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.Vivian never listened to answers anyway.“I wouldn’t spit on you if you were on fire.”“But you want me to catch the killer, right?”“And what do you think I can do to help?” she asked.“You and Calvin have been very generous with Camille, haven’t you?”The switch in conversation seemed to confuse her.She didn’t answer right away.“We’ve been more than generous.She’s had every opportunity.The best doctors, the best medical care.Therapists!” She threw up her hands.“To what end? So she can waste her youth with that swamp creature you insist on defending.”“Camille is a lovely young woman with a lot of artistic talent.You’ve encouraged that, haven’t you?”Vivian was wary.“Why are you so interested in Camille?”“You’ve given her expensive things.The car, her clothes, jewelry.”Vivian bit her bottom lip.“What of it?”“Could you put a monetary figure on the luxuries you’ve given her?”“Don’t be an ass.A mother doesn’t put monetary amounts on the things she gives her daughter.”“Really, Vivian.” J.D.looked at her.“Of course they do.Look, the car had to be an easy forty grand.”“So what?”“And her medical care, what? Sixty thousand?” He paused.“And another twenty for those clothes she wears around the swamps like she bought them off a Goodwill rack.” He had her attention.“And the jewelry?”“What are you getting at?”J.D.pulled the bracelet from his pocket.It came out curling and slinking around his hand and fingers.Vivian drew back, as if it might bite her.“Did you give this to Camille?” he asked.Vivian stared at the bracelet.“I’ve never seen that piece of jewelry before in my life.”CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHTJ.D.stepped out of the patrol car and walked into the principal’s office at Chickasaw County High School.He had a warrant in his hand for the arrest of Tommy Hayes.If Hayes got a good lawyer, the charges wouldn’t stick, but J.D.didn’t intend for them to.He wanted to make a point with the school teacher, who’d lied to him.With the principal huffing behind him, J.D.went to Hayes’s classroom and called the teacher out to the hall.“What’s up, J.D.?” Hayes asked.He glanced back into the classroom, where his students were unnaturally well behaved.“You’re under arrest, Tommy,” J.D.said.“For what?”“We should talk outside.”“Well, I want to know,” the principal said.J.D.ignored him and led Hayes outside.There was no need to cuff him.There wasn’t any fight in him.He put Hayes in the back of the patrol car and drove toward the courthouse.“What’s going on?” Hayes asked from the back seat.He sounded as if he were about to cry.“You’ve lied to me,” J.D.said.“More than once.”There was a miserable silence for two blocks.They were headed up Providence Street when Hayes spoke again.“I did lie.I bought Angie a boom box, and I took it to her at the river.I saw both girls that morning.”J.D.slowed the car.“Why did you lie?”“Because it makes me look guilty of murder.I was there.She was blackmailing me.I had a motive to kill her, and I was at the place where she disappeared.But I didn’t kill her, J.D.I didn’t.I gave her the boom box, and I left.”“What time was this?” J.D.pulled over and turned to look at Hayes through the grill.“It was close to ten.I’d bought the boom box the day before, and I had it for her.She was supposed to come by the house and get it.That’s why I wasn’t at school.Then Angie called me on her cell phone and told me I’d better deliver the boom box to the river right away or she was going to call the superintendent and tell him about my relationship with Craig.I did what she said, and then I drove to Biloxi to hire a lawyer.”“Your relationship with Craig Baggett is homosexual.”“That’s right.I wanted to protect Craig.His father will—” Hayes’s voice was little more than a whisper.“We’ll both probably be stoned to death.You know how it is here.Everything is a sin.Being gay—Jesus, people will think I’m in league with Satan.”J.D.looked past Hayes to a pickup truck driving by.Hayes was in danger of losing his job and a whole lot more.Jexville wasn’t a community that tolerated those outside traditional relationship and family patterns.He had a right to be afraid.Getting fired might be the least that happened.“What time did you leave the river?”“I didn’t stay more than five minutes.”“Did you talk to Angie?”Hayes wiped his right eye.“I begged her not to tell anyone.” His voice was strained.“Trisha promised she wouldn’t say anything, and she tried to get Angie to promise.But Angie wouldn’t.She said she never gave up a weapon.”He hesitated, and J.D.pushed.“You were angry with Angie.”“She was a stupid bitch who didn’t care who she ruined.Poor Trisha.She didn’t want to go to the river with Angie.She only went because no one else would.Angie didn’t have a single friend in the world, so Trisha went along to disguise the fact that Angie was all alone.”“Tommy, did you see anyone else on the river when you were there?”“Just the two girls.”J.D.drove to the courthouse.He exited the car and opened the back door.“Tommy, I’m not going to kid you; you’re in a lot of trouble.”“I know.”“I want you to go to the sheriff’s office and wait for me at my desk.I’m not going to charge you or put anything on the books unless you leave.Once this goes down in the docket, it’s on your record for good.Do you understand what I’m saying?”Hayes gave a feeble smile.“I’ll be right there when you come back.”J.D.watched as the teacher disappeared into the courthouse.Hayes had lied to protect his secret, but J.D
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