cross your mind that maybe I don’t care about you?”
“Come on now, Starling. You can lie about a lot of things, but you can’t tell me you don’t think of me at least as a friend.”
“A
friend
,” she spat the word, “wouldn’t throw another friend under the bus the first chance he got. A
friend
wouldn’t blab a secret.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?” All he’d ever done for this girl was give, give, give. He’d voluntarily given up almost the entire last year of his life taking care of her and watching out for her. Hell, if put in a bad spot, he’d have taken a bullet for her. And now she was going to accuse him of being incapable of keeping a secret?
“I told you something … something you promised to not tell anyone …” She glanced at Devon. “And then I was given this.” She thrust an envelope into Jasper’s hand.
Taking out the note, he read the words. “Who in the hell gave you this?”
“I did,” Devon growled. “Some chick gave it to me, told me to give it to Starling. I thought it was her friend or something.”
“We aren’t from here. We know no one. What makes you think the woman was Starling’s friend? You didn’t think to ask who she was?” Jasper’s fingers tightened around the paper until it crunched in his hand.
“Hey, I’m not the one who is supposed to be her bodyguard,” Devon said, twisting the knife.
“What exactly did you tell him?” he demanded of Starling.
Don’t get angry at me. You are the one who told someone my secret.”
“I didn’t tell anyone anything. I’ve been following you around and trying, once again, to keep you from getting your ass in trouble.”
“You haven’t talked to anyone?”
“I don’t know anyone here, and the only person I’ve spoken to other than you is the cabby who brought me here.” But that wasn’t entirely true. There was the phone call with Ariadne. He couldn’t remember telling her anything that would have compromised the promise he made to Starling. Was it possible Ariadne sent the messenger? She knew about Starling’s ability to speak to the dead, but she couldn’t possibly have known about the secret books. Yet, someone out there knew. Someone who wanted to help. But why?
He had a hard time believing it was just for Starling. Maybe he was a cynic, but nobody helped someone else without some kind of selfish motive. They needed to get out of Savannah before anyone else came out of the woodwork. It seemed like every passing minute Starling fell further into danger.
“Why don’t you get the hell out of here?” Devon drunkenly motioned toward the door. “She clearly doesn’t need a shitty bodyguard. What she really needs is a good time and frankly, man, you’re ruining it.”
“Shut up, Devon.” Starling pried herself loose from his grasp and stood up. “I couldn’t have a good time with you even if you vibrated.”
• • •
“Let me see the letter again,” Jasper said. He read through it one more time. “Cabby, what’s the best place here in Savannah?”
“What, sir?” the cabby asked, looking back at them.
“What would you say is a place where memories are made?” he tried again.
“I don’t know about memories, but Savannah is known as the city of parks and squares. And Forsyth Park is a real popular place for weddings,” the cabby answered, but his voice made it sound like more of a question.
“Is there something round there?” Starling asked, breaking the tense silent treatment she had been giving ever since they had left Devon alone at the bar. Jasper handed back her letter, and folding it, she put it back into her purse.
“There’s a pretty nice fountain at its center. I guess that would be round,” the cabby continued.
“Take us there,” Starling ordered.
The cabby looked toward Jasper and he gave the man a nod.
“All right,” the cabby said, turning to the wheel.
“You really didn’t tell anyone what I told you?” Starling finally
“Come on now, Starling. You can lie about a lot of things, but you can’t tell me you don’t think of me at least as a friend.”
“A
friend
,” she spat the word, “wouldn’t throw another friend under the bus the first chance he got. A
friend
wouldn’t blab a secret.”
“What in the hell are you talking about?” All he’d ever done for this girl was give, give, give. He’d voluntarily given up almost the entire last year of his life taking care of her and watching out for her. Hell, if put in a bad spot, he’d have taken a bullet for her. And now she was going to accuse him of being incapable of keeping a secret?
“I told you something … something you promised to not tell anyone …” She glanced at Devon. “And then I was given this.” She thrust an envelope into Jasper’s hand.
Taking out the note, he read the words. “Who in the hell gave you this?”
“I did,” Devon growled. “Some chick gave it to me, told me to give it to Starling. I thought it was her friend or something.”
“We aren’t from here. We know no one. What makes you think the woman was Starling’s friend? You didn’t think to ask who she was?” Jasper’s fingers tightened around the paper until it crunched in his hand.
“Hey, I’m not the one who is supposed to be her bodyguard,” Devon said, twisting the knife.
“What exactly did you tell him?” he demanded of Starling.
Don’t get angry at me. You are the one who told someone my secret.”
“I didn’t tell anyone anything. I’ve been following you around and trying, once again, to keep you from getting your ass in trouble.”
“You haven’t talked to anyone?”
“I don’t know anyone here, and the only person I’ve spoken to other than you is the cabby who brought me here.” But that wasn’t entirely true. There was the phone call with Ariadne. He couldn’t remember telling her anything that would have compromised the promise he made to Starling. Was it possible Ariadne sent the messenger? She knew about Starling’s ability to speak to the dead, but she couldn’t possibly have known about the secret books. Yet, someone out there knew. Someone who wanted to help. But why?
He had a hard time believing it was just for Starling. Maybe he was a cynic, but nobody helped someone else without some kind of selfish motive. They needed to get out of Savannah before anyone else came out of the woodwork. It seemed like every passing minute Starling fell further into danger.
“Why don’t you get the hell out of here?” Devon drunkenly motioned toward the door. “She clearly doesn’t need a shitty bodyguard. What she really needs is a good time and frankly, man, you’re ruining it.”
“Shut up, Devon.” Starling pried herself loose from his grasp and stood up. “I couldn’t have a good time with you even if you vibrated.”
• • •
“Let me see the letter again,” Jasper said. He read through it one more time. “Cabby, what’s the best place here in Savannah?”
“What, sir?” the cabby asked, looking back at them.
“What would you say is a place where memories are made?” he tried again.
“I don’t know about memories, but Savannah is known as the city of parks and squares. And Forsyth Park is a real popular place for weddings,” the cabby answered, but his voice made it sound like more of a question.
“Is there something round there?” Starling asked, breaking the tense silent treatment she had been giving ever since they had left Devon alone at the bar. Jasper handed back her letter, and folding it, she put it back into her purse.
“There’s a pretty nice fountain at its center. I guess that would be round,” the cabby continued.
“Take us there,” Starling ordered.
The cabby looked toward Jasper and he gave the man a nod.
“All right,” the cabby said, turning to the wheel.
“You really didn’t tell anyone what I told you?” Starling finally
Similar Books
