In his gut he knew Boomer was the one who’d made the phone call to the authorities. It had to be Boomer. Making the phone call would take away his guilt. Still, if it all came out, Boomer would lose his job. That was almost a given. Unless…unless, along the way, Boomer had owned up and confessed his role in their activities that day. It was called cutting a deal and covering your ass.

Pete was so deep into his thoughts he almost jumped out of his skin when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He jerked around. “Jesus, you scared the hell out of me, Andy. What are you doing here?”

“The same thing you’re doing. Looking for comfort, for answers. I know what I should do, I just can’t bring myself to do it. I guess you’re feeling the same way I am.” He sat down next to Pete and hugged his knees the way his old playmate was doing. “The place looks so different. I wish they’d make a park here or something. What should we do, Pete? You’re a lawyer, you must have some ideas.”

“If I did, I blew them tonight. I had dinner with Cady. She asked me point-blank if I was here that day, and I lied and said no. She said she knew I was lying. It went downhill after that, and she took a cab home. I’m stuck with the lie now. I swear, Andy, I was going to say, ‘yes I was there,’ but no came out instead.”

Andy picked up a twig and snapped it in two. “Maybe what we should do is go to Cady and tell her the truth. If she’s as nice as she was when we were kids, and we explain the fallout, maybe she’ll take pity on us and let it drop. We don’t deserve it, but it could happen. It’s a real mess, Pete.”

“Yes, it is. What about Boomer?”

Andy shook his head. “I don’t know. I think he came back here because he couldn’t live with it anymore either. If the three of us go to Cady and explain things, it won’t matter if Amy sticks with her lie. She’ll have to live with it.”

“Andy, you two are joined at the hip. If we do this, you’ll be cutting your lifeline to Amy. Can you handle that?”

Andy pitched the broken twig in his hands into the pond. “I guess I’ll find out, won’t I?”

14

Cady stomped her way into the house, a murderous look on her face. They were lined up in the foyer, three across, arms outstretched, so she couldn’t pass without an explanation for her early return.

“I must be living under a black cloud or else I really do stink. Pete lied to me! He lied to my face. Of course I can’t prove it, but the look on his face told me he was lying. What do you think of that?” she demanded, hands on hips, her face flushed.