“That’s not a smart thing to say to the person with a gun.”

“What do you want from me?” His face was taut with anger.

“The truth. I want you to tell me what happened at the apartment on New Year’s Eve. I want you to admit you thought you were murdering my sister.”

“I did nothing of the sort,” Martin insisted.

“You’re a liar!” Ridley shouted. He stormed out of the shadows in a fury, barefoot and wearing only pajama pants. There were tattoos on his oversized shoulders and biceps, and strange, raised scars on his torso that were too intricate to be accidental. “Everything you say is a lie. You killed that woman. I know you did.”

“No I didn’t,” Martin said through clenched teeth. He and Ridley were standing toe to toe, the boy looming over his father.

“You sent Gregory over there. I heard you plan it.” Ridley’s voice was deep and clear; there was no mumbling now.

“Gregory didn’t kill her.” Martin wasn’t giving an inch.

“Liar.”

“Gregory told me that when he and his man got there, the woman was dead,” Martin insisted. “They took her computer and her cell phone and they left.”

“Liar.”

“Gregory said her body was already in the bathtub. He told me he didn’t do it.” Martin spoke slowly, his eyes locked with his son’s. They’d forgotten I was in the room.

“Ridley, I want you to tell me what happened,” I said. “The whole story, from the beginning.”

Ridley turned to look at me, bumping against his father and knocking him back in the process. “You’ve got a gun. That’s cool.”

“It belongs to a friend.” The gun was heavy in my hand, and I felt ridiculous suddenly for pointing it at Martin. I lowered my arm. “Will you tell me what happened?”

Ridley nodded and looked at the floor. “It was my fault. I shouldn’t have—”

“Shut up, Ridley,” Martin interrupted. “Leave it alone.”

“I don’t want to be a liar like you.” Ridley looked at me; his eyes were so much like his father’s, but there was sadness behind them, not anger. “I told Claudia everything. She was my friend. She was mad at me about the fire, though.” His eyes went back to the carpet.

“Why would she be mad at you?”