"No. It was safe," Trent says dismissively. "The divorce would've been too expensive for Rip. They both knew that."
"But then your friend Kelly got in the way," I say.
"That might have been a problem," Trent says, nodding his head.
"The problem being what?"
"Whatever happened between Rip Millar and Kelly Montrose ... " Trent stops, figuring out how to phrase it differently. "Kelly knew a lot of people. It's not like Rip Millar was the only person who had issues with him."
My iPhone starts vibrating in the pocket of the hoodie, its sound muffled.
"Actually" - Trent stares at me - "you and Rip have much more in common than you might think."
"Oh, I don't think so," I say. "I didn't have anything to do with Kelly's death."
"Clay - "
"And I don't know how but I think Rip did." I stop walking. "And you knew something at the Christmas party, didn't you? You knew Rip had done something to Kelly. You knew Rain had left him for Kelly and you knew Rip liked her - "
Trent cuts me off. "Yeah? Well, I guess we all have our little theories."
"Theory?" I ask. "It's a theory that you knew he was probably dead that night?"
The haze obliterates everything: you can't see the Pacific or the pier behind us, the Mexican restaurant is barely visible at the end of the pier and nothing else at all. The pier falls away into the sea and beyond that is just a sheet of haze blocking out the entire sky so there's no horizon and Trent leans against the railing studying me, still intent on pitching the narrative he wants me to respond to, but I can barely pay attention.
"Why do you keep looking at that restaurant?" Trent suddenly asks. "You thirsty for a margarita or something?"
Trent doesn't realize I'm not looking at the restaurant. The young blond guy in the windbreaker is somewhere around us but I can't see him.
"Why is Kelly Montrose dead?" I say, almost murmuring to myself instead of directing this at Trent. "What happened to Amanda Flew?"
Trent isn't cool enough to hide the desperation that quickly flashes across his face. "It's not just about Kelly and it's not just about Amanda." Trent breathes in and looks around. "You don't understand ... This ... thing ... it has ... a scope, Clay ... " Trent stops. "It has a scope ... There are other people involved and it's - "
"Can't you just answer my question?"
"But you're asking for an answer where there isn't just one."
The iPhone in my pocket starts vibrating again.
"You smell like alcohol," he mutters, turning away. "I heard rumors but Christ."
I clasp my fist around the iPhone as if that will make it stop.
"Look, she's not going to get that part," Trent says. "Okay? You understand?"
"Do you know that for sure?"
"Anything could happen, I suppose," Trent says. "But I don't think that's one of them."
"Well, then she won't get the part and then it'll be over," I say. "And then she'll go off with someone else. She'll move on."
"No she won't. Because you'll offer her another one," Trent says quickly. "You'll just prolong it. Like you usually do. And like the others, it'll take her a while to understand." Trent stops. "And then, as usual, it'll take even longer for you to understand and - "
"Why are you here, Trent?" I ask, unable to contain the stress that's whispering around us. "What? You're here on Julian's behalf? You want Rain to be with Julian? You want them to live happily ever after?"
"No, no, you're not paying attention. You don't get it," Trent says, shaking his head. "Just stop all contact with her. Starting this afternoon. Don't see her anymore. Don't return her calls. She'll come back to you but don't let her - "
"What if I say go f**k yourself?"
"That would be very stupid."
"Unless you tell me why I should stay away, I don't think what you want is going to happen."
Trent stares at me, and then he tells me something that I know he doesn't want to.
"If she can make Rip Millar happy for a couple more months then everything will calm down." Trent stops and looks into my face. "Do you get it, now? Do I need to explain this any further? Julian's really not the obstacle right now. You are. Julian's already tried to talk her out of being with you. But, in this case, you're the only one she's going to listen to."
