“I wonder if she actually cares for this person,” Maya said.
“I’m not sure Abigail is capable of that. You asked about Abigail’s next move...”
Maya stayed quiet, letting her father think.
“We all know how mad she was about the evidence your mother had. She’s the type to want revenge. We all know that too. I think she wants to hurt you and me,” Eric said. “Abigail knows that I pushed the line too and did things that I shouldn’t have, but not like her. Not that it makes anything I did right. But anyway, she knows I care about my family, especiallymy kids. I mean, she knew about you and that I deliberately wasn’t a part of your life because I thought it would endanger you...”
A flash of anger surged through Maya. Eric had told her this before. Her mother didn’t list Eric on Maya’s birth certificate to protect her. But Abigail knew who her father was anyway and she tortured Zoey before killing her to get information out of her. Not only did she take Maya’s mother away, she deprived her of a father too. What would her life have been like if her mother had lived?Just add that to the list of reasons Abigail needs to be brought to justice,Maya thought.
“I was at one of your school events once when you were in grade school,” Eric said. “I drove down for the holiday pageant. Loved every minute of it, but when I returned home, Abigail knew what I’d done and made sure I knew that she was aware of where you lived.”
“Why?” Maya asked.
“She wanted me to do some things for her and that was her way of forcing me to do it,” Eric said, a sad look on his face.
Maya wasn’t sure how to feel knowing that her father had come to see her but was still too worried to make contact. That said a lot about Abigail’s power over everyone and her ability to manipulate. “So what you’re saying is by taking Hope and luring me in to rescue her, Abigail probably wants to kill us to get back at you?”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying. She’d rather I be alive and know what happened and to live with that every day of my life as payback for helping youfind the evidence your mother hid. I’m sure if I wasn’t in custody, she’d want me to come too, but she’s also the type to realize that I would be torn apart if anything happened to you, Hope, Isabelle or Nick. She’s just more intent on you because of the evidence your mother collected against her. Your mom was probably one of the first people to stand up to Abigail. She didn’t like that and then you came along and finished off what your mom started.”
Maya leaned back against the cold, hard wall. Would this ever be over? Abigail had built her own empire and manipulated so many people. Who could ever be trusted? Even if Abigail was gone, would her partner then want revenge? Or someone else? It felt like Maya’d be looking over her shoulder for the rest of her life.
She had another question for Eric. “Nick has been nice. Maybe cordial is the word.”
“Good, I’m glad to hear that.”
“But,” Maya continued, “what is the chance that Nick, Aaron or Hope’s dad could be Abigail’s partner?”
“What makes you ask that?”
“John didn’t join us to look for his own daughter,” Maya said.
“I never liked that guy,” Eric muttered. “He was way older than Isabelle and by the looks of his new wife, he likes them young.”
“Nick has been really invested in the investigation, which I would normally take as him wanting to help find Hope because he cares for her, but it seems like there’s not a lot of emotion with him.”
“Nick always held everything in,” Eric said. “He was the stoic older kid. Thought he needed to take care of his mother when she and I split. He’s a little young to be involved with Abigail.”
“But would the timing of when you felt like Abigail met a partner, fit with Nick joining the marshals?”
Eric shrugged. “I don’t think so. I think she’d met this person before he was a young officer.”
“Okay, so back to Hope’s dad and Nick’s partner. They’re both about the right age, still younger than Abigail, but would that timing work?”
“That’s more possible,” Eric said. “I do think John likes younger women, but who knows with that guy? He is not on the up-and-up as an officer. And I know nothing about Nick’s partner.”
“Then there’s the FBI agents,” Maya said.
“The ones I made mad by asking them to leave?”
“Yeah. They both are about the same age as Abigail.”
Eric took another drink of coffee. “I think any of them could be a possibility. I’m sorry I can’t be of more help. But I would say don’t trust any of them. And as far as your brother and sister...”
“Yeah?”
“I think we learn as we get older that relationships aren’t always black and white,” Eric said. “Nick may not show much emotion, but if he’s being cordial, then that’s a good sign. I hope you can all stay connected and it’s up to all of you as to what kind of relationship you want, but as a father, I’d love to know you have each other.”
“I’d like to know them better. That would be nice.”She stood and leaned over, giving Eric a big hug. “Thank you for talking with me. I need to get going and see what’s happening with the search for Hope. Plus, Juniper might rip up her compartment if she has to sit around for much longer.”
