“Why?” I whisper, as these thoughts flow through me like a river. Anger rises within me. I’m angry that there’s a dark cloud hanging over Nicholas for something someone knows for sure he didn’t do. But mostly, I’m angry at Owen for making me suspect Nicholas in that terrible crime.

“I couldn’t come forward because I had robbed a bank that night and Owen knew it. He had proof. He was my alibi. So, when he came to my place covered in blood, I became his alibi.”

We don’t stay at Robert’s house much longer. Our goodbye is brief, leaving a lot of things still unsaid.

I want to blame him for what happened back then.

I want to blame him for not coming forward, but who would?

Would I?

I can see that the guilt of what has happened still wears on him. Nina’s parents don’t know what happened to their daughter but he does and he could give them some solace except to do that would mean upending his own life and his own family.

Sydney and I talk about this on our way to our rental cabin.

“You know, you have to admit that this is still good news,” she says as I turn down a narrow road in between sweeping snow-covered pine trees.

“Is this the right way?”

She checks her phone and nods.

“What do you mean?” I ask.

“Well, we now know for sure that Nicholas had nothing to do with that and we have an eyewitness to who did.”

“Not exactly an eyewitness.”

“Okay, whatever they would call it. Owen came to him covered in blood, that has to count for something.”

“It does, of course. But only if he testifies in court and only if the FBI even believes him in the first place.”

She takes a deep breath. “You know, you don’t have to be so negative about this. You got a real breakthrough here. Why don’t you accept it for what it is?”

I glance over at her.

I want to be as overjoyed as she is but somehow, she doesn’t seem to see all the obstacles that are still in our way.

Like his wife, for one.

“Robert never even told his wife about this,” I point out. “I’m not sure he will be willing to talk to the prosecutor.”

“So, why did he tell you?”

“Because I already kind of knew. He wanted to get it off his chest. But that doesn’t mean he’s going to confess anything on record.”

Sydney crosses her arms in a huff. “Does that mean he’s going to just watch an innocent man go to prison for a crime he didn’t commit?”

I shake my head.

I don’t think he will go that far, but the thing is that Nicholas isn’t even officially arrested for that crime.