Chapter Nine #2
Sherry stepped back and waved them inside.
The farmhouse smelled faintly of lemon polish and coffee, the kind of scent that clung to a place scrubbed and cared for over many years.
The hardwood floors were scuffed but gleamed, a braided rug spread across the living room, and lace curtains framed the windows.
Old, yes, but every corner spoke of order and effort, not neglect.
“David wasn’t dirty,” Sherry snarled the moment the door clicked shut.
Her voice was firm, though her hands trembled as she pushed her hair back from her face.
“Brannigan said that to hurt you. He wants to hurt you because you loved David. He can’t get back at David, but he can try to sully his name. ”
Laney swallowed, her throat tight. Sherry’s words made sense, but Brannigan’s smirk, his cruel confidence, still scraped against her heart. She sank onto the edge of the couch, her hands gripping her knees.
Her mind flashed to the note in the envelope. David tried to destroy me. Now I’m going to destroy what’s his.
The phrasing burrowed deep. It wasn’t just about David anymore. It was about Evie. About her. About everything David had left behind.
Laney forced her breathing to steady, though the pounding in her chest only grew louder. Someone out there wanted her family shattered, and every lie, every half-truth, every cruel accusation made it harder to know who to trust.
They settled into the living room, the old couch creaking beneath Laney as she leaned forward, her hands clasped tight. Sherry perched across from them, her jaw set, but her eyes slid toward the window as if she were bracing for more accusations.
“I wasn’t having an affair with David,” Sherry said again, her voice sharper this time, as though repeating it might finally make it stick.
Harlan’s gaze never wavered. “What about the note? The word payment in his notebook. What exactly was he referring to?”
Sherry’s shoulders stiffened. “I explained that already. We forgot our wallets at the diner one morning. David made a note to remind himself to pay later. That’s all it was.”
Laney lifted her chin, her pulse hammering in her ears. “But there were no other personal notes in that notebook. All the other entries were about cases or contacts, nothing else. So why would David add that one? Why would he single it out?”
Sherry huffed and pushed herself to her feet. Anger colored her cheeks. “I told you the truth. If you don’t want to believe me, then that’s on you. But stop twisting things into something they’re not.”
Her voice cracked with frustration, filling the tidy farmhouse with a weight that made Laney’s stomach churn.
Sherry’s glare burned into her as Laney rose from the couch. Harlan stood at her side, steady as ever, but Laney’s voice trembled only a little when she spoke.
“I’m going to ask the sheriff to bring you in for questioning about the note that David made,” Laney spelled out. “It’s best to make it part of the official record.”
Sherry’s mouth twisted with fury. “You have no right.”
“It’s not about rights,” Laney fired back. “It’s about finding the truth.”
Fury danced through Sherry’s eyes. “Get out.” Sherry’s voice cracked, but the anger behind it was sharp enough to cut. She pointed to the door. “Both of you. Out of my house now.”
Laney turned, forcing her feet to carry her forward even though her insides felt hollow. Harlan’s hand brushed her arm, guiding her, grounding her.
Behind them, Sherry’s voice rose like a final dagger. “Fine. You want the truth? David and I did have an affair. The only reason he stayed with you was because you were pregnant.”
The words struck harder than any blow. Laney stopped short, her breath catching in her throat. Her hand went to her stomach in reflex, a gesture from long ago, when Evie had still been safe inside her.
Harlan leaned close, his voice steady but firm. “Don’t. You can’t take her word for that. She’s angry, and she’s trying to wound you. It might not be true.”
Laney nodded, though the ache in her chest made it hard to breathe. She let Harlan lead her the rest of the way to the SUV, her mind spinning.
If it was true, her marriage had been a lie. And if it wasn’t, Sherry had just proven she would say anything to deflect suspicion.
Either way, the pain cut deep.
Sherry stormed back inside, the screen door slamming hard enough to rattle the porch frame. Laney didn’t move until Harlan’s hand pressed lightly against her back, steering her toward the SUV.
They both kept their eyes moving as they crossed the gravel, scanning the tree line, the neighboring pastures. Nothing stirred, but the silence carried weight, like someone was waiting just out of sight.
Once inside, Harlan started the engine but didn’t pull away right away. His knuckles were tight on the wheel, his eyes on the rearview mirror.
Laney’s phone buzzed in her lap. Unknown number. She opened it, and the words chilled her straight through.
All the locks, all the cameras, all the men with guns… none of it will stop what’s coming. You’ll pay for what David did.
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