Pushed Too Far: A Thriller by Ann Voss Peterson, Blake Crouch Read Free Book Online Page A

had she referred to the baby as he.
    “The child.”
    “How do you know the child is a boy?”
    “You don’t know where he is, do you? You don’t have a clue.”
    Of course, she didn’t, not that she hadn’t tried. Not that she wouldn’t keep trying. But at this point, she hadn’t even found the hospital where Kelly had given birth, provided it was in a hospital at all. “We’re following up some leads.”
    “Games. That’s what this is all about, isn’t it? It’s a game to you. Trying to get me to talk, get me to tell you something you don’t know, because you’ve hit a dead end.”
    “I don’t play games.” Sure it was a lie. But that was part of the game.
    A smile curled the corners of his lips, but his eyes remained cold. “Neither do I. That’s one of the things I learned in Waupun. Life is too short. I play for keeps.”
    “How do you know about the baby?”
    “That’s easy. Kelly told me. We were both very happy about the news.”
    In preparation for the interview, Val had checked a list of his prison visitors. Beyond his lawyer, Hess hadn’t had any. “When did she tell you?”
    “The day she disappeared.”
    “How far along was she?”
    “A couple of weeks.”
    “That’s awfully early for her to know the gender. How do you know it’s a boy?”
    He shrugged a shoulder. “I always wanted a son.”
    Right. Val had an idea where the news might have come from. She stole a glance Tamara’s way. “Who told you about the baby, Tamara?”
    The attorney’s face grew pale. “Excuse me?”
    “You were his only visitor. I checked the records.”
    She shook her head, strawberry blond bob swinging like a shampoo commercial. “He received mail, too.”
    “And it’s monitored. I checked. No, the news had to come from you.”
    “Whatever I talked about with my client is protected.”
    Hess’s chuckle grated on Val’s nerves.
    The lawyer might not have to spill her secrets, but that didn’t mean Val couldn’t follow up. Unfortunately failing to admit how he knew the baby’s gender wasn’t a chargeable offense. “So the baby is yours, Hess? You know that for certain?”
    “Of course, the baby is mine.”
    “If Kelly told you she was pregnant, and you were both so happy, why didn’t she come forward when you were arrested for her murder? Why would she let you go to prison?”
    “Why does a woman do anything, Chief? I think you can probably answer that better than I can.”
    “You must have been very angry when you found out she was alive.”
    Another hint of a chilling smile. “I found out when my lawyer told me. And unfortunately, by then Kelly was already dead.”
    “Why didn’t you say anything at your trial?”
    “Haven’t you been listening? I didn’t know she was alive.”
    “But you knew the woman in that barrel wasn’t Kelly. Who was she?”
    He blew a derisive laugh through his nose. “Nice try, Chief Valerie. But you said you didn’t play games.”
    “Not a game. A sincere question.”
    “Then I’ll give you a sincere answer, and I’ll make it as clear as I can.” This time he held up a silencing hand even before Tamara could open her mouth. “I did not kill that woman you found. I have no idea who killed her or who she was. You were the one who said it was Kelly, and as far as I knew, that could have been true. But I didn’t kill her. I was framed for that murder.”
    “Listen, I know Kelly’s family wasn’t as apple pie as they’ve been made out to be. I’ve seen the house, the locks on the outside of the bedroom doors. I’m sure they weren’t the easiest people to deal with.”
    “You have no idea.”
    “I’m sure you had good reason.”
    Hess gave a dramatic yawn. “I’ve had enough of answering your questions, Valerie. I have a question for you.”
    Val set her jaw. “Ask away.”
    “Do you believe in justice?”
    She didn’t hesitate. “Yes.”
    For the first time since Val had entered the room, he spared a glance at his attorney.