Down Came the Rain (NOW FREE!)

34

Trigger Warning: This chapter contains themes of mental illness and abuse.

Chapter 34

Myles' mouth went dry as a heavy weight positioned itself in the center of his chest. It took great effort to take in slow, even breaths. The day's events felt more like a nightmare then anything he'd ever experienced while asleep. And just when he thought things couldn't get any more confusing, a new round of crazy slapped him in the face.

"I know what it must look like," Nick Lockhart said quickly. "But last night was the first time I've ever cheated on my wife. We'd always been happy. At least, I thought we were." His jaw clenched and his gaze clouded over. "I never suspected she was seeing someone else. She never even stopped sleeping with me—" His voice broke off with emotion. Everyone glanced away as his blue eyes welled with tears. "She didn't just cheat on me, she cheated on our kids, too. For two fucking years. And now— I'm just as guilty as she is." He shook his head, the impact of what he'd done still sinking in. "But I swear to God, I didn't rape Hudson Caldwell. She initiated sex, not me. I never forced her. You have to believe me."

An uncomfortable silence sucked out all the air in the room. Myles gasped for breath, his lungs burning. What the fuck was going on? He didn't want to believe it. But after everything they'd learned throughout the morning, could it possibly be true? He hated to admit it, but some of the bizarre things that had happened over the past several weeks were starting to fall in line. Especially how he'd confided to his partner about the way Hudson had acted the night they'd slept together. Had she lied to him about being innocent? That didn't feel right either. Only, it had to be. Had she been playing games with him this entire time? Some sick means of entertainment? If she'd lied about being a virgin, what else had she been dishonest about?

Hudson was Annie, and Annie was Hudson.

And Jacob didn't even fit into the picture. He was a real person, but not. Not in the way Hudson had lead him to believe.

Still, none of these revelations explained the morning's attack. Or the attack in her apartment. Even if Nick Lockhart wasn't The Shepherd, someone had still hurt her when she was alone in that alley. And he needed to know who. There were too many unanswered questions. Every chance Myles had, he studied the professor's knuckles, and they were as soft and smooth as a newborn baby's bottom. Instinctively, he knew the man was telling the truth.

A loud creak sliced through the quiet. "Excuse me, I'm sorry to interrupt," another officer said, opening the door and poking his head inside. "There's a guy on the phone. I think you're going to want to talk to him."

"Jesus H. Christ!" Frank said, slapping his palm to the table. "This better be important. We're in the middle of something here!"

"I wouldn't have interrupted if it wasn't."

"Is it the hospital?" Myles asked, jumping up from the chair. "Or information on the surveillance footage?"

The officer shook his head. "Neither. But someone just left to meet up with the owner of the pharmacy. With any luck, he'll be bringing some footage back with him. But this is still related to the case," he said, his voice dropping an octave. The cop looked at the professor and then back at Chief Robertson. "Where do you want to take it?"

The chief nodded at the landline sitting at the far end of the table. "Transfer the call back here. And can you get him out of here?" he asked, nodding toward Nick Lockhart.

"Sure thing."

The officer ushered the softly weeping man from the room and a moment later the phone let out a shrill ring. His boss picked up before it had time to finish.