Not finding out would’ve been better than this.
Aunt Bess doesn’t bother turning her attention to me. It’s not me who’s her enemy, after all, but the man with the buzz cut and dark, assessing eyes across from her. “You sold drugs to Janie?You two were married. All this time, you’ve handed over the thing that killed her?” She chokes on a tearless sob and rubs her palm over her clavicle. “I can’t believe this.”
Uncle Thad rests a hand on her back. “Deep breaths, Bess.”
“He…” She swallows around the difficulty of talking. It reminds me of when her and Uncle Thad approached the fundraiser table. She tried getting the words out, but ultimately, it was him who had to finish for her. She doesn’t give her power over to him this time. She pushes through, and all the while, her eyes blaze with a heat so hot that it sears just to be in the same room as her.
Clyde teases, “Cat got your tongue, Bess?”
“You planned this,” she snarls accusingly.
“You’re going to have to be more specific than that.”
“You didn’t forget that you were married to Janie. You didn’t care that Janie never tried to divorce you because you…youwantedthat paper legally binding you to her all this time.”
Why would he?—
“You knew that there would be money if she died, and you kept flushing her system with the one thing everyone knew was going to be her demise. Were you the one that got it into Harrison County Jail, too?”
“Gotta say,” Clyde taps his knuckle on the table. “I thought it’d take you a lot longer to put all the pieces together. Shameyou don’t have any substantiating proof that I have contacts everywhere, isn’t it?”
“You knew you’d be next in line for that money if something happened to her.”
“Not necessarily,” he blinks.
“Don’t sit there and lie to us now.”
“Okay, fine.” His lips turn up like the Cheshire cat’s. “Janie might’ve gotten loose lips one night and said there would be money if her parents ever kicked the can. Never said how much. It could’ve been five dollars for all I fucking knew.” He shrugs. So nonchalant. “Figured it’d be worth it to stick out and never push for a divorce she didn’t give a flying fuck about to see, and boy, am I glad I did. Over a hundred grand?” He whistles his surprise. “Well worth the wait.”
Finn kicks back and pushes up out of his chair. His hand swoops through his messy hair again and then he moves for the door, his boots trudging with each step. He walks out without saying a word, and I have to say, I’m about ready to follow in his footsteps.
My knee bobs faster under the table. My heart moves along to the same rhythm. All the while, my stomach is in my throat. I’m on the brink of flipping this table in disgust. A numbness courses through me as I’m stunned into silence.
I always knew the Lincolns were bad. Rumors of them doing whatever they could for the things they wanted floated around Harrison Heights when I was a kid. I ignored them as much as I could. When I was young, it didn’t matter as much because I wasn’t in their crosshairs. But then I had no choice but to step in and help Mom.
It never made sense why they wanted her dealing for them. That they’d hand over copious amounts of product to a drug addict who couldn’t be trusted.
Fuck, I never even trusted her with crackers and peanut butter. Yet they gave her so much more.How stupid of them, I used to think.They’re not the criminal masterminds they think they are.
They appeared so goddamn dumb.
But they weren’t, were they?
This was a transaction to him just like any other. A means to an end. It only backs up what everyone knows of the Lincolns; that they’ll do anything for money.
Even enable a drug addict until her body turns cold so they can inherit the life insurance money her parents left her.
TWENTY-ONE
COLSON
Aunt Bess:Just checking in.
Aunt Bess:I know you’re mad at me.
Aunt Bess:I never wanted you to find out like this.
I pushthrough Gulliver’s entrance and catch Kelsie’s greeting out of the corner of my eye. I don’t let myself feel bad for being a prick and ignoring her. I’m not here to play nice with Llewellyn’s new employee. I’m here for Eli.
