Chapter Forty
Scott opened the front door to Kerry. “You shouldn’t have driven all the way out here, especially in this weather. I’m not exactly in the mood for company right now.”
“Oh … but … I could see how upset you were. And Eliza’s just a mess. She begged me to talk to you. Is it okay if I come in?”
She huddled on the doorstep. The intensity of the rain had increased in the last few moments. Her hair whipped across her face, and she made futile attempts to tame it against the gale-force winds. Scott stepped back, then paused and tipped his head to the side.
“I swear I can hear a dog barking. This wind is making everything sound crazy. Anyway, get inside before you’re soaked. I was just having a whiskey. Do you want one?”
“Well … I’m not usually much of a drinker but sure. Only a little though,” she said, patting at her hair. “Are Mia and Roman here? I saw their car parked by the garage.”
“Nah. I’m all on my ownsome. I’m not sure when they’re coming to pick it up but doubt it’ll be tonight.”
They walked through to the kitchen, and he snagged a second lowball glass from the cupboard and poured out a couple of fingers of whiskey. Kerry joined him, carefully setting down her purse on the counter. He slid the glass across to her and raised his own in a toast.
“To three-day marriages. Technically, I guess it’ll be at least four days. I can’t file for a divorce or annulment or whatever until tomorrow. Anyway, to ridiculously short marriages. Salut.”
He took a quick sip and set the glass down with a thud, causing some of the liquid to slosh onto the counter.
“I’m not drinking to that. It’s too sad. And you and Eliza aren’t getting a divorce. This is just a … small bump. Come on. Everything’s been so awful, with your parents hiring private investigators and then your mom was kidnapped. Of course you’re feeling out of sorts.” She lifted her glass. “To true love and finding your way back to Eliza.”
When he only crossed his arms over his chest, she clinked her glass against his unattended one on the counter, then took a sip and grimaced before setting it down again.
“Kerry. I’m sorry. I know Eliza’s your friend, but this marriage is done like dinner. The kindest thing you can do is go back and tell her that. Make her believe it.”
“But I don’t understand what the problem is. You two seemed fine. More than fine. You’re the perfect couple. What changed your mind?”
He shrugged and let out a weary sigh. “I guess what Roman and Mia said started worming a hole in my brain. All that stuff about her family.” He pursed his lips. “It’s not like I think she actually killed anyone, but still, the peanut oil thing is whacked, right? And when I look back on everything, it was Eliza who wanted the wedding pushed up. Sure, I was on board, but I never would have suggested it.”
“Only because she was madly in love with you.”
“See that’s the thing. I can’t tell if she even likes me. What if it was only ever about the money for her? You and I both know Eliza loves her ‘abundant’ lifestyle. And the way she started yelling at my dad—it was so inappropriate and selfish. There’s a time and a place for these things.”
Kerry leaned down, set her elbows on the counter and rested her chin in her hands. She gazed over at him. He blinked and studied her face. He could have sworn her eyes were blue but instead two amber irises stared back.
“She told me your dad was bullying her. Got it in his head she was the kidnapper and just wouldn’t let it go. She was really upset.” Kerry paused and tapped her fingers together in front of her face before standing upright again. “I know I wasn’t there, and this is only her point of view, but she said you didn’t exactly back her up.”
His hands fisted at his sides. “Yeah. Well. I wasn’t going to get into it with my dad right then and there. My poor mom was a wreck. The kidnapper shaved all her hair off, did you know that? We’d just paid out a million bucks—which, believe me, no regrets—but it didn’t look like we’d ever catch the person. And .…”
He paused and shook his head. His face was red and his breath came fast. “I don’t know why I’m telling you all this, but my parents’ marriage has had some real rough spots. Dad cheated a couple of times early on. And the kidnapper made my mom believe he was stepping out on her again. They’re not exactly getting along that great right now. Eliza should have taken the high road and let it go for the time being.”
Roman’s phone vibrated in his pocket, and he pulled it out and checked the screen. He waited for the call to go to voice mail then, keeping his eyes on Kerry, listened to the message.
“Sorry. I just a have to make a call real quick,” he said, before slipping out to the foyer.
Kerry watched while he paced to the door. She heard him say, “What’s wrong?” then a few mumbled words and finally, “I can’t talk now” before hanging up.”
“Who was that? Is everything okay?” she asked.
“What? Yeah. Fine. It was a work thing. No big deal.” He turned off the power and shoved it back in his pocket.
Kerry’s expression became earnest, and her eyes fixed on his face. “Can’t you give Eliza another chance? I know she can be kind of spoiled and entitled, but you’re having such a great effect on her. I swear, every day she’s changing into a better person. She needs you,” she pleaded.
“It feels wrong now.” Scott took a step back and blew out a breath. “I’m not sure I want to be with someone who’s not a decent person in and of themselves, you know what I mean? Maybe if this whole thing with my mom hadn’t happened, I’d have sailed along just fine. Never questioning any of it. But the kidnapping made me see everything differently. Life is short. Any damn thing can happen. I want to make sure I spend time with quality people and Eliza seems like too big a risk. I love her. I really do. But sometimes love just isn’t enough.”
Kerry fisted a hand over her heart and her eyes sheened with moisture, making them glow like gemstones. “That’s the saddest thing I ever heard. I feel bad for both of you. Promise me something, okay? Don’t do anything with the lawyers right away. Sit on it for a bit and see how you are after a few days. Maybe when everything settles down with your parents and you get over the shock of what happened, you’ll feel better about Eliza.”
He turned and walked over to the French door, stopping to lean his forehead against the glass. Outside the storm raged and the house creaked. After several beats, he shifted to face her.
“It’s not going to happen. I need to end things with Eliza and move on.” Behind him, a branch crashed against the window, and he glanced over his shoulder. “You should go before this gets worse.”
“You’re probably right.” Her breath hiccupped out. “This whole thing is tragic. First Eliza lost her family and now she’s losing you. I can’t believe one person has to have such a hard life.”
Her breath wheezed in and out and her eyes went wide. She patted at her chest, struggling to bring in air. Turning, she stumbled into the counter and grabbed wildly for her purse.
“Here. Let me help.” He handed it to her.
“I need my inhaler,” she gasped.
After reaching inside and unzipping a compartment in the purse, she pulled out a small plastic tube and shook it vigorously. She brought it to her mouth and gave herself three puffs of the medication then closed her eyes and pursed her lips.
“Are you okay? I didn’t know you had asthma,” Scot said. “You know, your color is already looking better. Should you take another hit?”
Slowly, she shook her head and opened her eyes. She noticed he’d inched away from her and now stood at the end of the island in the kitchen. “It’s already working. I hate when I get one of my attacks. It’s so embarrassing.”
She stowed the inhaler back in her purse, taking a few seconds to rearrange a couple of items before zipping it closed.
“Sure you’re okay to drive? You could stay here for a bit if you need time to recover,” Scott said.
A tentative smile showed on her face. “Honestly, I’m fine. But you’re so sweet to worry. Even in the middle of all your troubles you’re willing to help me.”
She opened her arms. Fury bubbled in her throat when she noted the way he hesitated and glanced at each of her hands before stepping into the hug.
“Of course. We’re friends, right?” he said.
She patted the back of his neck, rubbing a small circle. Making absolutely sure the fentanyl patch was firmly on his skin.
“I like thinking we’re friends,” she purred in his ear. “I feel especially close to you. And what scares me more than anything is if you and Eliza split, I might never see you again.”
He pulled away and blinked down at her. “Not if we make an effort to stay in touch. Let’s not worry about that right now.”
“Well, I’ll best get out of your hair. I hope you’ll think about what I said and maybe cut Eliza some slack.”
Kerry secured her purse over her arm and walked across the kitchen. When she reached the opening to the foyer, though, she swayed and started to go down. She only managed to grab onto the wall at the last second and stop herself from falling.
“Whoa. Easy there. I don’t think you should be climbing behind the wheel right now. Look. I know I have some soup somewhere. Why don’t you sit and relax while I make you a bowl? Let’s see how you are in half an hour or so.”
“Oh, that’d be nice. But only if you’re sure. I’ve had a crazy day. Now that I think about it, I haven’t eaten since this morning. So much happening.”
She boosted up onto one of the stools at the breakfast bar and watched while he opened a pantry cupboard and rooted around before coming up with a can of soup.
“Chicken noodle okay?”
“Sounds great.”
He fixed an old-style opener to the top of the can then started cranking the handle. After a couple of rotations, he stopped and stared at the can, squinting in disbelief. He held his hand out in front of his face, moving it closer and farther away several times before whirling toward his glass.
The movement unbalanced him and he stumbled into the edge of the counter. Still, he stayed on his feet and fought his way to the whiskey. After holding the glass up to the light, he examined the liquid then brought it to his face and inhaled.
“You must have drugged this,” he said, his voice soft. “I was expecting you to try and stab me with a needle like you did my mom. I don’t understand how you got it in there without me noticing.”
There was a slur to his words now with the S’s going soft. Kerry’s smile was brilliant. She stood and, tossing the purse aside, strode to the bar.
“For such a smart man you’re incredibly stupid. And given how fast the fentanyl is hitting you, you’ll be in full-blown overdose in less than five minutes. Might as well enjoy the short high. While we wait, I’m going to get myself a drink. Sort of a pre-celebration. Whiskey’s not really my thing. I’m more of a tequila girl.”
She poured a shot of Patron and downed it in one quick swallow. Meanwhile, Scott made his way shakily across the kitchen and yanked open a drawer. He reached for a small plastic nasal spray, but his reflexes were off and it slipped from his hand onto the tiled floor. With an animal growl, Kerry streaked around the island and snatched it up.
“Narcan. Wow. Color me impressed. Too bad you’re not going to get a chance to use it.” Pulling off the plastic stopper, she pointed it above her head and squeezed, dispensing the drug harmlessly into the air. “What else have you got squirrelled away in there?”
She hip-checked him aside and pawed through the drawer. “More Narcan. My gosh. Exactly how many kits did you get? You really should’ve left some for all those poor hopeless addicts. That was so selfish.”
Letting out a war cry, he slammed into her from behind, caging her against the counter. He reached an arm around her neck and applied pressure while at the same time grabbing for the Narcan containers in her hand. They wrestled for several seconds until he finally managed to free one but in doing so, his arm slipped down her neck.
She shoved her hand against his wrist, earning another inch or so of precious breathing space, and twisted her body around before kicking straight up between his legs. Her aim was dead on, and she connected, full force, with his balls.
When he staggered backwards and crumpled in on himself, she turned and snatched the Narcan neatly out of his hand before crouching and gathering the fallen containers. Working deftly, she emptied every last one, letting each dispenser drop uselessly back to the floor.
Meanwhile, Scott sank to his knees and bowed his head. His breathing was labored as he forced himself to take deep breaths. His chest heaved with each inhalation. His hand moved to his right ankle, and he grappled with something under his pantleg.
She squatted beside him and grabbed the gun just as he finally managed to release it from the holster. The struggle was brief, his system already so compromised he couldn’t muster much of a fight. She tucked the small pistol inside her purse then returned to her stool and leaned back with a satisfied smirk.
“Well, well, well. Looks like this party is just about over. What a shame. I was having a really good time.”
“Why are you doing this? You already got a million dollars today when my dad paid the ransom.”
Kerry wrinkled her nose. “Yeah. But it’s not nearly enough. I want all your money. And since you and Eliza are still legally wed, and you were gullible enough to change your will, I’m about to get what I deserve. It’s too bad you got that bee in your bonnet about ending the marriage, because I’d have let you live a little longer. Probably.” She twisted a piece of hair around her finger while she studied him. “How’d you figure out I was the one behind everything?”
“Cause I’m really, really smart. I hacked into Eliza’s emails and text messages a few weeks after we started dating. Something felt off, but I couldn’t figure out what.” His words came slowly, laboriously, and his face was sheet white. “I figured out you were blackmailing her. She never killed her sister. You did.”
“Yeah, and ending Maryanne was sweet. Except I didn’t talk it out with her like we’re doing. It’s so much better this way. Much more satisfying.”
Scott struggled to lift his head and look at Kerry. “I still don’t understand why you picked me. There’re lots of rich people around. And to kidnap my mom. That was so low.”
“You still don’t get it. Not so smart after all. Jennifer isn’t even your bio mom. Rhonda was.”
She sighed and slid off the stool before casually strolling across the room and kneeling down beside him. With sure movements, she reached up and unsnapped something on either side of her head before lifting the dark wig away and tossing it aside. A thin nylon cap covered her hair, and she slipped it off and ran her fingers through the shoulder length copper strands. It was precisely the same color as Scott’s hair.
“Fun fact, Rhonda was my mom too, which makes you my brother. Well, half-brother if you want to get all technical about it.”
Roman blinked at Kerry, doing his best to focus on her face. His pupils were barely bigger than pinpricks. “That’s crazy. I don’t have a sister.”
She patted his face. “Oh, yes, you do. We’ve got the same blood running through our veins, buddy boy. That’s why I’m feeling a teensy, weensy, pang of conscience right now. It would’ve been good to have a brother kicking around. Except, if you’re anything like your dad, you’d shut me out as fast as you could. Did you know he sent Rhonda away when she was pregnant with me?”
“What? No. Dad wouldn’t have done that.”
“Reality check. He did do it and more. When she came back to him years later, he refused to let her see you. So what if she was an addict? You’re still her kid, right?”
“I didn’t know. What about your father?” Scott mumbled.
Kerry snorted. “Ken Flanners. Now there was a useless piece of garbage. He cheated on his wife with Rhonda, then when I came along, he was nowhere to be seen. Cut off all contact. No financial support either. Don’t worry though, I took care of him. In fact, he was my first kill.”
Scott’s head bobbed slowly up and down. It was impossible to tell if he was nodding or simply fighting to keep himself upright.
“My dad was your target all along? Which means Eliza and I were just a means to an end.”
“Aw, honey. It’s hard to say all those words, isn’t it? You’re so slurry right now.” She stroked a hand through his hair then dragged a stool over and climbed on, so she was positioned above him. “Of course, Thomas is the target. He rejected my mom, then when I came to him a few years ago, he outright rejected me too. Like I’d be happy with a pitiful monthly payment? Get real.”
“Did Eliza have anything to do with planning the kidnapping?”
“As if. I didn’t even tell her ahead of time. She was getting soft on you, and I couldn’t be sure she wouldn’t blab. That’s why I snatched the mutt. I knew it would keep her in line and playing the part.”
“You killed Ken Flanners and Maryanne Wentworth. Plus, you kidnapped Jennifer Lamb and held her for ransom. Now you’re partway through murdering me. Quite the collection of crimes,” Scott said, stumbling over every word.
“Yep. God, it’s so great being able to talk about this with someone.”
“Don’t worry. Soon everyone will know. I created an app in my home smart system. It’s recording everything you’ve said.” Kerry scrambled off the stool and looked around wildly. “It’s not stored locally. Everything’s in the cloud. And it only cues to my voice. There’re also web cams pointed at you right now. Again, they go to the cloud. I set up an automatic email program. Mia and Roman will get this the second I go quiet for more than fifteen minutes. See. It doesn’t matter if I die or not. You’re going down.”
He collapsed onto the floor, letting his cheek rest against the tile and fighting to keep breathing. The skin on Kerry’s face went a splotchy red color. She darted around the kitchen, opening cupboards and drawers. When she discovered one of the web cams attached to the corner above the backsplash, she smashed it against the counter.
“I told you. It doesn’t matter,” Scott said weakly, his eyes closing.
Kerry ran to Scott and kicked him in the stomach repeatedly, as hard as she could. He moaned and coughed but couldn’t manage to curl himself into a ball. The wind continued to screech outside but now, very faintly, the sound of police sirens could be heard. She howled in rage, grabbed her purse, and slipped out through the French doors, slamming them behind her.
His last conscious thought was that Eliza would finally be free of her monster, and he smiled before drifting away.