He drove to the police station first, because his mom had said Piper was being questioned, and she’d probably know because one of her cronies would have told her. If she wasn’t there he’d go to her house. His head was filled with crazy thoughts of her betrayal and lies. Had Piper lied to him about loving him, or did she think she loved him, and had still poisoned his mother?

He entered the building and went to reception.

“I want to see Piper Trainer.”

“She’s with Chief Blake at the moment,” the woman behind the desk said. “Her cousin Joe will be back in a minute though.”

“I want to see her, not him. I’ll wait.” He paced the small room. Over to the notice board and back to the chairs. He counted ten times before he heard Piper’s voice.

“Dylan!” She ran at him, but his hands stopped her from launching herself into his arms.

“Did you do it?” His voice sounded weird, like it belonged to someone else.

He watched the green eyes cloud over at his words. Her hands fell away, and she stumbled back, away from him. He fought the urge to grab her and haul her close.

“Did you? You hate her enough.”

Almost as if he’d punched her, she seemed to hunch. Her arms wrapped around her middle and the look she threw him was anguished.

“You believe me capable of doing something like that?” She didn’t yell, but her words cut through him like a knife.

“I don’t know you!” It was he who roared. He who gave in to the despair inside him.

She just stood looking at him, and slowly her shoulders straightened. Dylan watched her blink all expression from her eyes. Empty now, they stared through him. Dylan was the first to look away. Her expression made him feel like he’d committed the worst crime in history. But wasn’t she in the wrong? Hadn’t she tried to kill his mother?

“Piper—”

“Go away, Dylan. I don’t want to see you anymore.” She turned her back on him.

“You have to understand that—”

She spun to face him, her eyes fired with anger now.

“I understand that the man I love believes me capable of murdering his mother. I understand that you could never have felt the same way as I do, because if you did, you would not have believed me capable of such a thing... even if the odds are stacked against me.”

“Piper—”

“Go away,” she said in a slow, precise way. “And never, ever speak to me again.”

The last word wobbled, and Dylan watched as she bit her lip. She turned her back on him again and kept walking, back through the door she’d just left, closing it softly behind her.

Dylan went to follow but when he opened it, a man stood there.

“You can’t come back here.”