and he saw us. And he recognized Freddy. He knew who he was, and he wanted something. And when Jasper wants something, he won’t stop until he gets it. He said...” She pauses, a tear escaping her eyes. “He said if I didn’t do as he wanted, he would hurt Anne, and I couldn’t let them happen.”
“Who is Anne?”
“Our daughter,” she says, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “My daughter. Jasper isn’t her father, but he met me when she was a baby, so he raised her.”
I can’t believe he’d threaten his own child, biological or not. If I ever adopted a child, I’d love that child just the same, and I’d never do anything to harm them. “If that doesn’t show what kind of man he is...”
“I know,” she huffs. “And I know he would do it. I know who he is. He’s a violent man, that’s why I finally left and divorced him after years of domestic abuse.”
“So he told you to help him kill my dad or he was going to hurt your daughter?” I ask, brow furrowing in confusion.
“Yes,” she says, eyes pleading. “But I didn’t do anything to your dad. I wouldn’t. I loved him. I found out after that Jasper broke into his house and suffocated him while he was sleeping. He put the pills next to his bed so it looked like he overdosed. I’m so sorry, Bronte. I now have to play along with Jasper because he’s still threatening my daughter. I don’t know what to do. He thinks I’m allied with him when really I hate him and want him out of my life. I’m in the process of moving Anne to a different college in another state, somewhere he can’t find her.”
I don’t know if I should believe her or not. She could easily be saving her own ass here, and hoping that we only target Jasper now, not her.
I’m not sure what to think. I heard her conversations with Jasper, but if she’s playing him, then she would have said whatever she needed to keep him happy.
My dad was suffocated while he slept.
The thought horrifies me.
What a coward of a man Jasper is. I never thought I could hate someone as much as I do him.
“I’m so sorry about your dad, Bronte. He used to talk about you so much, and he cared so much what you thought of him. He wanted to be the best dad in the world, and he wanted to give you everything. It’s my fault he’s gone. If Jasper didn’t see him with me and thought he had an in with me... If he hadn’t stolen the key from me, the one your dad gave me for his house...” She starts to cry.
So that’s how he got inside the house.
“How do I know all of this is the truth, and it’s not just you freaking out and trying to get away with the fact that people who love my dad are now going to want revenge?” I say very plainly.
“I was freaking out,” she admits. “But mostly because I didn’t want you to think that I did this. I loved Freddy. And I might not be the perfect woman, or person, but I’m not capable of killing someone, especially someone I love. I couldn’t live with myself if you thought that. I have no criminal record whatsoever—if you look into me the only thing you will find is me being brought in beaten and filing a criminal charge against Jasper.”
“What happened to Billie?” I ask.
She looks down, swallowing hard. “Jasper shot her. He thought she was you and took the chance. I wasn’t there, but Jasper called me when I was at the studio and told me that maybe I was right, that people are looking into him and know what happened. He’s paranoid now, which makes him even more dangerous.”
At the studio, so it was a conversation we missed. I don’t know whether or not she knows about us bugging her car and home, but she seems oblivious. That, or she’s just a really damn good liar, which is a huge possibility.
I try to read her, but she gives nothing away, and I have no idea what to believe.
“I don’t know what to say right now,” I whisper. “But I can see why my dad didn’t introduce you to me. I would have been able to tell him you weren’t worth his time just by meeting you.”
Pain flashes in her eyes,