I booked us a table at a restaurant that was not crowded.
I was already there waiting when Jasper arrived.
He had lost a lot of weight, and thick, dark circles hung heavy under his eyes.
But I did not have any interest in prying into that. I asked straight out, "Where is Clara right now?"
He blinked in surprise and asked, "She moved out. Why do you ask?"
I said, "The police said her ex-boyfriend is one of the kidnappers."
Jasper's entire face froze solid.
I continued, "They suspect she is involved in the k********g. Did you know that?"
He went quiet.
After a long moment, he finally spoke. "I knew."
I squeezed my water glass tight in my hand.
He added, "But I did not have any proof."
He continued, "And back then I thought she only did something that extreme because she loved me
