BooksBarbecue
Back Someone Had to Do It
Chapters (39)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Dedication
  4. About the Authors
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  37. THE STORY BEHIND SOMEONE HAD TO DO IT
  38. SOMEONE HAD TO DO IT: THE PLAYLIST
  39. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

I need evidence. I need that security tape. That will prove that I couldn’t have been there that night to poison Simon. I’ll have a solid alibi. They’ll have to move on to other suspects.

But all I can do now is wait.

20

BRANDI

“Maxwell. You posted bail.”

My head snaps up and the bars yank open. For a moment I think I’m dreaming. This isn’t really happening. But then the guard shifts, everything about him impatient, shouting my name again, and I’m on my feet immediately.

After I’m handed back my phone and two dollars at the front desk, I walk outside, palms damp, looking around for Nate. I can barely breathe. I’m not sure what the vibe will be between us. If he looks at me the way he did back in that shithole, I don’t know if I’ll be able to take it.

I spot him right away, on the corner, a silhouette of black against the streetlights, and head his way. He hears me and looks up from his phone, nothing but kindness in his eyes. I’m so relieved that I jog forward to hug him. Nate yanks me into his arms and crushes me against his body. He’s so warm and strong and smells like home. I cling to him. I can feel his heartbeat through his T-shirt, the heat of his chest beneath the fabric. He grips me just as tight, holding me up on the tips of my toes, burying his head in my hair.

“You okay?” he says, his soft words gliding into my ear.

My voice cracks. “Yeah.”

His hand strokes up and down my back and I sink into his touch. “Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out,” he whispers into my shoulder after a moment. I feel the warmth of his breath through my top and I almost want to stay here, just like this. Just me and him. Us against the world.

When I pull back, I see that he’s on the brink of tears. My chest tightens. I’ve never seen Nate cry. Never.

“What’s wrong?” I search his eyes, but they shy away from mine.

He shakes his head. I wait, knowing it has to be something. “It’s not there,” he finally says.

My heart pounds. “What’s not there?”

“The security camera...there’s no footage of you coming in that night.”

I called Nate earlier and told him to talk to one of the doormen, Raul, to ask about getting a copy of the security tape from Monday afternoon. I wanted to show that public defender I hadn’t gone back out after I came in and couldn’t have been in Long Island at the time of Simon’s death.

I frown. “What do you mean there’s no footage? It has to be there. I came in—”