Murder She Wrote (Book 2)

11. "Where were You?"

Ryan's POV:

I stood there still trying to comprehend what he just said. "What?" Were the only words that could come out of my mouth. Even though I heard his words clearly. "How would you know that?"

The bartender handed him a shot glass and he slid it over to me. "I think we have a few more things to discuss. Do you have the time?"

"How would you know she showed up to the therapist office?" I repeated.

"The same way I knew half of the stuff that's been going on in your life and hers. I followed her that day and seen it all, and if you want proof I can show you," he then said calmly.

"You're fucking with me!"

I got a few stares from everyone around us. I didn't realize how loud I was being.

"You know I'm telling the truth. Your anger is just a reaction of shock because you can't bare the truth. But it's true, she did kill her and it was with the same tranquilizer gun you found in that closet too," he then stared at me. I was holding myself back from walking away from him and this conversation. A part of me wanted to convince myself that this wasn't reality and another part of me wanted to hear more. I don't know if I should take his word for it. It's just too much to take in. It'll be ridiculous to easily believe a stranger. I've known Veronica for so many years, we've been nothing but brutally honest with each other. We share a level of intimacy that no one understands and for all of that to be just a lie.....I just couldn't believe it.

"I didn't find anything in a closet," I lied.

"You didn't?" He furrowed his eyebrows. "Then why did you visit the therapist facility today? And the hospital? You ran out of the hospital pretty fast too. I would've assumed you connected the dots right about now. Or are you convincing yourself that it's just a coincidence?" He then asked, organizing all my previous thoughts into sentences.

"I need to go.." I announced to him, quickly gathering my belongings.

"If you leave, I'll be forced to go back to my original plan and it won't be a good outcome for neither of us," he said with a low tone. "All my years, I've been trying to prove my innocence and exposing Veronica for who she really is. She took everything from me, even my daughter. I intend to get my revenge one way or another. I came here to compromise or else this would've already been handled a much faster way."

I didn't know what he was implying but his words sounded threatening.

"Are you blackmailing me?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Call it how it is. I'm not asking for your help, I'm trying to help you. You need me more than I need you in this situation. That's why the best option right now is to work together to uncover her past and get the evidence needed to reveal who she is. I know she's your wife but you need to understand she's been doing this same fantasy for years with many other men. It's a game to her and it's never ending. Don't be fooled into playing along with her antics. At the end of the day, the only person Veronica will choose to protect is herself."

"I may not know what has happened in the past but I genuinely believe she's not that same person anymore..."

He shook his head, "I've practically confirmed that your wife did indeed kill her own therapist and you still choose to defend her? You even had your suspicions before coming here and you still choose to ignore it?" He chuckled to himself. "Trust me, I know how deceiving this woman is. You have no fucking clue what she's about. She caused trauma to so many people and yet you rather protect her than put a stop to her behavior." He then leaned in closer to me so no one could hear his voice loudly. "You know I had to watch my wife take her last breaths in front of me and it was all because of her. She haunted us down that day, and she achieved exactly what she intended to do. A person who has no remorse for another person's life can't change....ever."