The doorbell bonged a second time.
“I’ll get it.” Marni took her time walking around us and to the door.
I didn’t know whether to bring Hanna along or put my body in front of hers to block a fraction of the incoming pain. The low rumble of voices filtered through the first floor. I couldn’t make out the words, but Marni wasn’t screaming or crying. That might be a good sign.
“We can go over.” Hanna said the words without letting go of my arm.
I guided her, debating each step. Thinking she deserved better. As we got closer, the conversation sounded more heated. Something was off.
Hanna talked right over them. “Where’s Jeremy?”
Two police cars and the detective from the fire. The same guy I saw all over town and on the news these days stopped talking and stepped forward. “I’m sorry, ma’am. That’s not why we’re here.”
“Good.” Or was it? That’s when I noticed Marni’s face. So pale. “Marni?”
She drew in what looked like a fortifying breath. “They’re not here about Jeremy.”
Hanna shook her head. “I don’t understand.”
Marni didn’t even blink. “They’re here for me.”
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Aubrey
One by one they arrived.
The whole group dynamic thing was cute—girl power and all that—but ineffective. The adage about strength in numbers was bullshit. One person always failed to hold up their end of the deal. Being part of an unholy trio only increased the tension. Two against one. It was inevitable. The cracks showed and the support splintered. Then the infighting would begin.
That was the best part. How they would run over each other when the time came to save themselves. With a bit of well-placed pressure, the festering hate would rise to the surface. All they needed was a reminder of what they did and when. Of how they lied to and about each other to keep their reputations pristine, then carried their punishing secrets in false security for years.
One by one they’d drop, then the tide would wash them away.
Hanna’s life? In free fall. Mission almost accomplished.
Her end was coming.
Get ready, Marni. You’re next.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Marni
I was going to prison. After all these years, all those sleepless nights, the time had come.
The body interred or abandoned in that unmarked grave in that stunning garden no longer remained a mystery. I knew the truth before the detective said it. I thought I’d have more time to plan and talk to an attorney. It had only been one night.
“The bones were Patrick’s.” I delivered the news before the detective could put his spin on the findings.
Stella’s eyes widened. “Oh, shit.”
“Really?” Hanna asked at the same time. “How can you possibly know that already?”
The detective took over, spewing the facts that would damn me. Eventually. “Mr. Tanner had a femur fracture a year before he disappeared.”
He fell from the second floor of his house when the railing on the outside balcony gave way. I knew because I was therewhen it happened. The terrifying fall ended with ambulances and Victoria rushing home from a literacy luncheon.
That day I became extra careful in the Tanner house because, writhing in pain, Patrick had blamed Aubrey and suggested the fall wasn’t an accident. He talked about her tormenting Noah. It was a ridiculous accusation to make about a then fourteen-year-old girl, but his wrenching pain and scratchy voice stuck with me. The allegation lingered. That’s why when people whispered about Aubrey’s ability to kill her entire family, I didn’t question the sentiment. She scared people, including her parents.
