She nodded. “But, at the same time, she’s the one who gave you the little black book.”
He stared. “Which is why I would have said she was completely in the clear.”
“I get that,” she said, “but please, I just need to ask the questions.”
He settled back and answered a few more. “Yes, as far as I know, they’ve been happy. No, they have no children. I hadn’t realized that was an issue, but apparently it was.”
She looked at him in surprise.
“It’s in the chats,” he said. “One of the reasons he was there looking for help was the fact that he couldn’t have children. He really wanted children and felt like less of a man, unable to give her what he felt she wanted. But I don’t think she gave a crap.”
“Meaning that she didn’t want kids?”
“No, just that she didn’t want him to be so upset by it. If they came, great, but, if not, she was okay with it.”
She nodded. “Not everybody is meant to be a mother.”
“He definitely wanted to be a father.”
“And that makes it all the more difficult,” she agreed.
By the time they were done with the questions, Simon felt like he had pried into his friend’s life more than was even acceptable, even given the circumstances. When Kate was finally done, he said testily, “That was really uncomfortable.”
“Yes, I know,” she said, “and unfortunately I’ll have to ask all of those questions over again to Louisa.”
He stared. “I thought the whole point of doing this was so she wouldn’t have to be put through it.”
“This starts the process, but I have to confirm from her that this is all the truth. We have to investigate David’s death. The last three jumpers are with my team now.”
“So I suppose, if she lies, you get her caught out in it,” he said in disgust.
“I don’t do this on purpose, nor do I do it lightly,” she said. “There are other aspects to this case that you don’t really know about and that I can’t really share at this point in time.”
He pinched his lips closed and glared at her. “Well, you need to give me a hell of a lot more than that,” he snapped, “because a hell of a lot more is at stake here.”
“And I get that,” she said gently, “and I guess, at this point in time, I’ll have to ask you to trust me that something else is going on and that I need to at least write her off.”
“And doing this writes her off?” he asked in surprise.
She nodded. “Yes. These are the types of answers I need.”
He shook his head. “I’ll never understand the world that you live in.”
“And I probably won’t understand yours either,” she said, “and I get it. I really do. But thisismy world.”
He sat back, stared at her, and said, “And, if I want anything to do with you, I have to live with your world, is that it?”
“No, not at all,” she said. “We don’t have to have anything to do with each other. That’s what I keep telling you.”
“Oh no, you don’t,” he snapped. “You don’t get rid of me that easily.”
She stared at him in surprise, and she said, “Maybe you should give it some thought.”
He shook his head. “No, I’m not even talking about that right now,” he said. “Yeah, I’m pissed, and I’m not thrilled that you’ll take this information and put my friend through hell over it, but you’ll do it no matter what I say,” he said. “So, am I at least allowed to give her a heads-up?”
She frowned and said, “I’ll tell you what. Why don’t we both go over and talk to her together?” He stared at her in surprise. She shrugged. “It would probably make her feel better if you were there for support.”
“Yes, it definitely would, although she’s likely to be quite pissed at me for having brought this down on her head.”