Bailey laughed at that, but it was humorless. “So you chose to ruin mine instead? And my father’s?”
“Your poor father, searching for all those years. I couldn’t imagine. I had to avoid the story altogether. The guilt ate me alive some days. I don’t know how Helen got through it, especially after moving to California. Moving closer… I’ll never understand what motivated that woman.”
“Did the three of you ever discuss telling me the truth?” she asked earnestly. “Or Alex Spatz?”
“For the first few years, it was the topic of every conversation we had.” He ran his hands up and down on his pants as if to release nervous energy. “Helen wouldn’t hear of it. She couldn’t have a baby. She’d tried a few times but had miscarriages. I believe that’s why Ernie went along with it. He wanted her to be happy. It wasn’t until this last time she got sick that she ever considered telling you the truth. When she realized she wasn’t going to recover, she wanted to tell you.”
“Why didn’t she?” Bailey leaned forward. “Why didn’t you? You both had the opportunity.”
“Helen received an anonymous letter. I know now it was from William Dexter. He threatened to hurt you if Helen told you the truth.” He braced his hands on his face as if trying to remember. “Helen was scared, but she considered telling you anyway. Somehow, I managed to talk her out of it. Neither of us wanted you to get hurt.” He lifted his head to meet Bailey’s eyes again. “I came to the funeral specifically to check on you, to judge how much you knew. I was worried about you.”
“Stop, please!” She held her hand up to him. “Don’t pretend you were concerned. You put me in danger. You left me in the hands of a madman, and because of your lies, he almost killed me.”
He closed his eyes and nodded. “I know. I wish I could go back and make different decisions, honestly. I didn’t know your mother kept scrapbooks. I didn’t know she left you a trail to follow.” He held up a hand. “Not that I’m excusing myself, but I convinced myself you wouldn’t find out, and if you didn’t find out, you’d be safe.”
“That’s nonsense. You should’ve told me at the funeral at the very least. I don’t believe you kept it a secret to save me. You did it to save yourself.”
“Bailey, please remember, I didn’t know who was making these threats or why. Honestly, I didn’t know what the best thing was.” Patrick shrugged. “But if I didn’t care, I wouldn’t have turned myself in to the FBI. I could’ve gone anywhere, but I didn’t. I came here to set the record straight. I understand if you don’t believe that, but I did what I thought needed to be done for both of us.”
She wasn’t sure she believed that. They would have caught up to him eventually. Regardless, his coming forward proved that The Rosa Trials was complete crap, and she hadn’t consorted with Dex to plan the whole thing.
“We suspect Dex was after his wife’s trust fund. If she divorced him, he wouldn’t get anything. He came after me when he found out I was planning to submit my DNA to the FBI. He planned to have me killed before I met with them, so he could hide his affair from the family. He didn’t know my appointment with Agent Sharpe had been moved up. He couldn’t have known.”
“I’m sorry, Bailey. I made the wrong decision. I should’ve spoken out. I should’ve told you everything. I see that now.”
She stared at him for a long time, unsure of her feelings. She needed time to think. She needed to process everything he’d told her. “I’m not totally convinced of your motive, but I’m sure it couldn’t have been easy to come here and confess. Thank you for doing it.”
He smiled sadly at her. “I’m actually a little relieved. It’s been a hefty burden for a long time. And, the last few months, I’ve been so concerned for you. Watching the news and hearing what Dexter did to you…finding out about your biological parents. This must be a very, very difficult time for you. I hope you’re taking time to get to know your family. They deserve to have you in their lives.”
She nodded and sat quietly for a few minutes, then he broke the silence with a question she wasn’t expecting.
“May I write to you, Bailey? I’d like to stay in touch.”
She nodded her consent, and without another word, she placed the phone on the receiver and walked away.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Bailey’s heart jumped, even as Ryan slowed the car. She thought maybe he was driving slowly in hopes she’d change her mind. She glanced over at him, and his eyes left the driveway to stare at her. “You going to be okay?”
She nodded with a little apprehension. “Do I have a choice?”
“No,” he said, with no hint of a smile. Usually, he would have said, you
