idea what Hayle wanted to show me, but I knew he’d still been visiting his mother’s greenhouse almost daily to take care of her plants. Maybe he’d discovered more evidence that related to my mother’s murder.
After parking next to his SUV, I walked up the path to the front of the house and knocked on the door. Though it might have been unlocked, I didn’t immediately try the handle. I hadn’t been back here since Thanksgiving, and merely standing outside caused a shiver to run up my spine.
Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea. Whatever Hayle needed to show me, surely he could do it somewhere other than here.
I was reaching into my pocket for my phone when footsteps sounded on the path behind me, and I spun, expecting to see my boyfriend.
“Hello, Thea.”
“Lily,” I gasped.
Chapter Thirty-Four
Thea
This can’t be happening.
Unless I was seeing a ghost, a flesh-and-blood Lily Crowder stood before me, wielding a kitchen knife yet again. She wore loose pants and a thick cream sweater, her black hair hanging down her back in a mess of tangles. Maybe it was due to the glow of the lanterns on the front of the house, but her eyes looked downright crazy.
The thought was likely impolite, given the circumstances, but I didn’t know how else to describe them. Murderous, perhaps? That thought didn’t make me feel better. Not at all.
“I knew you would come,” she said with a satisfied smirk. “You may be even dumber than you look.”
Though the insult didn’t upset me, it did snap me out of my shocked state. I had to be smart about this. Lily had a knife, but I had my phone. If I kept her talking, distracted her, maybe I could get past her and call someone for help.
It killed me a little bit, but I moved my hand away from my pocket—and phone—and asked, “Where’s Hayle?”
His SUV was in the driveway, so he had to be around here somewhere. My stomach churned at the idea of Lily hurting him, but I automatically dismissed the idea. He was probably the only person in the world she wouldn’t harm. Physically, at least. Emotionally was a whole other story.
“He’s nearby.” Her smirk grew. “I can take you to him.”
I took an involuntary step backward, putting my back almost up against the door. It wasn’t a good position to be in. Not if I wanted to slip past her without getting carved up like a Christmas turkey. “I’d rather not.”
She shifted closer and held the knife in front of her, the pointy end aimed at my stomach. “Running isn’t a good idea. Not if you want to see my son again.”
What Hayle had told me about her threats of suicide over the years reverberated in my head, making me doubt what I’d been so sure of seconds ago. Maybe Lily did have the capacity to harm the most important person in her life, if she was intent on taking them both out of the equation. To keep him away from me—forever.
I didn’t want to believe it, but I also couldn’t take any chances. Not with Hayle’s life.
“What do you want from me?” I asked, not having to fake the waver in my voice. Right now, my only idea was to keep her talking. So, I would do that for as long as possible.
“Your cooperation. That’s not too much to ask, is it?” Her expression grew cold. “Especially after you turned me over to the authorities.”
The authorities?
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I haven’t said anything to anyone.”
“Don’t bother lying,” she sneered. “As soon as those detectives showed up for me today, I knew you were behind it. Thankfully, I’d already arranged a way out of that godforsaken institution. There’s not much money won’t buy, as you must know. Vincent bought you well enough.” Her eyes narrowed to slits. “Like mother, like daughter.”
Detectives had shown up at the mental health facility? What was going on? Was this about my mother’s murder?
Not that I was going to get any answers at the moment. Clearly, Lily had gotten away before they’d been able to question her.
I raised my hands, as though in submission. “I had nothing to do with that. I swear.”
“And, why would I believe you?”
“Because I promised Hayle I wouldn’t say anything, and you must know that I love him. I wouldn’t go back on my promise.”
If I’d thought mentioning my feelings for him would help my case, I’d been very wrong. Lily bared her teeth, and