“I don’t know what you mean, but if you’re looking for a payout, I might consider it, as long as you take your dog and get out. Otherwise, I’m calling the police.”
My brows rose. “You think I want to blackmail you?”
“You’re here and you’re upsetting my daughter. What else is there?”
My eyes widened. “I don’t want your money. You’ve just… you’ve gotten away with this for a long time, but you crossed the line when you killed Mack Haywood. When Misti finds out that you kidnapped her and killed her father, do you think she’ll stand by you?
“This won’t have a happy ending, but there’s a chance you could still salvage something if you tell Misti your side of things. If she hears it from you, it might make a difference, but, once you go to jail, you know it will be too late. She’ll never want to talk to you again.”
I knew that appealing to her sense of right and wrong was a long shot, but it was worth a try.
Carolyn shook her head, and slumped in her chair. “You think you have this all figured out, but you’re wrong. When she was little, she got lost in the woods. Her parents were negligent and careless. They lost her. It was their fault, and they didn’t deserve a child.”
I picked up her thoughts that Mack was a horrible parent because he’d let Misti wander away. Her memory of that day came through loud and clear. Misti had wandered off while Mack had his back turned, and Carolyn had seen an opportunity and followed the child. She’d scooped up the little girl and taken her home, and she’d done it for the child’s own good.
“When did Mack figure it out?”
She sighed and closed her eyes, remembering how shocked she’d been to see him with the search party. After the elation of finding Ava had died down, Mack had approached her. He’d marveled at how much Ava looked like his missing daughter.
Carolyn had feigned ignorance, and agreed to keep in touch, knowing he was a danger to her if he ever figured it out. Only a few days had gone by before he invited her to his house, telling her he wanted to show her something. She knew right then that he had to go.
He’d been so trusting, even putting the dog in the other room, and when he turned his back, she didn’t hesitate to kill him. She had to do it to protect Misti and Ava. It was her duty.
Whoa. Hearing that chilled my blood, and the hairs on my arms stood on end. How was I going to get her to confess? She seemed half crazy. I needed Misti to hear all of this, but how could I get her up here?
Carolyn straightened and caught my gaze. “I’m not letting her go.”
I shook my head. “I’m going to tell Misti the truth, but I’ll make one concession; I’ll bring her up here and you can tell her your side of it first, before I tell her mine. Then we’ll let her decide who to believe.”
“No. No… you can’t tell her. She can’t know anything about it. She’ll leave me. I… I need her.” Her regal bearing disappeared and desperation filled her voice. “You don’t understand. She’s all I’ve got. I’m an old woman. I’m not going to last much longer. I have congestive heart failure… and the doctor told me that I only have a few months left. You can’t do this to me.”
She hadn’t started begging yet, so I shook my head, not about to be taken in by her act. She picked up on that and continued, sounding even more desperate. “Think about Misti… and Ava. This will devastate them both. Misti… might never get over it. She’ll never what to see me again.”
I took a deep breath and shook my head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that.”
Her eyes filled with tears. “But… can’t you see that I’m dying? I can’t face my death without my daughter. The one person I love more than anything in this world. I need her by my side. I don’t want to die alone. Please… can’t you wait?”
She picked up my reticence, and tried a different tactic. “I’ll give you money… whatever you want. Just give me a little more time with her. Please… it’s my only wish before I die, the only thing that I want. It’s the only thing I have left. Please… I’m sorry for everything that happened. But you… have to understand… please… don’t tell her… just wait until I’m gone.”
I didn’t know if she was telling the truth about dying or not, but I wasn’t about to agree with her. She’d taken a little girl from her family and killed her father to keep it a secret. She didn’t deserve my compassion… but I had to give her an out. “You might not have to die alone if you tell Misti the truth and ask for her forgiveness. But that’s the only way this is happening. I’m going to tell her. Do you want to tell her your side of it, or not?”
She shrank into herself with grief. I would have felt sorry for her if I hadn’t picked up the barely controlled rage that simmered just below the surface. She was thinking that I was heartless and cruel, making her go through this right before the end.
“All right,” she said, her voice shaking. Tears fell from her eyes. “I’ll agree. Just let me talk to her alone first. Then you can join us.” She glanced up and met my gaze. Beneath all those tears, her eyes glittered with rage.
Yikes. A need to run washed over me, and I quickly agreed with her. “Good. I’ll get her.”
I turned on my heel and stepped into the hallway, relieved to get out of there. Nearing the head of the stairs, I heard
