sorts of unique tortures from his father’s family,” she said.
“She’s bluffing, the wicked little bitch!” Samantha said, hunkering down beside her. She lifted a strand of Jenna’s hair. “But your ol’ Indian pal won’t have to be upset-your friend will be okay. I got her with a slingshot from the woods-I was ready from the minute Cindy saw you on the move and called me. Slingshot! I’m good at it, by the way. Like I am with so many things…”
“Like making men think that you want them?” Jenna suggested, carefully inching around in the ties that bound her.
She’d hit pay dirt. She eased back.
“It’s only fair,” Cindy said.
“What’s only fair?” Jenna asked.
“Oh, my husband! My fine, upstanding husband!” she said. “Our son is attacked, and what does he do? He sends him for psychiatric care! A real man would have gone to battle for his child! He would have done something about Abraham and Malachi Smith existing in the same world as our David. He should have done something. But, no! He looked at
“A fool with money,” Samantha murmured.
“If he weren’t,” Cindy said, her eyes narrowing, “I’d have been out of that house by now. And then you come into town and start sleeping with that sleazy lawyer! Bringing your hotshot FBI friends. And when I challenge you, what does my smarmy bastard of a husband do? He yells at me! He yells at me for slapping you, you bitch!”
As if suddenly realizing that her husband wasn’t around to yell at her now, she slapped Jenna. Hard. And then again and again. The blows were stinging, but Jenna used the time to work harder at the ropes binding her.
“Stop it!” Samantha warned her. “We have to figure out exactly how to make this look like an accident.”
“Like you did with Milton Sedge?” Jenna asked, running her tongue over her lips and tasting blood.
“That was me,” Cindy said proudly. “Samantha did in Mr. Andres-with my compliments, of course-and I took care of the rest. They deserved to die! The Smiths deserved to die! They were horrible people. Don’t you understand? They were evil!”
“Cindy!” Samantha pleaded.
“Does it matter what we tell her now?” Cindy asked softly.
“What about Earnest Covington? How the hell could you butcher him like that?”
“I had to! Don’t you understand? I had to. They had to lock up Malachi!”
“Cindy! Stop it, please. Come on, and move! I’ve got to get her head cracked in and then leave her at the foot of the stairs. You wanted to talk to her-to explain. You’ve done it. We’ve got to get rid of her
Cindy started to rise. It might be Jenna’s last chance.
Jenna knew that she couldn’t tear free from the bonds holding her, but she might be able to use her legs to help her get free. She jerked up with all her might, chair still strapped to her back and arms, desperately finding her balance in split seconds. She had no choice of weapon or flexibility: she head-bashed Cindy, causing her to cry out and fall back.
“Oh, screw this!” Samantha cried, and she reached for the old lamp on the table and started to bring it down on Jenna’s head.
Jenna threw herself down and managed to avoid the first crash by tumbling awkwardly away. Her head was still ringing; it felt like it was a thousand pounds itself, and the wood chair slats and rope hurt her skin.
“Cindy, help!” Samantha raged.
Cindy staggered to her feet.
Samantha picked up one of the heavy candlesticks from the mantel.
She raced toward Jenna; Jenna ducked the blow.
Cindy came up behind her with the remnants of the lamp, striking her hard. She willed herself not to feel the pain. She still had no weapon but the force of her own body.
She threw herself on Cindy, taking her down.
Samantha reached for Jenna, grasping a handful of her hair and viciously pulling her up. She rammed Samantha, but Cindy rose.
And Jenna realized that her strength was failing. She fell to her knees, hunched over, the chair covering her somewhat.
But she didn’t want to die…
“He’s here!” she exclaimed suddenly. “Abraham Smith is here…and all those who have died at the hands of others. They’re all here, watching you!”
Jenna had wanted the exclamation to spook the women, but she found that she wasn’t actually lying-the ghosts of the deceased had gathered in the room to watch them.
As if sensing something herself, Cindy stood still in fear, shaking. “Where, where?”
“Nowhere!” Samantha cried. “Help me, Cindy.”
She had retrieved the candlestick and went at Jenna again.
“Abraham, no!” Jenna called, seeing that the ghost was going to do his best to trip Samantha. “Let the law punish them, and it will be years and years…”
“Stop it!” Samantha shrieked. But coming forward, she tripped and landed inches from Jenna, who pivoted on her knees to hit the woman with the legs of her chair. “Cindy, help, she’ll kill me!”
Cindy cried out herself, lifting the coffee table, ready to hurl it at Jenna.
But, before she could, a whirlwind rushed into the room.
It was Sam. He put his arms around Cindy and threw her to the ground, the table landing with a loud crash. At that moment, Jenna became aware of the sound of sirens coming closer. Samantha rose one more time to come after her.
Jenna felt lightness in her head, and she knew she was going to faint, with darkness and stars bursting before her eyes.
But Sam ran in her direction, and his arm snaked around Samantha before she could strike. He lifted her off her feet, swinging her around to crash land on top of Cindy.
“I always knew you wanted to touch me, honey,” Samantha said, dazed.
Then Jenna saw no more. The stars in front of her eyes burst, and then became blackness.
Waking up, Jenna felt a bit as if she were on display.
There were so many people staring at her.
A doctor in a white uniform and a stethoscope in his hand. A concerned nurse in a pert white hat. Uncle Jamie, Jackson, Angela, Will, John Alden-and Sam.
Sam was seated by her side on the bed, holding her hand. His gray eyes were so misted with concern that it seemed her heart ached, rather than her head.
“Ah, you’re back with us again,” the doctor said. “Well, that was a pretty good wallop you got on your head, and I know you’re an R.N., Miss Duffy, but you’re staying right here tonight, you understand. You should know that a good concussion is definitely something to watch.”
“Don’t you be worrying!” Jamie said. “The lass will be staying right here, till you say that it’s fine for her to leave.”
“Ditto,” Sam said sternly, squeezing her hand.
“May we have just a minute?” John Alden asked.
“A minute!” the doctor said sternly.
“I’m not leaving at all,” Sam said. He looked at the doctor. “I’ll be good, I swear. I’m just going to sit here and make sure she doesn’t try to get up.”
“All right, but not too much stimulation-the rest of you out of here in two minutes!” the doctor said firmly.
When he was gone, John Alden said, “Jenna, I just want to say-well, I just want to say that the women are both locked up, and-” he paused, shaking his head with a smile and looking at Jamie “-and the prosecutor has already gone in to see that the charges against Malachi Smith are dropped. Of course, now he has to press charges
