Outlier: One mistake can destroy everything. Read Free Page A

them. He knew where they’d conduct the interviews, and precisely how long they’d last. He’d even come up with reasons for doing surveillance on the three people he suspected either had done this or knew who had done this. He’d even calculated how long the investigation would take, and how he’d pressure their prime suspect into confessing.
     
    “Natural causes.” Sean said, staring at the three of them, each in turn.
     
    Nobody said a word. The three stared at the desk. Sean was 6’2” and took good care of himself. He was the perfect guy to have your back in a fight, and the last person you’d want displeased with you for any reason. Sean continued to stare at them.
     
    “How the fuck is that possible?”
     
    Dr. Nguyen looked up. “I’m sorry, Sean; I really am. I don’t have an answer. As far as I can tell, nothing like this has ever happened. There is nothing in the records.”
     
    “Explain,” Sean demanded, starting to feel light-headed.
     
    “Miss Paimen suffered a sudden intracerebral pressure increase of significant magnitude. Cause unknown.”
     
    Three more minutes of brutal silence passed. Sean slowly clenched and unclenched his fists. His expression changed from anger to bewilderment to disbelief.
     
    “But she was healthy. You’re saying her brain—just—exploded? Can you find out why? I mean…I can’t just…”
     
    “Of course,” Dr. Nguyen replied immediately. “This is something completely unprecedented, and I assure you I will find out exactly what happened and why. This has absolutely no medical explanation. I promise you, Detective, I will find out what happened to her.”
     
    “Thanks,” Sean mumbled, his voice passive. A few moments passed.
     
    “Just to clarify,” Sean finally managed, “nobody did this. This just happened.”
     
    “I’m afraid that’s correct, Sean,” Chief Hernandez said.
     
    “So what the fuck do I do now?” Sean asked to nobody in particular.
     
    “Take some time. Two weeks, at least,” Hernandez began. “Let everything settle down. This is a tragedy. We all know what she meant to you. Take more time if you need. As much time as you need. Shit, Greg here can handle anything,” he said, trying his best to keep the quiver out of his voice.
     
    “Yeah,” Sean said, then he turned and left.
     
    “This shit is just not supposed to happen,” Greg said. “She never hurt anybody. Just to die like that for no reason?” Greg said.
     
     
    *****
    Sean drove aimlessly. All his plans, all his energy, all his focus. Gone. Now what, mourn? Bury his girlfriend? Who’ll take care of her mom? Shit, who’s going to tell her mom? Did they tell her? Should I have let them? Fuck. What now, take two weeks of sitting in that shitty apartment, then get back to work solving crimes in Rockport? Hassle Hurley the weed seller? Figure out who’s taking an extra dollar or two per shift from the Dairy Queen?
     
    Nothing was clear.
     
     
     

Chapter Four
     
    “What?!” Jay mumbled, sitting upright on his sofa. He didn’t remember falling asleep. He looked at the clock. 10:30 a.m. His brief panic was quickly calmed by the realization that it was Saturday. No work this Saturday. Only weekdays and every other Saturday. His muscles loosened as he settled back down into the old ratty sofa in his living room. Correction—his mother’s living room. She had gotten up and left already, like usual. He rarely spoke to his mom anymore, although they had never really spoken much before anyway.
     
    But now, since his daddy had died, she couldn’t even seem to look at him. She got money because of it, but Jay wasn’t sure how or why. Sometimes she would leave for days, even weeks at a time. He figured she worked somewhere. He would occasionally see people on TV fighting about money. He heard some of the teachers at the school where he worked fighting about money, too, but his mom never mentioned it.
     
    Jay made enough as a custodian to buy