angry with her and he told her that she might as well just not come home at all. Sign papers and give us to Alison. We’d tell the judge we wanted to live with her. The moment he said it, we knew it was a mistake. We both love Alison and the way he said it, Mom could tell. She all but attacked Alison. I think if Luke hadn’t interfered, Mom would have really hurt her. She fired her and made Alison leave right then.” There was a sob in her voice. Tears glistened in her eyes, but Joan didn’t shed them. She dashed them away and looked determined. Defiant. Petrified.
Again, Scarlet had a very bad feeling. Joan was afraid and she’d made up her mind that she wasn’t going to be alive when her brother got back from Argentina.
“Joan, you really want to tell me what you’re so afraid of.” Scarlet lowered her voice even more, whispering directly into the girl’s ear. She had worked and worked on this skill. Practiced hours and hours to use exactly the right tone. She didn’t always succeed, but quite a lot of the time, she could be persuasive, and right then, she knew she needed to be. If she wasn’t, if she blew it, she might lose this girl.
Joan went white. She shook her head over and over. Tears trickled down her face. She looked down at her hands and then finally leaned close to Scarlet. “She lets him come when she’s not home. She tells him I’ll be alone. He gives her money so she can pretend we’re rich and she can go on trips.” Her hands trembled and she pressed them both over her lips as if she was telling a secret that should never have been said aloud.
Joan’s revelation was the last thing Scarlet expected her to say, but she should have read the signs. She was certain Joan was considering committing suicide, but the idea that her mother was selling her daughter to a man so she could have money never occurred to her. Scarlet moistened her lips and took a steadying breath before saying a word. This was far too important to make mistakes.
“Is he coming tonight, Joan?”
Joan nodded. “He comes every night she’s away.”
Scarlet had excellent hearing, but she had to strain to catch that soft whisper. “You need to tell me his name, baby, and then let me handle it. You’re going to spend the night with Alison. I’m texting her to come get you.” She matched her actions to her words. “You’ll be safe. You don’t have to tell her what’s going on if you don’t want to, but you’ll never have to see that man again.”
“You can’t talk to him, Scarlet. He’s evil. He’ll hurt you.” A shudder went through her.
“You really want to tell me his name, Joan. You’ve wanted to tell someone for a very long time.” That was safe. She was certain Joan had.
Joan was nodding, even as tears ran down her face. The door to the library opened, but Scarlet didn’t dare look away from Joan. She kept her eyes on her, compelling her to answer.
Joan rocked back and forth. “Giles McCarthy.”
She mouthed the name rather than even whisper it, but Scarlet was leaning close and watching her lips, careful not to miss what she was certain would only come once. She sat back, a little shocked. Giles McCarthy was perhaps one of the wealthiest and best-known philanthropists in their town. He gave to every charity and was always the first to be in front of a microphone endorsing a new youth project. He was considered a wonderful man. Everyone liked him. He was single, an eligible bachelor, and often dated some of the most beautiful women in town.
Scarlet didn’t make the mistake of asking Joan to repeat the name or act in any way as if she didn’t believe her. She knew if Joan went to the police and accused the man, no one would ever take her word over McCarthy’s. Joan knew it too. So did Brenda, Joan’s mother. She could take whatever sum he was paying her and continue her lifestyle while her daughter paid the price. Brenda wasn’t the only single mother with a teenage daughter he was reputed to be “friends” with.
“All right, honey. Thank you for telling me. Alison will be here in a few minutes. You’re going home, packing a bag and staying with her. What time do you usually expect him