“Scarlett, stop talking.”
Scarlett ignored her father’s trembling tone as she stared at Autumn with cold eyes. “I wanted to kill you as a child. I wanted to bring you to the river behind the house and drown you. But I wasn’t strong enough to do it. As I got older, I saw the adoration Fox had for you. So, I decided not to get my hands dirty. Someone could do the work for me.”
“But your plan failed.”
“It did, but then Elijah’s anger drew me. I figured out a way for him to get his fix and draw you to us. He would get his revenge and you would no longer be a pain in my side. Plus, any money from your trust fund would help me regain my business.”
“Money?” Autumn rasped the words out, and then a brittle laugh escaped her. “Of course, money is always the motive.” She pinched the bridge of her nose. “So they committed Lilli to a mental institution. I’m not even going to ask how or why.” She stood to the side and looked between Scarlett and David. “How does my father–Braeden play into all this? Why didn’t he come for me?”
Scarlett’s eyes went to her father again. “Oh, I’m sure he searched for you.” That smile again. “They may have barred him access to the house…”
Autumn shook her head. She’d had enough. She walked over to Scarlett and tied a sheet around one of her wrists.
Scarlett laughed. “Oh, this is rich. Arresting me? With a sheet? The Forget Me Not Killer attacked me.”
“For the death of Catarina Casale and Anastasia Moretti.”
“I didn’t touch those bitches,” Scarlett sneered. “It was Elijah.”
“You’re an accessory to murder.” She looked at Scarlett, a woman she thought was her sister. Now, she didn’t know who this woman was. “And your image is on a surveillance video.”
“I won’t be in jail long, cousin. Daddy will make sure of that.”
Autumn glanced at her uncle. He now lay back in the chair. He ran his hands through his hair, which made it stick up at various angles.
“He has bigger problems now, don’t you,Uncle David?”
He glanced at Autumn with a glare.
She didn’t give the man time to answer. She left the room and found a security guard. “Make sure neither of them leave.”
At the officer’s nod, she went down the hall and found an empty room. She squeezed the bridge of her nose, closed her eyes, felt the moisture welling behind her eyelids, and a tear escaped, sliding down her cheek. She wiped it away roughly and shook her head.
After all these years, everyone lied to her, including the man she thought was her father.
Braeden and Lilli kept the truth from her. Did they think they were protecting her?
She pulled herself together and called the police captain. “You need to come to Manhattan General ASAP.”
“I’m a little busy at a crime scene at the moment, Miss Taylor.” There was the sound of sirens on his end. “You’re off the case, remember? Why exactly are you calling me?”
“Oh, well, if you’re not interested in apprehending an associate of the Forget Me Not Killer, by all means, continue with your crime scene.”
“What did you say?” Newman’s tone became more alert. The background noises faded then he asked, “What are you talking about, Taylor? I told you that you were no longer part of this investigation.”
“Just get here and I’ll explain everything.” God, she felt so much older than her thirty years. Would this nightmare ever end?
“I’ll be there shortly.” Newman called out to someone on his end. “But humor me. Who is this associate?”
“Scarlett Taylor.” Autumn’s vision turned blurry as her voice went hoarse. “My cousin.
Chapter 20
Whydidittakean accident for someone to realize the error of their ways?
In his apartment, Nico got off the phone with Gianni Esposito to find out how Lydia was doing since the Forget Me Not Killer, aka Elijah Winters, crashed the proverbial party. Autumn told her to cancel the auction. Because of her stubbornness, Lydia refused to allow her father’s armed guards to stay at her auction and wouldn’t allow any of the other Big Three’s services.
Arturo didn’t like the woman, but he’d been just as stubborn as Lydia. He had his men outside the place in cars stationed for at least two blocks in each direction.
