Ashley’s own sister.
Butwhy?
Maisie straightened, drawingherself up to her full height—almost the same as Ashley. “You can’t—”
“Shut up,” Ashleyinterrupted his sister, louder than I’d ever heard him before. Up until thismoment, I couldn’t have pictured him raising his voice—or seriously tellinganyone to shut up.
But this close to him, Icould feel him trembling.
“Grandma?” he asked, voicetiny again.
His grandma handed over thebirthday card I recognized, and one I didn’t.
“Maisie broke her arm whenshe was eight, do you remember?” she asked.
Ashley nodded slowly,opening the clown birthday card, then opening the one with a big, bright tulipon the front.
I wasn’t an expert, butthe handwriting on both cards looked pretty damning to me.
She’d written them both withher left hand. That was why Ashley hadn’t recognized it, why it was sochildish. I’d wondered at the time, but I’d never imaginedthiswould be theanswer.
Now that I knew, though, itwas the only thing that made sense.
“Before anyone objects thatthis could be some kind of coincidence,” Grandma continued. “I’ve checked thebusiness account for gas receipts. More than one of the post marks match upwith a place someone bought gas for the SUV on the same date or the day before,and they’re all places less than a handful of hours away from here. This isn’tthe idle fantasizing of an old lady.”
She paused, looking atMaisie. “Shedid this, and she’ll be lucky if Ashley doesn’t press charges.”
Silence fell over the roomlike a blanket over a birdcage.
Ashley passed the cards backto his grandma, and burst into tears.
TWENTY-SEVEN
ASHLEY
Having Logan’s arms wrappedaround me was the only thing keeping me from crumpling to the floor in a heap.
Maisie had been doing this.
Why?
“Now hold on one minute,”mom spoke up. “Maisie wouldn’t stalkanyone, and why wouldanyone stalk Ashley? It’s not like he’s anyone… special.”
My stomach turned over, evenas Logan held me tighter.
“I’ll bet you this ranchthat the rest of the post marks on these letters match up with the GPS in yourcar, Hank,” Grandma said behind me. “Times when Maisie took it so they wouldn’thave an Arizona post mark when they got to Ashley. I haven’t had time to lookthrough all of it, but the proof’s in there. It doesn’t matter whether or notyou think Ashley’s special enough for this kind of cruelty.”
Logan’s arms tightenedaround me.
“What I want to know,”Grandma continued. “Iswhy?”
With all the strength I hadleft, I gave Logan a gentle nudge to let go of me and turned to face my family.
“I don’t care why,” I said,my chest tightening even as I forced the words out. Fresh tears stung at myeyes, but I wasdone.
It didn’t matter to mewhyMaisie had beendoing this. I had proof that she had.
Why had she done anythingshe’ddone to me our whole lives? Why was she like this?
