He didn't see Caroline as he walked away, but she could see the devastation and torment on his face. The shadows swallowed him.
For another moment she stood still as a statue, her heart throbbing hard and slow in her throat, the scent of roses and fear swimming in her head.
Dwayne was responsible for the brutal deaths of five women. The brother of the man she loved was a murderer. A brother, Caroline knew, whom Tucker was deeply devoted to.
And she ached for them, ached for them all. For the pain that was already felt, and the pain yet to come. With all of her heart she wished she could turn and walk away, pretend she had never heard, never seen. Never knew.
But Josie was wrong. Tucker had to be told. No matter how deep and strong the family ties, this was not something to be handled by a loving sister. Tucker had to be told, and prepared for what must happen next. Josie needed to be there. They would all need to be there.
Quietly, Caroline moved to the porch and up, through the door and into the house. The silence was already oppressive as she climbed the stairs to the second floor. No matter how she tried, she couldn't find the right words. She stopped at Josie's doorway and looked in.
The chaos of the room was in marked opposition to the stillness of the woman who stood at the open french doors. The cheerful clash of scents and mixed colors was overpowered by the encroaching dark and the sense of gloom.
'Josie.' Though Caroline spoke softly, she saw Josie stiffen before she turned. In the shadows, her face was pale as a ghost's.
'They'll be shooting off those fireworks in a minute, Caroline. You don't want to miss them.'
'I'm sorry.' When she realized she was still carrying her violin case, she set it aside and gestured helplessly with her hands. 'Josie, I'm so sorry. I don't know if I can help, but I'll do what I can.'
'What are you sorry about, Caroline?'
'I heard. You and Dwayne. Alter one shuddering breath, she stepped into the room. 'I heard you. I saw him with the knife, Josie.'
'Oh, God.' On a moan of despair, Josie sunk into a chair to cover her face with her hands. 'Oh, God, why?'
'I'm sorry.' Caroline crossed the room to crouch at Josie's feet. 'I can't even imagine how you must be feeling, but I do want to help.'
'Just stay out of it.' Voice edgy, Josie dropped her hands to her lap. Though her eyes were wet, the heat behind them would dry tears quickly. 'If you want to help, stay out of it.'
'You know I can't. Not just because of Tucker and the way I feel about him.'
'That's just why you should stay out of it.' Josie grabbed her hands, the slim, tense fingers wrapping like wires around Caroline's. 'I know you care about him, you don't want him hurt. You've got to leave this to me.'
'If I did, what then?'
'Then it'll be done with. It'll be forgotten.'
'Josie, those women are dead. No matter how ill Dwayne is, that can't be ignored. It can't be forgotten.'
'Bringing it all out, tearing the family apart, isn't going to make them any less dead.'
'It's a matter of right, Josie. And of helping Dwayne.'
'Help?' Her voice rose as she pushed herself out of the chair. 'Going to prison won't help.'
'His mind isn't right.' Wearily, Caroline rose. It was growing too dark to see. She turned on Josie's bedside lamp and chased away some of the shadows with a rosy glow. 'Loving him's a start, but he's going to need professional help. Not only to find out why, but to prevent him from doing it again.'
'Maybe they deserved to die.' As she paced, Josie rubbed hard at her pounding temples. 'People do, and it isn't cold to say so. You didn't know any of them the way I did, so who are you to judge?'
'I'm not judging, but I don't think you believe anyone deserved to die that way. If something isn't done, someone else might die. You can't stop it, Josie.'
'I think you're right about that.' She passed her hand over her eyes. 'I'd hoped, with Dwayne so miserable- but I guess I knew all along. It's blood,' she murmured, lifting her head to stare at her own face in the mirror. 'Like a wild dog, once you've tasted it, there's no going back. There's just no going back, Caro.'
Caroline moved over to her so that their eyes met in the glass. 'We'll find good doctors for him. I know one who'll help.'
'Doctors.' Josie tugged the chiffon scarf out of her hair and gave a short laugh. 'What bullshit. Did you hate your mother? Love your father?'
'It's never that simple.'
'Sometimes it is. Listen to that.' Smiling a little, she closed her eyes. 'That's Toby March singing. They must've hooked him up to a mike down at the carnival. That's a sound that carries nice on a hot summer night.'
'Josie, we have to go tell Tucker. And we have to see that Dwayne turns himself in. I'm sorry. It's the only way.'
'I know you're sorry.' With a sigh, Josie reached into her bag. 'I'm sorry, too. Sorrier than I can say.' Turning, she aimed her derringer at Caroline. 'It's you or the family, Caroline. You or the Longstreets. So there's really only one way after all.'
'Josie-'
'Do you see this gun?' she interrupted. 'My daddy gave it to me for my sixteenth birthday. Sweet Sixteen, he called me. He was a great believer in taking care of your own. I did love him. I hated my father, but I did love my daddy.'
Caroline moistened her lips. She wasn't afraid yet. Her brain was too scrambled with shock for fear to take hold. 'Josie, put it down. You can't help Dwayne this way.'
'It's not just Dwayne, it's all of us. All the fine, upstanding Longstreets.'
'Miss Caroline?' Cy's voice echoed up the stairs and had both women jolting. 'Miss Caroline, you in here?'
Caroline saw the panic shoot into Josie's eyes. 'You tell him to go on. Tell him, Caro. See that he goes outside again. I don't want to hurt that boy.'
'I'm up here, Cy,' Caroline called out, her gaze fastened to the short, shiny gun barrel. 'You go on out. I'll be along in a minute.'
'Mr. Tucker said I should stay with you.'
She could almost see him, hesitating at the foot of the steps, torn between manners and loyalties. 'I said I'd be along,' she repeated, the first true licks of fear sharpening her voice. 'Now go on out.'
'Yes, ma'am. The fireworks are going to start any minute.'
'That's fine. You go watch.'
She waited, hardly breathing until she heard the door shut.
'I wouldn't want to hurt that boy,' Josie said again. 'I've got a real fondness for him.' Her lips twisted in a mockery of a smile. 'A real family feeling.'
'Josie…' Caroline struggled to keep her voice calm. 'You know this isn't the way to solve things. And you know I don't want to hurt Dwayne.'
'No, but you'll do what you have to do. Just like me.' She slipped a hand into her purse again, and pulled out the knife. 'This was my daddy's. He dearly loved to hunt. Dressed the kill himself. Daddy wasn't afraid to get a little blood and guts on his hands. No, sir. I used to go with him when he'd let me. I got quite a taste for hunting myself.'
'Josie, please put the knife away.'
'Now, Tucker,' Josie went on, lips pursed as she turned the blade in the light. 'He never cared much for killing things, so he mostly missed-on purpose.' As if baffled by the waste, she shook her head. 'Lordy, did Daddy wail into him for it. Dwayne, he didn't have any problem bringing down a deer or a rabbit, but when it came time to dress 'em, he'd go green. Squeamish. That's what Daddy used to say. 'Josie, you come on over here and show this boy how it's done.' ' She laughed a little. 'So I would. Blood never turned my stomach. It's got a smell to it. Kind of wild, kind of sweet.'
