Unintended Consequences - By Marti Green Page 0,102
buried her again.”
“You knew that another man was sentenced to death for murdering her,” Cannon said. “How could you let that be?”
“I thought it was a sign. A sign that God had forgiven me.”
“You’re a sick son of a bitch.”
Mickey looked Cannon straight in the eye. “I know I did something despicable. But I didn’t murder my daughter. You can’t charge me with that.”
Cannon leaned forward in his chair, his face inches from Mickey’s. “Maybe not. But it’s a different story with Nancy Ferguson, isn’t it?”
How could they know about that? He had to think fast and keep his mouth shut.
“Want to tell me about that?”
Mickey didn’t respond.
Cannon’s grin turned into a sneer. “Don’t worry. You don’t need to talk. See, we’ve been busy while we waited for the DNA on your daughter’s body to come back. I showed your picture to some of Ms. Ferguson’s neighbors. Seems like one remembered speaking to you. Said she gave you a brochure for Nancy’s trip. So I decided to call the last hotel Nancy stayed in before she died, and guess what.”
Mickey remained silent.
“Oh, come on. Give it a guess. … No? Well, I faxed over a picture of you and it turns out they had cameras in the elevators. They had a real clear shot of you riding up in one with Nancy Ferguson. And here’s the kicker: The police there did a thorough dusting of Nancy’s room and found a set of your fingerprints on the wall in the bathroom. I guess the maids don’t clean everything, do they?”
Mickey’s heart raced and his head spun. He couldn’t think up a story fast enough to satisfy Cannon. Say nothing, say nothing, say nothing.
“Cat got your tongue? Well, here’s the best news—for me, that is. For you it’s the worst. I’ve got an order of extradition to Arizona for you. Seems they’ve charged you with Nancy Ferguson’s murder. I’m going to escort you there myself. And by the way, Illinois has suspended the death sentence, but not Arizona. It took a long time, but you’re finally going to get what you deserve.”
A groan escaped Mickey’s lips. God hadn’t forgiven him. He’d just waited until he could exact greater retribution.
Epilogue
Two Months Later
Sunny and Dani sat at American Airlines’ Gate 39 at LaGuardia Airport, waiting to board their flight to Pittsburgh. She’d called Dani two days ago and told her she was finally ready to meet George and Sallie.
“What made you change your mind?” Dani asked.
“I’ve been seeing a counselor. She’s helped me sort through what I’m feeling.”
“And?”
“And I guess I’m a little clearer now. It was all so jumbled before. I had these wild swings between anger and guilt. Anger at them for abandoning me. Guilt for what they suffered. Everyone told me I wasn’t responsible for what happened, but those feelings wouldn’t go away.”
“What changed?”
“The counselor helped me understand that some of my guilt came from not having any feelings at all for them, for the Calhouns. I mean, after all, they gave birth to me. I thought I should have felt more gratitude for what they sacrificed. But they’re strangers to me. I don’t remember them at all. So instead I felt guilty. And angry. Now I want to get to know them. And I want them to be part of Rachel’s life. I’m ready for that.”
“I’m glad.”
They sat quietly reading, Sunny a Nicolas Sparks novel, Dani a newspaper.
“Sunny?”
She looked up from her book. “You have to keep your expectations low with Sallie,” Dani reminded her.
Sunny nodded. Dani had told her of Sallie’s belief that she had murdered Angelina by leaving her sick and alone at the Mayo Clinic. And how, during the two years before the police came knocking on her door, that belief had worn away at her tenuous hold on reality. Sunny could understand. She would go crazy if she were faced with that Hobson’s choice for Rachel. Thankfully, with Rachel’s father being a doctor, that would never happen.
Sunny had been told that Sallie had made strides at the halfway house. George visited her regularly, but it remained uncertain whether they’d reunite as husband and wife. She hoped they did. She wanted them to salvage some happiness after the misery they’d endured. If becoming part of their lives helped that to come about, she would do it even though they were strangers to her. It would be a minuscule sacrifice on her part.
Traffic moved at a snail’s pace as they made their way in the rental car from