Eye of the Storm - By Hannah Alexander Page 0,71

if anything happened to you I was going to tell the police about Eaton and have Barry investigated. That was when I told him he had to move out.”

“You’re the one who did that?”

“I thought he was putting something in your food, dropping something in your drinks, and if he left, it would stop. But it didn’t stop. It kept getting worse. Last Friday I called another meeting.” She held up the gun. “He brought this with him and pulled it on me.” She let the gun dangle between her fingers and held it out to Kirstie. “The idiot must have forgotten I’ve been practicing martial arts for years.”

“Self-defense.” Kirstie took the weapon. “Again.”

“Kirstie, you’re my best friend. I’ve done all I could to protect myself, but Barry told me a few years ago he’d buried Eaton’s body here on the grounds. They were pouring concrete for the sunroom and they didn’t complete the job because Lawson got sick. My husband’s body is buried beneath a very thin layer of concrete, so the moment someone starts to excavate, the body will be found, and I’ll be arrested.”

“Barry thought you would hide his dirty little secrets because he helped you hide your accident?” Kirstie shook her head. “He didn’t know you at all. Honey, Alec’s a grown man now. You don’t have to protect him, and this town loves you. Come clean with Moritz. Clear the air.”

“I’m guilty of obstructing justice, and I could be found guilty of two murders.”

“Have a little faith, Nora. People in this town know you, and we all know you’re not a killer. Let it go. Get out from under all this.”

“And the first thing you can do,” came Gerard Vance’s voice from below, “is call off your committee and make the right zone change.”

At the sound of Gerard’s voice, Megan realized she hadn’t been running from Corpus Christi at all. The truth fell over her as if the sun had burst forth over the room. What had frightened her so badly was the thought that someday Gerard could be killed.

Losing Joni had not only undermined her confidence in herself, but the loss broke her heart. Period. She was afraid to love Gerard and lose him.

Megan took the gun from Kirstie, slid back the clip to check it for ammo and found it empty. She slid the pistol into her pocket and turned to greet Gerard.

Kirstie put her arm around Nora and led her down the stairs. “We need to find you a good attorney.”

“I know two of them. Maybe more would be better.”

“Why don’t you go ahead and call Moritz, get the jump on everything, turn yourself in?”

“Attorneys first, Kirs. You know I like to do things a certain way.”

“You know I love my tigress of a best friend.”

“Well, I guess you can be pretty certain that I love you too.”

SEVENTEEN

Megan ached from her toes to her fingertips by the time she reached Corpus Christi the first day of June. How had she forgotten the heat in such a short time? She’d become accustomed to the hot and humid air of Jolly Mill and forgotten it could be even hotter elsewhere.

She took the last exit before the bridge and made her way through traffic. He would be at the mission. Gerard couldn’t go to Corpus Christi without spending time at the mission, even if Tess and Sean had taken over management. Gerard was supposed to be moving his household furniture to storage so Tess and Sean could move in.

The house Gerard was having built wouldn’t be complete for another month, so meanwhile he was back in Kirstie’s upstairs suite, overseeing the arrival of household staff at the new Vance Rehab Facility.

Megan thought about calling Tess one more time to make sure he was there, but if Gerard was anywhere near the phone it might ruin the surprise.

After two more telephone calls to her parents, Megan had ironed out most of her problems with Mom. Interesting how much alike they were. And frightening. But Mom had changed over the years, and Megan hadn’t noticed. It was time. Things did change. People changed. Even Megan.

Nora, of course, had not only a group of attorneys on her case, but she hadn’t spent a single night in jail. Alec had at first been devastated to discover his mother’s dark secrets, but despite his father’s attempts to cover up his cruelty, Alec had suspected for many years. He too was on better terms with his mother these days. Maybe he