“Isn't that just like you, Sterling,” William McVey says in a slimy, condescending voice. “Always trying to find the good in people.”
“Don't worry. I'm not going to make that same mistake with you,” Sterling says. “But you don't have to get them involved.”
“They're already involved,” William snaps. “If Scarlett here had kept her nose out of things, we wouldn't be in this little predicament. I've always been in my brother's shadow,” he broods, his voice a little lower, but filled with venom. “He got the inheritance, the house, the glory. Everyone always admired him, but it's been me putting in the work and doing what needs to be done. Unfortunately, this time it didn't work in his favor. And I'm not going to let a nosy real estate agent and the piece of trash child who should have stayed gone get in my way."
I start to make a move toward William to disarm him but shouting voices and a door smashing down scares the gun out of his hand. I lunge and scoop it up from the floor before he can grab it again.
“That's a good story, McVey. I'd love to hear more about it down at the station.”
Scarlett gives a teary smile and shakes her head toward the two officers.
“Jimmy, I’ve got to hand it to you. You've got good timing,” she says.
“Sorry it took me so long to come to my senses, Scarlett,” he says. “I never should have doubted you.”
“You're here now. That's all that matters. Thank you.”
The rest of the night is a whirlwind of chaos. It feels like I don't even take in a full breath until hours later when the sun is starting to come up beyond the window in the meeting room of the station.
We've all been here all night. Sterling, Jared, Sylvia, Scarlett, and I have been ushered back and forth between interrogation rooms and offices, piecing together all that has happened. Jimmy called in a larger, more experienced department to help handle the hellaciously tangled case, which means we have to repeat ourselves over and over. I'm exhausted, and I can't even imagine what Scarlett's feeling, but at least we got out of the mansion and are here.
“Who is he?” Jared finally asks. “Who is the body Scarlett found if it isn't my father?”
I'm sure Sterling has answered that question a dozen or more times already tonight, but he turns gentle eyes to the young man looking back at him desperately. This is something he should have told him long ago, now is as good a time as any to right that wrong.
“His name was Ruben Ardent. He traveled with the carnival. But let's just say he wasn't among the most loved of our little carny family. In fact, I'd asked him to leave on a few occasions, but he just kept showing up. He was a drunk and mean. He got violent with anyone who crossed his path; it didn't matter who. And that included Priscilla.”
“What do you mean?” Jared asks.
“She would come around to see Matthew. I've never seen two people love each other like those two. They were so young when they met. He was a couple years older, but she was just thirteen. It started out so sweet and innocent, but the older they got, the harder they fell. They already knew about you by the time they got married. He was so happy, but I knew there was no way Harlan was going to let it happen. And I was right. He came by one night, and Priscilla was there. She said something to Reuben, nobody knows what, and he went after her. He had his hand around her neck when Harlan saw them.”
“Did he stop them?” Scarlett asks.
Sterling shakes his head. “No. He walked away. But in his mind, that man was Matthew, the good-for-nothing traveler kid who would never amount to enough to be worthy of being a part of his family. It shows you just how much value that man put on people he saw as below him. He had known Matthew for years. Seen him at every summer carnival. But he didn't even pay him enough attention to be able to tell the difference between him and Ruben, a man more than ten years older. But you'll forgive me if I don't cry when I tell you Harlan got it in his mind that in order to save his family from the humiliation of his daughter getting pregnant and running off to elope with some low-class carny, he'd kill Matthew. Only, he went after Ruben instead.”
“But didn't he figure it out? When Matthew wasn't dead, and he and Priscilla stayed together?” Sylvia asks.
“That's where William comes in. He knew his brother’s mistake immediately, and he went to work cleaning it up. Went to Matthew and told him the marriage had been annulled, and Priscilla didn't want anything to do with him. He gave him some money and said it was a payoff from Harlan to make sure he never contacted the family again. Then he went to Priscilla and told her Matthew was gone, that he asked for money to get out of her life, then was killed in an accident. The only reason I found out about the murder was because of Priscilla’s mother, Jane. She told me what her husband had done and begged me to pretend it really was Matthew. If Harlan thought he had killed him, Priscilla's inheritance would be safe, and no one else had to get hurt.”
“So, you just covered it up?” Jared asks. “You just didn't tell anyone, even though you knew Harlan murdered a man?”
“I wasn't going to. I was going to go to the police, but then I remembered you. Jane told me Priscilla was being forced to give up her baby, and she promised Harlan to make the arrangements. He wanted to make sure no one ever knew about the marriage or the baby. It would have ruined the McVey reputation. He was already responsible for one death. There was no doubt he would do it again if he thought he was protecting his name and avoiding humiliation. So, when Jane brought you to me after you were born, I promised to take care of you. At least this way, you could be raised among your family in a way.”
"But I don't understand," Scarlett says. "This all happened twenty-five years ago."
"Yeah, Scarlett. Twenty-five," Sylvia cuts in. "Barely younger than us. Not a child."
Scarlett nods. "He looks young. But we'll get into that later. I want to know how Ruben ended up chilled like an endive salad and Harlan got stuffed in a wall. We've missed a few steps in all this."
Sterling's eyes move to the glass wall to one side of the meeting room. "Maybe there's someone else who should be telling you this story."
He stands as the door opens, and two women step into the room.
"We'll be back for you when we're ready," an officer from the other department says.
The older of the two women nods, but she's staring at Sterling. They cross toward each other, and he gathers her into a hug. The younger of them glances my way and recognition bursts in my mind. Priscilla McVey.
"Jane, I'm sorry," Sterling says. "I'm so sorry. I tried to do what I promised you."
Jane cups her hands on either side of the man's face and shakes her head. "You did everything you could. It's not your fault."
"There's someone you should meet," he says. He gestures toward Jared.
Both women gasp, tears forming in their eyes. They hesitate where they're standing, even though it's obvious they both want to rush toward him.
"Jared, this is Jane and Priscilla McVey. Your grandmother and mother."
I feel strangely tense, waiting for his reaction. He's already been through so much tonight, and so much in his life, I don't know if he can take any more. But he stands and steps toward them.
In an instant, they are all holding each other, finally crying tears they've been denied for twenty-five years.
Jimmy comes into the room a few moments later, and the family reluctantly parts. He stands in front of the door, looking out over all of us.
"I need to know what happened," he says. "I haven't gotten formal statements from some of you yet, but right now, I just want to talk. See if we can get this figured out."
I cradle Scarlett in my arms as I listen to Jane slowly and quietly recount a lifetime of abuse at the hands of a husband, so many thought was a powerful, impressive man. She explains how she found out about the murder from her brother-in-law, how he assured her it would be better this way. Matthew, Priscilla, and the baby would never be safe if Harlan knew he'd made a mistake, and with the information to hold o
ver him, William and Jane had more power. Priscilla's head drops, and she stares into her lap, tears falling as she hears for the first time, the man she loved never wanted to leave her and was still alive after all these years.
Carefully going back and forth, Sterling and Jane recount Harlan becoming obsessed with the body of the man he killed, not wanting to dispose of it but wanting to keep it close. He didn't want anyone to find it. At the same time, he couldn't bring himself to look at it, so he kept it wrapped. It moved from a chest freezer to the walk in a few years ago during one of his visits to maintain the house. It wouldn't be long after that when everything he thought he knew unraveled.
All it took was Harlan discovering he killed the wrong man. He came to Shadow Creek to confront the carnival workers and finish what he started. But William couldn't let that happen. If he found out the truth, William, Priscilla, and Jane would all be ruined. He confronted Harlan, trying to reason with him, and ended up killing him. But he didn't hide the body on his own.
"I'm so sorry, Priscilla," Jane says. "I had to help William. He said he did it to protect us. I didn't know the kind of man he actually was. I just knew if your father found out that Matthew was alive all these years and your son was here being raised where someone might find out who he actually was, it would be devastating for everyone. He could be violent at worst. At best, you'd lose your inheritance and your future. I just couldn't let that happen. It just seemed so much easier if your father just left. If he went on that cruise around the world he always talked about. We wouldn't have to tolerate him anymore, and everyone would be safe. I helped William move your father into the tunnels and bring him to the mansion."
"I don't understand. Who's been terrorizing me for the last year?" Scarlett asks.
"That was William," Jane says. "He knew you saw what happened, and he wanted to frighten you away."
"I'm glad he didn't," Sterling says.
"And you," Scarlett says, turning to him. "You rebuilt that house. Why?"
"It was used to move Ruben's body to the Candlewood house all those years ago. Harlan destroyed it so no one would ever find the tunnels. With Jared grown and out on his own, I decided this had all gone on too long. Someone needed to know what happened, and I wanted the house to be a reminder. It turned out to be cursed to usher another body through the tunnels."
"How were you going to explain Harlan never coming back?" Jared asks. "You wanted to make sure my mother got her inheritance, but she wouldn't until he was dead."
"William came up with the plan of faking his death later. Have his boat drifting and no sign of him. He'd be declared dead, and Priscilla would get the life she deserves."
"Just without Matthew," Priscilla mutters.
"I can get in touch with him," Sterling says.
Her eyes widen and lift. "You can?"
"It has been a very long time since I never wanted him to know about Jared and put them both at risk, but I think it's time we all tell the truth. This has gone on far too long. I'm so sorry for everything I did, and for the pain I've caused. I was only doing what I thought was best."
"You raised me," Jared tells him. "You gave me the life my father would want me to have. I appreciate everything you've done for me."
"What happens now?" I ask. "To Jane and to Sterling?"
Jimmy glances down at the notes he's written on the pad of paper in his hand.
"I can't make any promises," he sighs. "They both obstructed justice, covered up murders, and aided in fraud. But I can't say it was for the wrong reasons. I will do everything I can to make the judge see it the same way."
"I'm willing to take whatever comes," Jane says. "I'm just so glad it's finally over. Being able to see Priscilla touch Jared and know they are back in each other's lives is worth anything."
Scarlett nestles close and tucks her mouth close to my ear.
“Promise me we’ll never be kept apart like that,” she whispers.
I look into her gorgeous green eyes, feeling such intense love for her I can barely breathe.
“I promise,” I tell her. “I love you, Scarlett.”
“I love you, too.”
There’s a twinkle in her eye I just can’t place. “What?”
“So I guess I’m more than just your… friend?” she teases.
I roll my eyes. “Way more.”
Chapter Forty-Five
Scarlett
Thanksgiving…
Cupcake has a name now.
Vida Marie.
But two weeks after her birth, she's still Cupcake. I have a feeling she's always going to be. It may be one of those things like in Dirty Dancing when everyone called her Baby until she was seventeen, and it didn't occur to her to mind until she suddenly did. But she got to show up a lot of snooty people and ended up with the gorgeous dance instructor, so things worked out pretty well for her.
I'm not quite ready for Cupcake to learn those kinds of moves and engage in a social revolution. She can still be folded up to fit in a giant cupcake cake pan and smells like baby powder. I'll stick with that for as long as I can.
I'm touching a kiss to the soft hair on her sweet little head when Gavin comes up behind me and gives me a kiss of my own.
“Love you,” he says, the same way he tells me every day.
“Love you, too,” I tell him. “Everything is almost ready.”
My eyes catch the light sparkling off the diamond on my hand as it rests against the pink blanket wrapped around the baby. My life is so different than it was a year ago when I sat on the floor eating turkey with Sylvia and talked about Gavin. I wouldn't want it any other way.
"Can you hold her for a minute?" I ask, offering the baby out to Gavin.
He happily gathers her into his arms and carries her to the living room, where our guests are scattered across various furniture. I go back to the stove and breathe in the fragrant steam coming up off the pan of gravy. A sprinkle of extra rosemary and sage elevate the fragrance until it's perfect. I carefully scrape the gravy into a gravy boat and set it aside. The rolls smell incredible and nestled in the oven beside them are the sweet potatoes getting their marshmallows appropriately singed.
Sylvia and Betsy come into the kitchen.
"Is there anything we can do to help?" Sylvia asks.
"I have it pretty well under control," I tell them. "But if you want to bring the gravy and that bowl of mashed potatoes out to the table, that would be very helpful."
"On it," Betsy nods, scooping up the dishes and carrying them back out of the kitchen.
"This definitely isn't our usual Thanksgiving," I say to Sylvia with a smile.
"That's for sure," my best friend chuckles. "I think there are more people out there than we've ever eaten with. But you shouldn't push yourself so hard. You just had a baby two weeks ago."
"I remember. Vividly. But I feel really good, and I want to do this. There's nothing in this world I'd rather do than start a tradition of making a huge Thanksgiving meal each year and enjoying it with so many people who matter to me."
She eyes me knowingly. "Except maybe sitting in your squishy clothes, eating pumpkin pie and watching bad Christmas movies?"
"Maybe that," I laugh. "But I want these memories for Cupcake. And for Gavin. And for me. Now we get exactly what we wanted. The family we chose. And I will always choose you."
She wraps her arms around me, and I squeeze her close. The events of the summer are still fresh in my mind, and I don't take for granted any opportunity to hug my favorite people. Now more than ever, I realize just how fast it can all be taken away.
I still have questions about what happened. I'm not sure we got the whole story or that all the details have emerged. I wonder about the will Jared carried in his pocket, and its discrepancies with the first will Harlan made out. I wonder about Priscilla's second husband, a man who continued to work closely with her uncle, and if William wasn't the only one willing to kill to preserve their future that night at the corn maze. I wonder at the motive
s of the different players in all aspects of those bitter, twisted years, and if we'll ever truly know how it all unfolded. I sometimes find myself wondering if I will ever find out.
Or if I even need to. My fervor to solve the mystery faded in the hours sitting in the station. It might have been just a touch too much adventure, even for me.
But the tempered feeling didn't take away my enthusiasm for Halloween. In the weeks leading up to the holiday I worried I might not be able to enjoy it anymore, that everywhere I looked I'd see Harlan tumbling out of that wall or Ruben stuck to the freezer floor. But it all disappeared when we got to the haunted attractions. It was all fun and excitement again. Of course, I wasn't allowed to actually go into the houses or the maze. Being less than a month from my due date meant they wouldn't let the monsters come after me.
Jared has taken over the carnival company while Sterling and Jane await trial. Both were allowed out on bail, and Jane is renting a small house here in Shadow Creek, so she's not far from the family she's just getting to know. She says she never wants to go back to the mansion on the hill. It's too hard for her, for so many reasons. Besides, it's really Priscilla's now. She can decide what she wants to do with it.
There's more potential there, even with all the horrible memories. She didn't have her wedding there like was expected of her, because she didn't want to share Shadow Creek and the grounds of the mansion with anyone but Matthew. Now with that unhappy marriage behind her, she can still see the hope.
And the laughter coming from the living room tells me she and Matthew are having little trouble discovering each other again.
One year later…
Matthew and Priscilla never stopped loving each other. It's vibrant in both their eyes as he cradles her close, and they sway gently. This first wedding dance is coming decades too late, but the way they're both glowing takes the time away. Technically their first marriage never ended. They got barely two weeks together, but they've been linked all those years. Today we've gathered in the beauty of a late October Saturday to give them the celebration they deserved then and still deserve now.
Baby and the Billionaire Page 26