XIX. Phone Calls

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Devin saw the shock and fear register on Hope’s face.

And her hands immediately grabbed for her knife.

“It’s not what you think,” he said in haste, watching the knife.

“What? You’re going to tell me that you did not mean to kill your family?”

“Yes, that and the fact that I was not really the one who killed them.”

Suspicion was all over her face. “Oh, so you are telling me that you are the reason why they were killed and that you blame yourself for it? Is that it?”

Devin nodded. “And the fact that the police still thinks I really did kill them.”

Hope frowned. “Don’t play with words.”

Devin sighed. “I was the reason my family is dead. And yes, you are right. I blame myself for it. But I was framed by the very same people who are after me. Though they all believe that I am dead, the police still thinks that I am guilty and they will be after me the moment they learn that I am alive and kicking.”

He saw her shake her head in disbelief. “If you are going to make up a story, make sure that every hole is well-covered.” She strongly looked into his eyes. “You just told me you are under a witness protection program. How can the police be after you?”

“That’s part of the cover.”

“That’s bullshit.”

“In order to make everyone else believe the story, the FBI has decided to not clear my name. It is a top secret case I am involved in, one that the FBI, DEA, and even the CIA had been working on for years. The local authorities are left in the dark. I have to stay dead in the eyes of the public until it is time for me to testify everything I know against my enemies.” Devin didn’t want to say more so he sighed and pushed away from the table. “It’s a completely complicated case.”

A long silence followed as Hope tried to understand everything he said.

“Who are your enemies?”

He was not sure how to answer that, but he decided to be honest. “Lots of people. The Mafia, people in the government who work for them…I don’t really know. I just know that they are after me. The bureau had never really been transparent to me. It’s just all need to know.”

“The Mafia? Are you kidding me right now?”

Devin laughed bitterly. “You know, those were the exact words that came out of my mouth when I learned the truth. All along I thought I was just a common, struggling lawyer in a firm and then I was a hunted man the next.”

“How did that happen?”

“The what?”

“How did you turn out to be hunted?”

“I don’t think that’s necessary for you to know.”

“I demand to know if I am sleeping under one roof with you.”

“You can always go away and stay alive on your own. I have done enough trouble for myself helping you.”

“We are both in trouble now and I am sorry that I got you into it. But you also believe that the person who killed Carl could have been after you so what happened might still have happened whether or not you helped me. They might have just ended more badly for us.”

Devin did not say anything. She was right.

“So how did you become hunted? What did you do?”

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