“That’s fine. But Quin’s in a different place and she doesn’t recall the bad times like you do. I risked alienating my brother Sean. You raised Quin most of your life-I got Sean when I was twenty-seven. He was nearly fourteen. Yet I tried to protect him from my mistakes. It wasn’t until he threatened to work for Kane-and I said, ‘Fuck no’-that I realized it didn’t matter what I said, Sean was over eighteen and he could do whatever he wanted. He could work for Kane and learn what I did, or maybe be able to stomach that life. I only thought he’d be killed. But I shouldn’t have said anything, and let him go. Kane would never take him on, Sean has no military background, and while he’s smart as hell-his I.Q. higher than even mine-he doesn’t have the experience.”
He grinned, hoping to get Nora to lighten up a bit. While she did relax a fraction, he couldn’t get her to smile.
“Cut her some slack, okay?”
Nora said, “I will.”
Duke wasn’t sure of that, but he gave Nora the benefit of the doubt. “Quin will be here in a few minutes. Eat-” He gestured to the sandwich he’d picked up for her downstairs in the lobby. “I’m going to check on Jayne and let Reception know to send Quin back here. I’ll give you two some privacy. Just-think about what I said, okay?”
“Thanks, Duke. I’m going to make some calls, follow up with the agents talking to David O’Dell, keep myself busy.”
“Good.” He leaned over, put his palms on the table behind Nora, and trapped her between his arms. He kissed her lightly on the lips. “You might be noticing that I’m giving you space.”
Now she smiled. “I thought Rogans don’t give space.”
“Maybe just a little now and then.”
Maggie walked through Quin’s entire town house. Nice, a little boring. Everything in earth tones, subtle. Quin was so funny and talkative, her town house seemed sedate compared to her effusive personality. She didn’t believe in keeping stuff around. But there were pictures on the walls, pictures of Quin and Nora, Quin and a variety of boyfriends. At the fair, at the circus, on vacation in Hawaii. Quin, Quin, Quin. Where was Maggie? Where were the snapshots of Quin and Maggie?
Maggie took an old picture off of Quin’s dresser. Quin was about seven, and Lorraine was in the picture. So was Nora. They were all holding signs. Lorraine’s read: “Meat is Murder.” Quin’s was, “I don’t eat anything with a face.” Nora’s message was partly cut out of the picture, tilted at an angle. “Stop” was the only word Maggie could make out.
Quin and Lorraine were smiling, Lorraine’s arm around her. Nora had space between them, neither smiling nor frowning. Just staring blankly at the camera.
Maggie realized that this was Nora’s problem-already so sour and depressing. She was clearly jealous of Lorraine and Quin. Is that why Nora betrayed them? Because she didn’t fit in? Didn’t want another baby around who fit in with the family when Nora didn’t?
“You fucking bitch!”
She flung the picture across the room. It shattered on the wall, bits of glass raining onto the carpet.
“I hate you!” She went through the town house and found every picture of Nora she could and destroyed them. She shredded them, stabbed them, and with one she put it in the sink and poured bleach over it until the colors faded, then disappeared.
She’d make Nora disappear.
“I. Hate. You!”
The rage was so great inside that Maggie felt as if she was going to burst. She hadn’t felt so out of control in a long time. She’d let her temper get the better of her a couple times when she killed Payne and then Professor Cole, but that was just a little. This was a building rage.
Grabbing her backpack, Maggie ran upstairs to Quin’s bedroom. She sat on the bed. With trembling hands, she pulled out her knife and placed it on her arm.
If she couldn’t get her rage back, she’d die, and that was okay. Sometimes she wanted so much to be dead.
She breathed deeply. The disturbing thought that she’d lose to that bitch calmed her.
Deep breaths. The sharp pain in her arm put everything in focus. Good. Calm. Breathe.
When she opened her eyes she saw all the blood. One … four … seven cuts. Quin would be angry. The blood had soaked into her carpet as well as the bed with its pretty white comforter.
A bit light-headed, Maggie stood and went to the bathroom. She put the knife down and cleaned her arm. Each mark was a perfect one inch apart, just deep enough to draw blood. Perfect in every way. She stared at the incisions, pleased with her control.
She was ready now. She could battle her evil sister and win.
Nora hung up with the agents in Paso Robles. David O’Dell had refused to let them in his house, said he didn’t know where Maggie was, and that even if he did know he wouldn’t tell them. No threats worked, and the federal agents left empty-handed. They were trying the high school next, to talk to Maggie’s former teachers and principal and get a fuller picture if possible.
Pete called and Nora was glad for more work so she didn’t have time to think about Quin. Who was late.
“Hi, Pete, what’s going on?”
“Good news, I think. I’m at Butcher-Payne with Jim Butcher, and I think I may have found a connection with Jonah Payne.”
“Dr. Payne and Maggie?”
“Payne and Cameron Lovitz.”
Nora froze. The man was coming back to haunt her. She’d never forget the look in his eyes when he was pounding her head into the cement. He’d wanted to kill her. She’d thought she would die.
“And?” she managed to get out.
“Payne did a semester at Cal Poly SLO during grad school. His professor in neurobiology was Timothy Guttenburg. Guttenburg’s research assistant was Cameron Lovitz.”
It was a connection, but it didn’t necessarily mean anything. “And?”
“That’s all I have.”
“Is Guttenburg still around?”
“I haven’t called yet, I wanted to tell you-”
“Call, dammit.” She squeezed her eyes closed. “Sorry. I’m testy today. Just call, talk to him if you can, or anyone who knew him and Lovitz. Find out why Lovitz’s daughter would want to kill Dr. Payne, if you can.”
“Will do.”
Nora realized she hadn’t told Pete about the connection with Lovitz. “Pete, how did you find out about Lovitz? I didn’t know about Maggie O’Dell’s connections until after you left.”
“Hooper called. I know it’s sensitive, I’m being discreet. I’m sorry, Nora. I know this is tough for you.”
“Thanks,” she mumbled, and hung up. She should have called Pete herself and filled him in. She hadn’t even thought of it.
The door opened and she hoped it was Duke. She needed-what did she need? She didn’t know. She just wanted to see him. To help her prepare for the rest of today.
“You summoned me?” Quin bounced into the room and closed the door. “Nice digs. Subtle and sexy, just like the hunk who works here.”
Nora couldn’t reconcile the Quin she knew and loved with the Quin who’d been deceiving her for years. She said, “I have something to tell you.”
“That’s why I’m here!”
Nora didn’t know how to tell Quin about Lorraine’s baby, but she was angry about her sister’s deception so she spilled everything.
“Our mother was pregnant when she was arrested. I never told you because from the beginning, the judge
