Her cheeks ignite a shocking shade of pink.
“I didn’t want to burn down my life,” the words roar from her. The veins in her temples pulsate as her breathing becomes erratic. “You think I wanted to steer away from my own dreams and goals? Bizzy, I needed to do this. Wyatt and Thomas forced me into a groove I wanted nothing to do with. I couldn’t be free until I knew their lives were over just the way they arranged for Channing’s to be. I kept tabs on them. And once I was through with law school, I moved right down here to begin my work, my good work.”
“Your wicked work. What makes you so sure Thomas and Wyatt killed your fiancé?”
“Because he told me so himself.”
“Who told you? Channing?”
“Yes.” She nods with wild eyes. “We spoke as he was going out that night. He said he wanted out of that crazy cult they had dragged him into. He was going to speak to his superiors, Wyatt and Thomas, and tell them he wanted out. He said being a Skulls man wasn’t what he wanted. He said it was dangerous and they were doing dangerous things.”
“Why didn’t you take this to the police?”
“You think I didn’t? Both Wyatt and Thomas were interrogated and nothing came of it. But I knew. I knew in my heart they rejected Channing’s plea to leave their devilish cult and they killed him instead. We never found the body.” She shakes her head. “Can you imagine? Losing the love of your life and not knowing what his final fate was? Wyatt and Thomas suffered personally over the years because of it. It chained them together. Thomas confided in me that they had done something horrible in their youth and that they were determined to take it to the grave. Don’t you see, Bizzy? It was Channing’s death they were hiding. And my God, I didn’t even change my name when I started fishing around the two of them. That’s how little they cared for Channing. We were engaged to be married that following year. Both Wyatt and Thomas knew Channing was engaged. They knew about me, and I darn well know they had heard my name a time or two. They not only took Channing away from me, they robbed me of the children and grandchildren I could have had. They killed entire generations of people who would have been born from our love. They were ruthless destroyers of all that could have been. Of course, later on, neither Thomas nor Wyatt ever put the two of us together. Not that I gave them a reason to. I befriended them. And when Wyatt needed money, I made sure it happened.”
“Why all the financial tap-dancing?” I shake my head. “Why not just cut to the Grim Reaper?”
She tips her head back and her smile turns black in the shadows. “Now what fun would that have been? I needed them to trust me. Wyatt trusted me. He appreciated me. I’m the one that helped him fund his dream, after all. And that night of the anniversary party when I lured him to the back, he didn’t question what I needed. I waited until he bent over to pick up a book I dropped, and then I plunged the knife into his back. And when he stood up to face me, I let him know that I was doing it for Channing. I let my rage take over as I finished him off. He couldn’t fight me. My anger was too strong.”
My mind flashes back to my initial meeting with Brooklynn that night. “You wore all black—long sleeves. You had on red pointed shoes. Those triangular footsteps in the back of the store… they belonged to you. The knife was dripping with blood and you knew exactly where to put it. How? And how on earth did you keep your hands clean?”
“I simply asked Wyatt where the murder weapon was. It was really that easy. And, of course, I wore gloves, Bizzy. I’m no fool. I put them in my pocket once I was through. After Wyatt staggered out for help, I stepped over to the register while Thomas went off to commit a crime of his own.”
“The book.” I close my eyes a moment. “You convinced him to steal it that night.”
“I convinced him we would be playing a gag on Wyatt that night. Thomas wanted the book. After all was said and done, I told him to keep it. I was hoping the sheriff’s department would eventually find out he stole it, and trace the killing to him as well, but that hasn’t exactly panned out for me.”
Gatsby growls. That’s enough, Bizzy. Let’s get back and find Jasper. She’s a dangerous woman. I don’t like you here alone with her.
My chest bucks. “You needed Thomas to trust you, to appreciate you, too. Because he was next.”
Her lips curl at the tips. “No, Bizzy. You are.” She bends over and picks up a book as thick as a dictionary and strikes me against the side of the head with a powerful blow.
Gatsby lets out a few riotous barks and I stagger, trying my best to regain my footing.
Another blow erupts. This time right over the top of my head and I land on the floor, laid out, as I try to get my bearings.
“What’s going on?” a male voice bellows from behind as Thomas heads over and attempts to snatch the book from Brooklyn’s hands.
“She knows you stole the book from the glass case.” Brooklynn’s voice hikes with a false note of fear. “She said she was going to pin Wyatt’s death
