by Mary Burton
Eva wasn’t sure how much time passed before she heard a door open and overhead lights snapped on bright and harsh.
She winced against the onslaught, hating that she had to close her eyes, but unable to bear the pain of the light. Footsteps moved down a staircase as she struggled to help her eyes adjust to the light. Finally, she was able to tolerate a blur of white as she begged her eyes to focus.
“I’ve been waiting for this for a long time, Eva.”
The voice was so familiar, she dismissed her initial thought immediately. It didn’t make sense. And then her vision focused on the person standing in front of her.
The suit and wig were meant to mimic a man’s frame, but she knew instantly that no disguise could hide such familiar eyes.
“Sally.”
The older woman hesitated a moment and then smiled. “Surprise.”
Confusion jumbled her thoughts. This made no sense. Sally was her friend. “Why are you here? Why?”
Sally pulled off her wig and ran her fingers through her hair. “Take a good look at me. Do I remind you of anyone?”
Eva stared at Sally’s deep eyes and the slight downturn of her lips. The feature that stood out most now was her eyes. Not the color or the shape but the utter hollowness.
Eva felt a tightening in her chest similar to the months and years after the night Josiah raped her. She’d forgotten many of the details of the rape but she’d never forgotten Josiah’s eyes. Void of emotion, she felt as if she stared into the eyes of Satan.
Memories of that night started to crawl out from the darkness. Josiah’s dead lifeless eyes. The touch of his hands on her breasts. His peppermint-scented breath. “You were Josiah’s mother.”
She nodded. “Very good.”
“Josiah and Micah thought you were dead.”
Sadness welled in her eyes. “That’s what their father told them. As you well know, Darius lied to get what he wanted.”
“Why?”
The slump in Sally’s shoulders was almost imperceptible. “Darius and I married when I was in high school. He was the older bad boy. I was seventeen needing to leave a crappy home. We were each other’s lifelines. In the heat of the moment, we ran off and got married. And for a while we did okay. Darius could make money like nobody I knew. Didn’t worry about shortcuts. And then the twins came and it was good.” Tears welled in her eyes, as she seemed to live some faraway memory. “But the more money Darius made, the more distant he grew. And when he realized I couldn’t have more children, he started to treat me badly. Once we were having a party and he hit me because the glasses I’d set out didn’t match. I became a reminder of what he couldn’t have and he hated me for it.”
If she and Sally had had this conversation a week ago Eva would have wept with her. But now as she twisted her wrists under the rope and tried to ignore the growing pain of the rope burn, screams welled inside her. You crazy bitch! Let me go! But she’d learned to hide her fear very well in prison. “I’m so sorry, Sally.”
Sally didn’t seem to hear Eva. “When the boys turned thirteen, I made an unfortunate mistake.”
“The car accident?”
“King told you about that.”
“Why would you come into his pub? He knew you.”
“I was looking for you, not him. When I saw him the first time I really thought I’d ruined it. But he didn’t connect the pieces. Fool! I was cemented in his memory as a much younger and very different woman. No more dyed hair, no more designer suits, or manicured nails. Just old frumpy Sally with her peasant skirts.”
“You killed his family.”
She bristled. “That dumb woman driver got in my way. She should have moved faster.”
Eva felt sick for King, who had lost so much to a woman who had no remorse. “That’s when Darius sent you away. ”
“He had me locked up in a private home for the insane.” Tears fell down her cheeks. “Bastard. He took almost twenty years of my life.” Anger seemed to rush through her like a wildfire. “And then Darius came to see me last year. The cancer had whittled away his body and he looked so weak and tired. I almost didn’t recognize him. But he’d learned from that whore Lisa about what had happened the night my boy died. He didn’t have the strength to kill you all, so he asked me to do it. Of course I said yes.”
“Where is Bobby?”
“Upstairs. Safe. I bought a television and snacks. Kids like snacks and cartoons.”
“Why do you want Bobby?”
“I’m his grandmother.”
“His grandmother is dead.”
“You mean his other grandmother. Yes, I know. I killed her.”
“I remember Eliza’s daughter.”
“She had a crush on my boy. And she managed to get herself pregnant. Darius didn’t want a bastard grandchild and told her he’d ruin her family if she ever told anyone. When Darius came to me he told me about Bobby. I knew I had to see him.”
A tear rolled down her cheek. “Why did you kill Eliza?”
“I drove by her house to see Bobby and she saw me. Believe it or not, she recognized me. She would have told everyone I was back and ruined all my plans. So I killed her.” She released a breath. “Soon it will be just Bobby and me….”
Garrison and three other police cars arrived at the residential house made of brick. This was the house Lenny had described. This was where he’d heard the woman scream. Where he’d smelled burning flesh. Garrison prayed they had arrived in time.
Sally smiled as the tip of the brand started to heat. Just one more minute and it should be ready.
“What are you going to do?”
“Mark you like those others. You want to be remembered as rising stars and you will be.”
“Your son already marked me once.”
“He should have finished you then. The delay is what killed him. He was having too much fun, I’ll bet. Men are weak when it comes to women.”
“He raped me.”
“Please,” Sally said. “I’ll bet you waggled your cute little bottom in front of him, knowing the effect you had on him. The other girls did the same. They enticed him to take them.”
Up stairs, footsteps sounded and Eva glanced up the staircase. Bobby appeared at the top of the stairs. “Sally?”
Sally crossed quickly to Eva and shoved a rag in her mouth. “I’m down here. Wait and I’ll come get you.”
Sally secured the rag in Eva’s mouth with a strip of duct tape. Satisfied Eva couldn’t warn the boy, she headed up the stairs. She locked the basement door and then led Bobby to the basement.
Eva stared in horror as Bobby moved down the stairs. When he reached the basement he stopped and stared at her.
“Don’t be fooled by her, son. She is the devil.”
“You tied her up,” Bobby said.
“Yes. She’s been bad and she needs to be punished.”
“What are you going to do to her?” A hitch in his voice betrayed fear and uncertainty.
Eva tried to scrape her chin against her shoulder and remove the tape but it didn’t budge. She stared at Bobby, trying to will him to understand that she really did care.
Sally laid her hands on his shoulders and stared into Eva’s eyes. “I’m going to teach her what happens to bad girls. And I want you to take note. This is your first lesson on the step to manhood.”
Tears welled and ran down Bobby’s face. He tried to pull away but she wouldn’t release him. “Don’t hurt her!”
Sally dragged Bobby toward the fireplace and picked up the red-hot branding iron. “We need to teach Eva a lesson.”
“No!” Bobby shouted.
Eva didn’t have hope that she would get out of the basement alive.
Garrison rang the bell. No answer. “There’s a basement. We need to get to the basement.”
He moved to a window by the front door and using the handle of his gun broke the glass. He wrapped his jacket around his arm and reached through the jagged glass for the latch. Glass cut through the back
as he strained and finally reached the lock.
He pushed open the window, hoisted himself inside the house and then opened the front door for the other detectives. They rushed through the house, sweeping and searching as they went.
Rokov moved to a side parlor and slid open the door. “I have something.”
“What?” He couldn’t bring himself to ask if it was Eva or the boy.
“It’s Donovan.” Rokov and Sinclair, guns drawn, carefully entered the room. While Rokov remained on alert, Sinclair checked Donovan’s vitals.
“He’s alive. But barely.”
Garrison moved to the kitchen and found the basement door. It was locked. Bolted from the inside. He was about to request the battering ram when Eva’s scream tore through the house.
Through the burning pain that seared every nerve ending in her body, Eva heard Bobby weep.
“Stop!” the boy screamed.
Sally turned from Eva who had draped forward in a sweaty crumpled heap. “I have to do this.”
Bobby raced to her, taking her hand in his. “Eva, wake up. I’m sorry.”
Sally grabbed Bobby by the arm. “You have to be strong. Like a real man. You can’t be sniveling. Your uncle Micah snivels.”
Bobby tore away from Sally and gripped Eva’s hands tighter. “Eva, wake up!”
She raised her head. The pain of the burn had eased a fraction so that she could think a little more clearly.
The boy pulled the tape and gag from her mouth. “Get out of here, Bobby. Get away.”
“He’s not going anywhere. Are you, Bobby?” Sallysaid. “He’s going to watch me burn every inch of your body and then stab you in the heart when I’m done.”
Sally left Bobby at Eva’s side as she returned to the hearth and jabbed the end of the branding iron into the embers.
Tears rolled down Bobby’s face. “I’m sorry.”
“Get out of here,” she said, adding as much force as she could muster.
Bobby glanced at Sally and then at the stairs. “I’m going to save you, Eva. ”
He turned and ran toward the stairs. But Sally was faster and cut him off at the staircase. “Where are you going?”
“I hate you. I hate you!”
“One day you will thank me.”
“I hate you!”
Sally reared back her hand to slap the boy when the door at the top of the stairs exploded open. Garrison and three other men rushed down the stairs, guns pointed at Sally.
Sally grabbed Bobby by the arm, jerked him around and retreated to a corner. She pulled a knife from her pocket and thrust it against his neck. “I’ll kill him.”
Garrison didn’t take his gaze off Sally. “Eva!”
“I’m here.” Her voice sounded weak.
Garrison’s expression hardened as he stared at Sally. “Let the boy go.”
Bobby wept as he tried to twist free. “Let me go.”
She nicked his neck until a droplet of blood rolled down his neck. “Nope. Ain’t gonna back away from this one, sport.”
The slightest movement aggravated Eva’s burn and sent pain bolting through her body. “Sally is Josiah’s mother. She turned him into the monster he became.”
“My son was no monster. I taught him how to be strong.”
“You taught him how to be weak,” Eva said. The more she could worm her way under Sally’s skin, the greater the chance Sally would get distracted, allowing Garrison to act.
“You turned him into a sniveling coward.” Eva raised her head. “He cried like a baby after he hurt me. He begged for my forgiveness.”
Sally flinched. “Liar.”
Eva moistened her lips. “And then he wet his pants like a baby.”
Sally whirled around. But before she could speak, Garrison fired, hitting her in the chest. Sally fell to her knees and dropped forward, hitting the hard stone floor.
Bobby hugged his arms around his chest and Garrison pulled him into an embrace. “Shh. It’s over.”
“She hurt Eva.”
“An ambulance is on the way,” Kier said.
Garrison tensed and pulled the boy with him to Eva. “Stand here, Bobby, while I check her out.”
He untied her hands and feet and then studied the brand on her shoulder. “Eva. ”
“I’ll live,” she said.
“Christ, honey.” He picked her up, careful not to cause her more pain.
“I’m okay.”
Tears rolled down Bobby’s face. “I’m sorry, Eva. I’m sorry.”
“I’m fine, honey.”
“She burned you.”
“It will all heal. ”
Garrison stared at her, his expression grim. The healing would take a long time.
Epilogue
Wednesday, September 21, 10:00 A.M..
Eva dumped her backpack loaded with books on the bar. The pub was quiet. The lunch crowd wouldn’t arrive for another hour but already the smells of soups and fresh breads drifted out from the kitchen along with King’s favorite Elvis song, “Love Me Tender.”
She’d started school six weeks ago, with financial help from Angie. Her sister had called the money a gift, whereas Eva insisted it was a loan.
So far she was having the time of her life. She loved it all: the clueless freshmen; the bad food in the dining hall; the studying. Even today’s quiz.
She’d considered living in the dorms, but the cinder-block walls had reminded her of prison. And since she couldn’t afford to take out an apartment near campus, it just made sense to stay at King’s. She still worked three lunch shifts a week and kept King’s books. And she got to see Bobby each day he came home from school.
Staying at King’s also kept her closer to Angie. They’d been doing their best to make amends. Itwasn’t always easygoing but they were managing. With Angie’s help, Eva had petitioned the governor to have her sentence overturned. He’d signed the decree just days ago.
Donovan had survived his injuries, and he told the world what Kristen had confessed to him before she died. The story had gone national and the paper recently reported that he’d inked a book deal.
That had brought more reporters into Eva’s life. She’d refused all interviews, but that hadn’t stopped the chaos from spinning out of control for most of the summer. Finally, in late August, the world had started to forget about Eva.
She pushed through the swinging door and found King frosting cupcakes. Five trays covered the counter. “So who’s having a party?”
“Bobby’s birthday is coming.”
She snuck a spoonful of icing. “Not until next week.”
“But he wanted to have a party at school tomorrow. I told the teacher I’d bake some cupcakes.”
“King, there must be four hundred cupcakes here.”
King frowned down at the army of cakes. “Do you think I made too many? ”
She laughed. “No. Believe me, they’ll get eaten. And whatever is left over you can give to the teachers. They might help smooth out that situation Bobby had on the playground last week.”
Bobby had moved in with King in the spring and had started fourth grade in the fall. He was doing well for the most part. School required extra help from Eva and King, and sometimes the scrapper in Bobby emerged on the playground. As secure as the kid was now, he still got into fights when challenged about his past.
King had hoped when news of Bobby’s paternity was settled, he could begin the adoption process. Maybe then Bobby would feel really at home and the altercations would stop.
Eva took another larger dollop of chocolate icing. Licking the spoon, she couldn’t help but croon her praise. “Wonderful!” She leaned in for another scoop.
“Get out of my icing, girl. I might run out.”
“Not unless you’re planning on making two million more cupcakes.”
Bells on the front door had her pushing through the kitchen door to see who had arrived. It was Garrison. He strode into the room, moving with a swagger that still made her body tight with w
anting when she saw him.
They’d been dating these last six months. They’d both sworn to go slow but hadn’t had much luck with it. She crossed the room and let him fold his arms around her. He kissed her on the lips.
“You taste good,” he said. “Like chocolate.”
She laughed. “You taste good too.”
He kissed her again, letting his lips linger the second time. Slowly, he pulled back. “I received news from Madge this morning about Bobby.”
It took a moment to shake the fog from her brain. “She got the results of the DNA test on Bobby?” They’d needed to prove paternity before King could adopt the boy. If Josiah was his father, then Micah had a claim to the child. “Josiah was not his father. ”
“So the Cross family has no claim on the boy. ”
“None.”
“Do you know who the father was?”
“No. And likely never will, seeing as the boy’s mother and grandmother are dead. Social Services see no reason why King can’t adopt Bobby.”
Eva let out a yelp and hugged him. “You’re the best.”
His grin sparkled in his eyes. “I didn’t do anything. I just delivered the news.”
“You did more than that. I know you pushed things along. ”
“Maybe a nudge.”
Absently, he ran his thumb over her collarbone. Even under the shirt he could feel the rough edge of the scar Sally had left on her skin. He frowned. “You’re one tough gal, Eva. I’m not sure I’ll ever forget that day.”
She captured his fingertips and kissed them. “Eyes forward, Detective Garrison. Eyes forward.”
Deacon smiled, but a ghost of worry had crept into his expression. “I’m working on that.”
She kissed him and smiled. “I’ve had lots of practice. Keeping my eyes on the future. I’ll help you stay focused on what matters.”
“Sally’s trial is slated for November.”
Eva nodded, unable to suppress a shiver. Sally had recovered from her gunshot wound. She had written several letters to Eva, always enclosing an old article from Eva’s trial a decade ago. “The sooner it’s over, the better. What about Micah?”
“We’ve not been able to link a single crime to him.”
“He had to know she was back. Someone had to have been helping her.”