Her Final Confession

Chapter Forty-Three

PRESENT DAY

Denton, Pennsylvania

As Josie jotted down Agent Starkey’s hotel information, Noah came around to her side of the desk and stood behind her, looking over her shoulder. He had been paying attention to the entire call.

“You’ve got to be kidding me,” he said when she hung up. “He wants a meeting?”

Josie sighed. “He wants me to come to New York. Says what he has to tell me he can’t get into over the phone.”

“That’s a crock,” Noah said. “What could he possibly have to tell you that he can’t say over the phone?”

Josie shrugged. She pulled up the internet browser on her desktop computer and googled hotels in New York City.

“You cannot be serious,” Noah said.

“Oh right,” Josie mumbled. “Why am I looking for a hotel when my sister lives in New York City?”

She took out her cell phone and started tapping out a text until the heat of Noah’s gaze stopped her movements. She looked up at him. His face was fixed in an expression of frustration and disbelief.

“What?” Josie said.

“You’re going to drive to New York City to meet with this guy. A complete stranger.”

Josie raised a brow at him. “Lieutenant Boyd, Gretchen’s old partner in Philly’s homicide unit was a complete stranger. So was Dr. Larson, Omar’s mentor. I managed.” Her last words were sarcastic, but she couldn’t help it. Noah had never patronized her or treated her like some helpless female. She wasn’t about to let him start now.

Noah’s face relaxed slightly. “You know I know you can handle yourself. That’s not what I was implying. I just don’t trust this guy. There’s no reason to request a face-to-face meeting. There is literally nothing this guy could possibly have to tell you that he needs to do face to face.”

Josie had to agree. Starkey seemed borderline paranoid to her. Either that, or he just liked the idea of inconveniencing her, or maybe he was a manipulative type. There was no way to tell from a single phone call. He had certainly been forthcoming about everything else.

“I agree,” Josie said. “But I have to know what he knows. Even if it turns out to be nothing. Noah, Gretchen’s life could depend on this.”

“On what? You finding out what she did in Seattle when she was in her early twenties? How is anything you find out going to keep her out of prison? Josie, she confessed.”

How could she explain it to him in a way that would get through? She knew Gretchen was lying. She didn’t know why, but she knew there was much more to the story of James Omar’s murder than the paltry confession Gretchen had offered. Josie wasn’t the kind of person who could leave stones unturned. She had to gather all the information out there. She could decide later what was and wasn’t useful. Maybe nothing she uncovered would be of use, but she didn’t have it in her to close the book on Gretchen without exhausting every last avenue available. If there was even the slimmest chance of Josie exonerating Gretchen, she had to act.

“I’m going,” she told Noah in a tone that left no room for argument.

He spun on his heel and walked out of the bullpen.

Josie looked at the time on her phone. She could be in New York City by dinnertime. She fired off a text to Trinity.

Hey, remember how you wanted me to visit you in NYC?