a deep breath to steady herself. “I was doing really good chasing up my leads, but the word spread quickly that I was digging, though I still managed to gather enough evidence to continue in the direction I’d been going.” She shook her head as though realizing she’d gone off course with her story. “I was homesick, and when you told me your mom and sister were coming, I was so excited to see them.”
As she went on with her story, the coil in my stomach wound tighter and tighter, and when she got to the part where Henry punched her, I put my mug down so hard it made her jump. I leaned forward and covered my mouth with my hand and waited for her to continue. I’d killed before, and the urge was strong in me now, but want and need were two very different things.
“I asked her to lie for me. What kind of a person does that? I just didn’t want to lose you. I couldn’t risk that again. I put Ellie in danger, but you have to understand, I love her like my own sister. I swear, John, I never would have brought your family into this if I thought for even a second that they would find me.”
I could barely keep up it with her story. So many things raced through my head.
“When I got home, Doc Roberts seemed to know, and I needed something to clear my head. Mike had only ever taken me to the sixty-foot mark, but I wanted to keep going. It went okay, but then my foot slipped, and I lost my concentration and got stuck. I went through everything he taught me, but I was so confused inside I just couldn’t get it back.”
“Hold on.” I held up my hand to stop her story and pushed to my feet. I moved to the table to lean against it while I processed what she was telling me. “Does Frank know any of this?”
She opened her mouth to speak but then closed it.
I shut my eyes and mustered through my frustration and anger. I wasn’t angry so much with her, but the men she was dealing with were clearly a lot more dangerous than I’d realized.
“It didn’t work the last time, so what makes you think he can fix it this time?” She looked at me in defeat.
“So, you were just going to, what? Ignore what happened and hope they’d go away?”
“It’s the mob, John.” She tossed her hands in the air with a heavy sigh. “They never go away. You need to know someone to make them stop. Right now, I don’t. I just need some time to figure this out.”
“I’m going to pretend you didn’t just say that.” I had to curb my temper. “You don’t make deals with these people. They kill for pure enjoyment.”
“Yes,” her voice went hard, “and hit women without a care in the world.” She moved to stand closer to the fire with her hands on her hips. “I’ve had some awful clients before, but none like them, and I made it clear that I didn’t want their case. It was quite clear to me that they all knew Henry’s son had pulled the trigger. But they wouldn’t give up and insisted on me.” She jabbed at her chest. “No isn’t a word in their world.”
I stared at her as something gnawed at the side of my brain. I tried to pull it forward, and as I did, it hit me.
“What?” She sensed my change in mood.
“I think I may have an idea.” I checked the time and cursed. I put my hands on my hips and took a long breath. “Look, we have to be up at the house, ready to go for the party in one hour.”
“Party?”
“Are you hurt? Other than your stomach?”
“No.” She shook her head.
“I’ll make some calls, and I need you to go get ready. I’ll meet you up at the house in forty-five.”
I went for the door when she called out. “John? What party?”
I had forgotten that she’d been gone for a while and wasn’t in the know. “Family reunion-slash-we’re happy to be alive party.”
Before she could question me more, I raced out the door and up to the house.
“Where are you going?” Cole shot me a confused look.
“To pull a favor from a stranger.”
“Is it smart?”
I paused on the stairs and couldn’t make eye contact with my brother. “I hope so.”