it was. No shock there. He had obviously been talking to people around town, or someone who thought they knew something. Rumors. There were plenty of those when she and Walt first went public. It wasn't exactly an easy thing. They managed with a great deal of struggle. She couldn't remember the number of times she told him just to ignore people. That was much easier said than done.
"No."
"You sure about that?"
"Pretty damn sure."
"Well…"
"No. You know what…I'm sick and tired of this. Nothing happened between me and Walt while I was married. He didn't have anything to do with the divorce. My marriage was in trouble before I ever met Walt. You can believe that, or not. That's your problem. Maybe you should stop listening to gossip and look for actual facts."
"Okay. Actual facts tell me that you have had an affair with a married man before. So, in spite of your continued insistence that you would not engage in adultery, you actually have."
Gorski.
"Jesus."
"What?"
Vic sighed and stood up. The move seemed to rattle both Whitlock and Parker.
"I know what you're talking about. More gossip. You're right. I did have a relationship with a man who turned out to be married. What you so conveniently left out was that I didn't know that. When I found out, I ended it. So…try again."
She looked at Parker.
"I think I'm done."
Parker rose and gave Whitlock a wholly insincere smile.
"Then, we are done."
Whitlock didn't look happy about her refusal to go farther, but knew there was not much he could do about it. Parker waited until they were at the door before he turned back to Whitlock.
"It seems like you have some kind of axe to grind here. Take this as us declining any more interviews. Make your case."
With that he followed her out. Walt was pacing the office when they emerged. He stopped and faced them. Vic grabbed her coat and pulled it on.
"We're done."
He gave her a look.
"Already?"
"Yep. Let's go. I don't want to waste my time on this bullshit."
Parker looked between the two of them and wisely made his exit.
"I'll be in touch."
Vic nodded to him as he left the office ahead of them. They trailed a few feet behind him. Walt didn't voice any questions until they were outside on the sidewalk.
"What was that all about?"
She shook her head, the anger still coursing through her. Some things would simply never go away.
"Same stupid shit as always. You know how it goes…you can never outrun your past no matter how hard you try. It's always gonna come back up and bite you in the ass."
She paused at the SUV and looked out across town. Walt was watching her. She was about a hundred percent certain he was going to say something when her phone rang. She pulled it out of the back pocket of her jeans and looked down.
It looked like they might be in for another drive.
"It's Zeke."