the gun.
“I know she hurt you.”
“I said shut up! Do you want to know what hurt is? Hurt is a young mother turning around and finding her baby gone. Hurt is a pathetic father standing in front of cameras begging me to give his baby back. Me! I’m the only one who can do that.” She smiled. “They’re like puppets. I pull one string, they’re devastated. I pull another, they’re happy and hopeful.” She pointed the gun at Bess again. “Now tell me where the Loveless kid is or I’ll shoot you and you’ll know what hurt is.”
“You will never find this baby. You won’t get the satisfaction of watching Sunny Loveless beg and cry on national television.”
“You want to know what will satisfy me?” Janie screeched, clicking the safety off the gun. “Watching your daughter when she finds out what you did.”
Bess’s eyes widened slightly. “My daughter will be just fine. She knows everything.”
Janie’s brain was awhirl. It was hard to think with the incessant pounding in her head.
Where was the kid? Janie didn’t think the Loveless woman had it. She wouldn’t have left Bess here to face Janie alone. So what had Bess done with it?
Mia. Bess’s daughter.
Janie took a step forward. “Oh, really? Mia knows she was stolen fifteen years ago? Your daughter knows she has a real family out there somewhere?”
Bess blinked and her faded eyes filled with tears.
“You’re lying. Mia doesn’t know anything. You stupid old woman. You gave the baby to Mia.” Janie laughed. “Did you think I wouldn’t figure it out? I’m sure Mia will be happy to hand over the kid once she learns the truth about her mother.”
Bess scowled. “Leave Mia out of this. She has nothing to do with it.”
Janie aimed the gun at Bess. “Oh she’s got a lot to do with it if she has the kid.”
Bess shook her head.
“Where is she?” She gestured toward Bess’s phone. “Wasn’t she looking for an apartment near the university? Call her right now and tell her we’re coming to get that kid.”
“No.”
“Call her or I swear I will shoot you.”
“Janie, you’ve got to stop. The police are coming. It’s over.”
Bess was lying. Janie could see it in her eyes. The old woman was worse than Eddie. Why did people find it so hard to lie?
She glanced around quickly, gun still trained on Bess, and spotted a cell phone lying on the coffee table.
“If you won’t call Mia, I will.” She edged toward the phone. “I’m sure you’ve got her number in here.” Picking up the cell phone, she glanced down at the display.
During that fraction of a second when her eyes were off Bess, the old woman rushed her, gnarled hands stretched out to push her off balance against the coffee table.
Janie whirled and the gun fired. The recoil knocked it out of her hand.
Bess looked startled, then her eyes rolled back and she crumpled over the coffee table, blood everywhere.
Janie stared down at her for several seconds, but she didn’t move.
“Get up, you old hag! I know you’re okay.” She nudged her.
Nothing.
“Bess!” Damn, she was so still.
Janie felt her wattled neck. Her skin was still warm. That was good. But Janie’s trembling fingers couldn’t find a pulse.
Oh dear God, she’d killed her!
And she’d fallen on the cell phone. Janie cursed.
Swallowing hard against the bile that rose in her throat, Janie forced herself to slide her hand under Bess’s body and feel for the phone.
Warm, slick blood coated her fingers and wrist. There was so much of it!
Shuddering, swallowing acrid saliva, Janie finally touched the cool metal case. She jerked her hand back.
“Ugh!” The phone was black with blood. Backing away from her old nanny’s body, Janie rushed into the kitchen and grabbed a dish towel. She scrubbed blood off her hand, then wiped the phone in it. But blood still stained her fingernails. She turned her palm up. Her life line and heart line were painted with the deep red stuff.
Forcing herself to stop staring at the blood, Janie wrapped the towel around the cell phone, then looked up at Bess’s clock. She had to get out of here before anyone showed up. She started toward the back door.
The gun!
“Think, Janie. Don’t get rattled.” She needed a cigarette—bad. But that would have to wait. Hurrying back into the living room, she averted her eyes from Bess’s body.
Where the hell was the gun?
Closing her eyes, she thought about where she and Bess had been standing. The gun had to be somewhere