I close my eyes briefly.
"Exactly."
There's a shift on his end, I can hear it. That moment where doubt creeps in whether he wants it to or not.
"You really think someone set him up?" he asks.
"I don't know what to think," I admit. "But this doesn't add up."
Another pause Then…..
"Or," he says slowly, "someone used his name on purpose."
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
"To frame him."
"Or to make sure if anything came out, it leads back to him," I add.
Lucas lets out a quiet curse under his breath.
"Fuck."
I sit back down on the bed, my legs suddenly feeling weaker than they should.
"I needed you to know," I say.
"You did right," he replies immediately.
There's no hesitation in his voice now, no dismissal.
"I'll look into it," he continues. "Properly this time."
"How?" I ask.
"I'll start with Mia," he says. "Where she met him. When. If there's any pattern. Any detail she missed before."
I nod, even though he can't see me.
"Okay."
"And Elaine…."
