Second Nature (Crimson Cove Mysteries Book 2)

by Tara Brown

  I almost sighed because it had nothing to do with the killer but at the same time, my world was crumbling.

  Dad closed his eyes, sighing and taking another big drink of whatever was in his glass.

  All the things I had said to her came back to haunt me. I had started her on this path. I had made her question him.

  This was my fault.

  Mazy paused, processing for a second with the bowl of grilled asparagus in her hands. After a moment she passed the bowl to me. When her little gray-blue eyes met mine, they glistened. I shook my head in little twitches to tell her not to cry.

  “We still love both of you but this has been a long time coming. We are both growing and moving in opposite directions, and we feel the need to take some time apart is necessary,” Mom continued as her eyes watered, making the bright blue of them sparkle and burst with color.

  “I can’t do this.” Dad stood up. “I’ll be in my office.” He turned and walked out of the dining room, leaving the three of us. Mazy swallowed the bite of roast game hen in her mouth before placing her fork down and giving Mom a look. “May I be excused?”

  Mom nodded and lifted the white wine glass to her lips.

  I didn't move. I couldn't. I also couldn't stop my lips from moving the moment Mazy was gone. “Did you find out about Mike?” Was he the final straw that broke the camel’s back?

  Mom’s eyes pressed shut in absolute betrayal. I might have spent a lifetime hating her, but I felt so sorry for her in that moment. I reached across the table, taking her small cold hand in mine. I squeezed and waited for her to lead the way. Tears streamed her pale cheeks in silence. They washed away all the hate and meanness.

  In a million years I never imagined I would ever be on her side, but I was. No matter how rotten she was, she didn't deserve to be cheated on. No one deserved that. And her friend, Judith, was no friend. Even Rachel hadn’t been that bad. No, that was a lie. Rachel was that bad.

  Mom squeezed back after a moment as silent tears kept streaming from her eyes. “One of our friends knew and sent me something anonymously. The coward couldn't even tell me himself. And after everything you said to me, I knew it was true, and it killed me that you knew about it too.”

  “What?” My insides tightened. I pushed away the horrible feeling that I had caused this and made her tell me the other part of the story.

  “I got angry with your father, demanded to know what you could have meant about him and the late nights. He told me you were trying to cause problems for us. And then after you left, a man came and delivered a package filled with letters and photos—on a Saturday. I signed for it, for God’s sake. I signed for it like it was regular mail.” Her shoulders slumped and she sobbed with small shaking movements. But I didn't let go. I wouldn't let go.

  “Dad and Judith deserve each other.” He had attempted to make me the bad guy? I couldn't have been more disgusted if I’d tried.

  She nodded and lifted the wine once more to her trembling lips. “I never want to see either of them again.” She gulped and it was gone. Her moods were like being out on a sunny day when one cloud blew through and caused a storm for the minute it was overhead. But the wind carried it off, taking all the rain with it. Her eyes darted to me. “I’m sorry.”

  “No.” I didn't want that from her. I had not wanted it in a long time. “I’m sorry. I shouldn't have said those things to you.”

  “No. I am sorry I didn't see it all sooner.” She nodded, tucking her perfect blonde hair behind her shoulders. “I should have tried better to be a superior wife, and mother. Maybe then he might not have—”

  “No!” I leaned forward. “No.” I got up and wrapped my arms around her. It wasn't the response either of us had expected. It was apparent in her face. “Mom, he is a grown man. He made his choices and his bed. I don't feel sorry for him. I won’t.”

  “How long have you known?” she whispered.

  “Not long.”

  “He has a child, Lainey. A child with my best friend. A child I have known all his life. That little boy grew up under my nose, bearing your father’s nose on his little face.” Her voice had gone back to the cold one I was used to. “How could they be there every minute, every day? How could they ask me to be their friend and wife and plan their parties and give them gifts? I had that child’s DAMNED BIRTHDAY AT MY HOUSE EVERY YEAR! I PLANNED IT AND PAID FOR IT BECAUSE SHE WAS A SINGLE MOM, AND I DIDN'T WANT HER TO BE ALONE!” She jumped up, her hands in tight balls as the screams left her lips. She didn't say words, just made noises.

  I wrapped myself around her. I didn't know what else to do. I held her tightly until all the rage had slipped away and she collapsed on the floor. She sobbed and moaned, heaving and losing everything. I watched as the fight and the hate left her. It crept down her lip as snot and slithered from her chin as spit and trailed down her cheeks as tears. She didn't get the control back. She didn't regain her composure. She didn't stop shaking or crying. I held her in my arms, rocking her back and forth.

  Being the girl who could catalogue every moment lived from the youngest of ages, this was the worst moment I recalled. It was worse then stumbling upon my friends in the woods and worse than finding Mr. Henning in my yard. It was worse than any single moment I had ever lived.

  The reason for that is I felt, heard, saw, and tasted every bit of her disappointment and heartbreak. She was my mother. Through thick and thin, she was my maker. My love and hate for her were one feeling balanced very carefully on a thin sword. Most days the hate won the balancing act, but today the love was everything.

  There wasn’t even a drop of hatred in me, not for her anyway.

  Suddenly Mazy was there, her little arms wrapped around us too. Clearly, she had been listening and crying in the wings as we spoke—as Mom screamed.

  The three of us, three unlikely people to ever have an emotional breakdown, especially together, lost everything.

  But in the death of all the things we lost, we found something else. In the ashes and the blood and the agony, we found each other again. No walls, no barriers, no lies. But most of all no bravado.

  She hugged us and showed us who she was, and we responded with the same.

  Chapter Eleven

  Two birds, one stone

  Sitting on the front steps I stared at the letters and photos, knowing full well how they had found their way into my house. This was what the killer had been doing with his month. He had been gathering evidence to ruin our lives.

  “Lainey?”

  I lifted my gaze to see Jake walking up the driveway. His pace quickened when he saw my face.

  “What is it?” He dropped to his knees in front of me, looking deeply into my eyes. “What happened?” His hands lifted to my face, cupping as his thumb brushed away a tear from my cheek.

  I didn't answer him. I lifted the ransom-note-styled paper for him to read, which he did aloud, “Almost time to start planning your godson’s birthday party again. If you want a theme this year, try Sister Wives.” He wrinkled his nose and started looking at the photos. “Oh shit.” He looked back to me. “Your mom found this?”

  “It was delivered to her. She had to sign for it.”

  “Anonymously?” He gulped.

  I nodded.

  “So much for it being over.”

  “I never thought it was.” I pointed to the picture on the step next to me. “This one in our living room was taken last week. I know that because last week Mom had the painting taken out for two days to be cleaned.” I pointed at the picture—more so the empty spot on our wall just above the couch where my dad was having sex with my mom’s best friend.

  “So the killer went on lockdown mode for a month to gather intel.” Jake winced. “Wonder what else he dug up.”

  “I don't want to know.”

  “And these are done with the font, not the cut-up letters.” He took the papers from my hands and held them in his. “How’s your mom?”

  “Destroyed. I always assumed she knew.” I shoo
k my head. “There’s no way she knew. I watched the light drain from her eyes as she died a thousand deaths and suffered all that humiliation. I watched her learn of this.”

  “Lainey, I’m so sorry.” He leaned in and hugged me harder.

  “She is in ruin and my dad has been kicked out since last night. I assume he’s at Judith’s house. Mazy is a hot mess too. She’s been watching movies in bed with Mom all day. Last night they both slept in Mazy’s queen-sized bed because Mom had the staff take everything my father might have had sex on out of the house. We don't have sofas. Mom doesn't have a bed. We don't even have a dining room table and that one has been with her family for two hundred years.”

  “Oh shit.” He fought an awkward laugh. “Is she burning it all in the yard?”

  “Not yet. All of his things have been taken out though. He hasn't got a toothbrush in this house. If he picked the piece of art, it’s gone. It took the staff three hours to get everything out. She cried for two hours and then something hit, something crazy. She needed him out and all his stuff. She called a delivery truck, on a Saturday night, to come and take everything away as the staff was bringing it to the front door.”

  “Damn. Your mom means business.”

  “Yup.” I nodded. “She does indeed.”

  “Has she been mean to you guys?”

  “No.” A soft smile landed on my lips. “It's the one good thing that’s come of this. It’s been almost a whole day, and she hasn't been anything but kind to us.”

  “How’s Ashton handling the craziness?”

  “He was shocked and sorry. He has to stay hidden away so he got to miss most of it. Just not the noise of her screaming. I texted him on Messenger from my other laptop to the one he has upstairs and told him what was going on so he wouldn't worry. He still doesn’t have his phone on.” I winced. “I just feel bad that I’m like ‘you can stay here’ and in the first two hours he’s here shit hits the fan.”

  He gave me a look. “It must be, for you to be swearing.”

  “What?” I laughed. “I swear.”

  “No, you don't. And you cut me off every time I’m about to.” He looked down, and then up again through his thick dark lashes. “Did you talk to him about anything serious?”

  “You mean the night of the party? Not yet. I was just trying to get him settled first. He seems distant.”

  “It’s probably been a terrible month for him. We all had each other.” He shrugged. “He was alone.”

  “Except for the blonde.”

  He nodded and laughed. “Right, the blonde. Did he mention her at all?”

  “Nothing.”

  “Weird.”

  “Yeah. I feel like that's the theme for me. It’s been a very weird forty-eight hours. I’m excited there’s school tomorrow at least, before we have Tuesday off for Labor Day. Tomorrow I can pretend my life is normal. For a minute.”

  He wrinkled his nose. “I doubt that.”

  “Why?”

  “I came here for a reason, Lain.” He gave me a look like he already regretted whatever he was about to say. “Louisa has sold her story to the press. Lindsey’s dad has been outed for his criminal record, changing his name, and for marrying her—an ex-stripper. It’s everywhere. TMZ is even in Crimson Cove trying to get a shot of him.”

  “Oh my God.” We hadn’t spoken since Saturday morning when she’d lost it on me and accused me of being with Vincent. I had been dodging her calls all weekend.

  “Yeah, Vince called and said Lindsey was losing her mind. She was going to find Louisa and kill her. Lori has stayed. She wants no part in the whole Louisa scandal and even gave the address where Louisa’s staying. It’s some hotel in New York that she shouldn't be able to afford since Mr. Bueller has frozen all her cards and accounts. I guess he thinks she’s been embezzling money from him since she never had any of her own.”

  “Unless she was paid for her story.”

  He shrugged. “Yeah. Anything’s possible at this point.”

  “This happens tonight, of all nights?” My eyes narrowed. “My dad and Mr. Bueller on the same night?”

  His eyes narrowed too. “Yeah, you’re right. That's weird.”

  “All that’s left is Sage’s stepdad and Sierra’s dad and then all of them will have suffered something terrible.”

  “And Rita’s dad.”

  I shrugged. “She isn’t really one of us.”

  “She was drugged that night. She is one of us.”

  I hated that he had defended her. “How do we know she didn't come here and start all of this and drugging herself is her way of being considered innocent?”

  “We don't. But we need to tackle these things one at a time. Right now Lindsey’s family and yours are in crisis. That's where the focus should be.” He stood and offered me a hand. “Want me to drive you over there?”

  “No!” I scowled. “Why should I go to her house? My house is in crisis too. I can’t leave them here. I have the maids watching Mom so she doesn't hurt herself.”

  “Her dad has been ruined. Yours had an affair—that's not the same thing.”

  “He had a child with my mom’s best friend.” I grabbed the papers and stood up, giving him a look. “It’s not the same thing, but it’s also not small. My dad has destroyed my mom.”

  “Your mom has never been nice to you. I’ve been here. I’ve seen her in action. I hate the way she treats you.”

  My blood started to boil. “She’s my mom, Jake. She didn't deserve any of this.” I turned and stormed inside, leaving him there. I slammed the door and marched upstairs to my room.

  I ignored the emptiness of the halls and rooms. The missing pieces of furniture and missing art made it weird, but the missing dad was unbearable.

  He had always been gone. Absentee was the word for it. Now he was actually gone and it left a hole. Or maybe we just noticed the hole for the first time.

  I flopped onto my bed and picked up my phone, wincing at the calls. Some from Dad, some from Sierra, even a couple from Sage. But the majority were from Vince and Lindsey and even Jake who had texted to check on me constantly. He’d offered to come and entertain Ashton too.

  I regretted snapping at him. I knew it wasn't his fault. He was just the messenger.

  I moped and continued to read, grimacing when Lindsey was at the begging stage. She couldn't leave the house, scared her dad might actually hurt himself. She was begging me to come to her place or at least message her back.

  We were home, dealing with the same things and needing each other.

  If this had been the killer’s plan, it was well executed and just like Vincent said it would be. We were the easiest kids to trap. Even when we thought we were watching, we weren’t. Not well enough.

  Vincent’s messages said nice things like he hoped I was okay and even more sorry for not listening to me when I had told him Lindsey wasn't as cool with it as he thought she would be. He said he’d had to spend the entire day rehashing our every step, reassuring her nothing had happened.

  All of it made me uncomfortable and exhausted.

  My dad was curled up with Judith in the house he wanted to live in, finally free of us. He had his life the way he wanted it.

  The only issue for him was the public way it was done. The neighbors were a long ways off from us, but even they must have heard what was going on.

  I didn't call any of my friends. I grabbed my other laptop and sat on my bed, starting WoW and grabbing a character on the same realm as Ashton. Mine was a few levels behind his, but I logged on anyway and messaged him to come to my area.

  We did quests and battlegrounds, both messaging the entire time. It was relaxing and for a few hours I pretended that everything was normal. I had on glasses and a messy bun and sweat pants. It was delightful.

  Chapter Twelve

  Six O’clock News

  I didn't see the other kids or the faces in the halls. I saw nothing. I didn't even know which classes I had been to or what time it was. It was a strange s
ensation.

  My feet walked forward, but my brain was too full to let anything else enter.

  “Lain.”

  I lifted my gaze to see Lindsey staring at me from the other side of the hall. She looked angry, but I just nodded. “Hey.” I put my head down and continued down the hall to my locker.

  Sierra, Sage, and Rita were there when I got there.

  Sierra didn't speak. She acted. She was the most intuitive of us all. She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into her.

  I melted. The icy exterior and cold isolation of my broken heart mended, not all of it, but the little jagged pieces at least.

  She didn't say a thing, just hugged and let me collapse a bit.

  Someone hugged from the back and another person and then another. After a few minutes I was surrounded.

  We didn't squabble or insult. We didn't mock or hurt. We held on to one another.

  After several minutes Sierra whispered, “I’m so sorry, Lain.”

  “Me too, Lainey.”

  “Me three.”

  “Me four.”

  Even Lindsey was there.

  I nodded. “Thanks, guys. I’m sorry, Linds. I should have called.”

  The massive huddle broke in a struggle as Lindsey grabbed me, pulling me to her. Again they all leaned in, wrapping around us both. We hugged for minutes before we pulled apart, each of us looking insanely shell shocked.

  Sage wiped her face and gave me a look. “I’m sorry for what I said at the party. I was being such a bitch. I don't even know why. I got drunk and just—mean.”

  “It’s okay. You were right about us going to snoop without Lindsey. It was weird.”

  Lindsey rolled her puffy eyes. “Vincent made it sound like you could be brother and sister in the next production of Hansel and Gretel.”

  “Well.” I laughed. “Obviously, that's true.”

  Rita put her hand out, taking one of mine. “I hope you know I am here for you, whatever you need. My parents have had this battle.” She looked like she genuinely understood. I knew she did. Lindsey had told me that both of Rita’s parents had been unfaithful for many years.