Was I going to believe a stranger over my sister?
But of course, my sister was a stranger. She always had been.
Chapter 20
I followed Jerry to the main floor. When we reached the door of the guest bedroom, I stepped in front of him. This needed to come from me. I wasn’t scared. I didn’t think she’d assault us. Jerry had wanted to tuck the gun into the waist of his jeans, but I was upset that he’d even brought it into my house. No matter what she’d done, I was not confronting my sister by pointing a loaded gun at her face.
We’d decided before we came downstairs that Jerry would order an Uber. While he took care of that, I contacted a very nice hotel on the opposite shore of Broken Sound and booked a room for three nights. I figured that would give Tanya some time to figure out her next steps. I was not going to debate the truth of what this guy had told Jerry. That was between her and him and law enforcement.
Maybe that was cowardly of me. Maybe it made me a liar—if withholding truth is lying. But I had no proof it was true, only my gut telling me it could be true and might be true. And probably was true. But I needed proof. And I knew the police would require that as well.
I knocked on the door.
I expected an angry voice, barking on the other side of the closed door, demanding to know why I’d woken her. Instead, the door opened.
“What’s up?” She looked around me at Jerry.
“We know who Dave is,” I said.
“I know. I told you he—”
Before I could respond, Jerry spoke. “I talked to him. He’s not who you said he was.”
Tanya laughed. With her makeup smeared, her eyes made her look half-crazed. She stopped laughing and glared at Jerry. “I don’t believe you. It’s impossible to—“
“He may be good at covering his tracks, but he’s not a ghost,” Jerry said.
I moved in front of him to stop the side conversation that had erupted over my head. “He told Jerry about the death of the woman you were caring for. And—“
“That bitch was ready to die. And she was a liar! She told me if I kept her company instead of just doing the physical stuff, there would be a generous inheritance for me. It worked for you with Dad, so I figured—“
“What?”
“Don’t get all coy and righteous with me,” Tanya shouted.
“I didn’t—“
“You knew what you were doing. Funny how you ended up with all that money, and I got a house I had to take care of. And when I did sell, it was not worth nearly as much as Dad seemed to think. Our inheritance was not split fifty-fifty, and you know it.”
“That’s not true. And I didn’t…I loved Dad.”
She let out a harsh, loud laugh that sounded nothing like genuine laughter.
“I wanted to be there with Dad,” I shouted. “I wasn’t looking for money. I can’t believe you would even think that.” My chest felt tight, aching with grief for my father and such bitter disappointment over learning what she actually thought of me. But at least she was telling the truth. Finally.
“Whatever,” she said.
“I need you to leave.”
“Where am I supposed to go? And he’s out there—“
“We called an Uber to drive you to the ferry. And I booked a room for you. Three nights—“
“I can’t believe you’re throwing me out. We’re family.” She smirked. “What if I don’t leave?”
“I’ll call the police and invite Dave to talk to them. This is the only way…you can figure out what you want to do. I hope you’ll turn yourself in, but I can’t do anything about that.”
“I didn’t do anything wrong. Nothing you didn’t do.”
“I was not there hoping for money, and I certainly didn’t murder our father. Don’t you ever even…even think that again. I held his hand and waited for him to die peacefully. I loved him!”
I suppose the tone of my voice or the look on my face persuaded her—the sound and the look of truth. She turned and went to the closet and pulled out one of her suitcases. She flipped up the top and began throwing things in like she was tossing her belongings into the trash.
Jerry kissed my cheek. He cupped my head in his hand for a moment and whispered that I should go to bed. He would wait while she packed and escort her out to the Uber. That was the moment I knew I was in love with him.
Later, Jerry told me that Tanya tried to freak out about Dave following her again. Jerry reminded her that she didn’t need to stick to that life-in-danger story anymore.
Chapter 21
The night after Tanya left, Jerry made dinner for me. He fixed a selection of small plates and a wine pairing! I was blown away that he’d gone to the trouble of talking to the woman who managed the wine section at Fresh Barons. He’d bought all the food at Fresh Barons as well.
We sat beside each other on the long side of the table. With the slightly elevated dining area, we could see past the living room and out the large front window. The trees swayed in the breeze, and the sun dropped to the horizon behind them, sending a glow across the water, a thin sliver of which we could see beyond the tree-lined shore.
I smiled to think about all those people who thought Jerry wasn’t all that bright, wondering what they would say once I mentioned how he’d recognized my sister’s lies and diligently worked to dig out the truth. And I think he was smiling because he knew I’d recognized his easy-going intelligence from day one.
Mostly, I smiled because I’d already known he was a keeper, no matter what anyone else said or thought.
MORE FROM LIARS ISLAND….
Welcome to Liars Island . . .
Brace
