Mackenzie replied to the text message she had received. Within seconds, Nick walked into the hospital room, with Justin behind him, and arrested Abby for Erica’s murder.
Seventy-Seven
October 15
The concept of “objectivity” was flawed. There was nothing truly objective in the world. Everything was gray. Including justice. Nothing was clean cut. It was roughened with circumstance, luck, and prejudice.
Mackenzie looked at the pictures of Erica, Abby, Daphne, and Chloe clipped to the board. One young woman’s neurotic ambition killed an innocent girl, but brought justice to two other lives and potentially saved many more.
Was it worth it?
Sully’s gigantic head blocked the board. With a satisfied grin, he quipped, “Well, the case is closed. Samuel Perez’s confession has helped. He’ll plead guilty to all the charges. Nathaniel is going to fight it out in court, but I don’t think he’s getting off with the evidence against him. I’m going to buy my mustache a new comb now that this shit is over.”
Lieutenant Peck brooded in a corner, reading the reports Mackenzie and Nick had prepared. If Abby had a decent lawyer, they’d argue that the confession be tossed out of court, as she was still traumatized and on painkillers. But Mackenzie and Nick had proved that there was no evidence that Abby was ever being blackmailed or threatened. They’d also retrieved her backpack at David’s cabin. Inside it, they’d found the missing strap and beads from Erica’s leather band, with her initials on them. They’d fallen off during their fight—and Abby had made the mistake of keeping them. A new forensic technique using advanced spectrometry showed that there was bloodstain on it less than two years old. Mackenzie wondered if Abby’s plan had been to leave the beads in Bill Grayson’s cabin before she was “found” there, to implicate him further in Erica’s murder.
“Good job,” Peck said.
“Thank you,” Nick replied.
Peck licked his lips. “I know I wasn’t the easiest. My loyalty toward Lakemore got in the way of doing the right thing. Samuel was a friend, and I can’t believe he… I’m sorry.”
“Noted,” Nick said curtly and picked up his coffee. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have to explain this entire thing to Mrs. Perez.”
“Dismissed,” Sully said. “Drinks tonight! To celebrate!”
They dispersed out of the room. Mackenzie and Nick headed toward their offices.
“That’s why you spent all that time reading Abby’s journal?” Nick raised an eyebrow.
“Don’t you remember who my favorite detective is?”
“Hercule Poirot.” He grinned. “Psychology. Is that how you learned how to act?”
“I didn’t have a choice.” She waved him off. “I had to get her defenses down by flattering her.”
“Yeah, well, who would have thought she’d go all Gone Girl on us?”
Mackenzie spotted Hannah sitting at one of the benches in the common area and excused herself. She was wearing a baggy sweatshirt and pajamas that fell inches below her ankles. She eyed everyone with suspicion. When she saw Mackenzie, she stood up.
“Please, you don’t have to stand. How’re you doing, Hannah?”
“I… I don’t know. Abby got a lawyer. She’s eighteen, so she’s not really keeping me involved in the process.”
“I’m sorry for everything.”
“I don’t know what happened.” She glued her fingers under her red nose. “She fooled me for an entire year. She manipulated me. I’m trying to understand what she is. I thought that you would… you would know?”
Mackenzie’s chest tightened. It was the first time she had seen Hannah not hide behind hardness and disinterest.
“Please sit down.” She offered her water. “I’m not qualified to make any assessment. I can get you in touch with our forensic psychologist. But in my opinion, your daughter is a sociopath. She’s a narcissist and attention-seeking. But she still deserves justice for what happened to her.”
“Oh, oh, oh, God.” Hannah dropped the cup. Water splashed all over her shoes. But she didn’t care. “I don’t understand how this happened. I… did I do something wrong? Was I not there enough? I know I made some mistakes. I shouldn’t have… shouldn’t have gotten involved with Joe. Is that why?”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t know. I wish I could help you with this.”
She nodded faintly. “Can I sit here for a while?”
“Of course.”
Mackenzie sat with her in solidarity. People walked past them; some shot curious glances. Only Mackenzie seemed to notice. Hannah looked numb and unaware. She remained still. Mackenzie looked at her. What was she thinking? Did she still love Abby? Did she feel guilty for loving her? Or was she scared of her own child?
After a few minutes, Hannah stood up and walked away, stricken, to deal with the remaining scraps of her life.
Through the walls of the office, Mackenzie heard a wail. She didn’t enter the room but pressed an ear against the door. She could hear low but clear voices: Nick placating Gabriella.
“What’s going to happen to her?” Gabriella hissed angrily. “Did you arrest her?”
“We did. She’s been charged with manslaughter, unlawful disposal of remains, and conspiracy, among other counts.”
“I want her to rot in prison for the rest of her life!”
“I understand,” Nick said. “Let’s hope she’s adequately punished for––”
“Let’s hope? What does that mean?”
“She was raped by multiple men, including your husband. This could potentially complicate things in court.”
“How? What is that supposed to mean?”
“The cases shouldn’t influence each other, legally at least, but the jury could sympathize with her, depending on how much they know.”
“But that’s unrelated!” she screeched.
“It is. But lawyers have a way of twisting things. We don’t know what will happen. She suffered a lot and––”
“I don’t give a damn about what happened to her! She probably deser––” She stopped abruptly. “It’s not fair. She’s alive. She has a chance to recover from this trauma and live a long life. My daughter is gone forever. She murdered my child. Where is my justice?”
When Gabriella began to cry uncontrollably, Mackenzie moved away from the door. She took out her phone and dialed Vincent Hawkins’ number.
“Hello, Detective Price? What a surprise,” he said in his rich baritone.
“Remember the favor I owed you for providing me with that useful information?”
“Yes?” He hesitated. “Do you have something for me?”
She huffed. She didn’t like reporters. But she didn’t like being in debt either. “Samuel Perez, Nathaniel Jones, and David Falkner are behind the September murders.” She heard him gasp but continued, “Except for Erica’s.”
“Who was arrested for that? Can you give me anything else? Did any of them confess or did they––?”
“I’m going to cut you off right here, Mr. Hawkins. You’re the first reporter to get this news. I suggest you get on with the story before others catch up. This is all you’ll get from me.”
He chuckled. “Fair enough, Detective Price. Thank you.”
She hung up. Reporters were like vultures. The only person she had mistakably allowed to prey on her was her husband. Notifications for Sterling’s unopened voice messages popped up on her screen.
She took a shuddering breath. Her heart was cinched with grief. She felt it first in the pit of her stomach, something alarming manifesting. Her heart kicked her ribs. She knew what she had to do. She could not delay it anymore.
She was going to confront her husband.
Seventy-Eight
2014
“The first time I saw you, I was convinced you were a robot. I had never seen anyone that confident and expressionless on the stand.”
Mackenzie laughed. Sterling’s large hands enveloped hers. The sight of him on his knees melted her heart.
Nothing was pumping her blood anymore. She was sure it was goo in her chest, making her feel lightheaded.
“But underneath all that, I saw someone who really cared. I saw someone who wanted to do the right thing. I saw someone who constantly fought not just for a better world but also for a better self.” A burst of nervous laughter escaped his plum lips. “I saw someone I want to spend the rest of my life with.”
She held his hands tighter. She looked at them—his soft hands holding her calloused ones. It seemed like a good fit. Like he had been sent into her life to take care of her. She had spent her life polishing her rough edges. Maybe it was him she had needed all this time.
“Mackenzie Eleanor Price, will you marry me?”
Her chest cracked open. “Yes!”
His arms looped around her waist, and he twirled her around. At that moment, she felt safe. She felt like she could have a family without any violence.
Years later, she would wonder if she was in love or just bewitched. If Sterling was real or just an idea.
October 15, 2018
“Mack… I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have talked to you like that in the hospital.”
“I don’t like this, baby. What happened to us?”
“Remember that ice-cream parlor I took you to after you told me that you hated ice-cream? You loved that place. They just shut down. I’m in such a foul mood now.”
“Baby, I’m cooking tonight. What are you in the mood for?”
“Justin told me you were busy chasing some leads. Work is crazy, huh? I hope you’re taking care of yourself.”
“Are you coming home? I’m waiting for you.”
Mackenzie played his messages on a loop on her drive home. She waited for them to provoke something inside her. He had been caring and considerate. The least she should feel was appreciated. But the thought of Sterling would just shut her brain down.
She turned off the engine and got out of her car. She looked at the beautiful house they had built together. The garden she had worked meticulously on. She realized that the lawn had not been mowed. Some of the potted plants had wilted. The weeping willow looked fatigued, stooping too low, desperate to fall.
Gardens gave a clue to what happened behind walls. A lump sat at the base of her throat.
Sterling was in the living room, reading a newspaper.
“Hey, you’re home!” He looked over his shoulder and smiled. “Babe. At least let me know that you’re spending the night at work. I had to hear it from Troy.”
“Yeah. Sorry.”
What should she say first? Blindly, she put away her bag and coat. She felt Sterling’s eyes on her the entire time. She averted her gaze.
“You okay, Mack?” He put the newspaper away. “I heard Nick got hurt. Is he going to be okay?”
She nodded. Her thoughts swam, making her head feel bulky. She looked for something to do, something to clean or fix. But the house was spick and span.
“Why aren’t you looking at me? Are you still mad? I’m so sorry.”
There was no way out. Nothing could distract her. She was cornered. She sunk onto the couch across from him.
“I think you’re sleep deprived. Why don’t you take a nap? When you wake up, we can plan our trip to Victoria.” He waggled his eyebrows. “You thought I’d forgotten, hadn’t you?”
She searched his handsome face. He had shaved. His black hair crowned his head in perfect curls. His light eyes sparkled. If she said it now, everything would change forever. There would be no going back. If she stayed quiet, she could pretend to be ignorant. They could get past it.
“I know you cheated on me.”
Sterling’s face crashed. His lips parted. He stared at her, devastated.
“Are you going to deny it?” she asked. A part of her hoped he would. That Nick had lied about everything. That there was a mix-up at the hotel.
“Did Nick tell you?”
She dug her nails into her palms. “No. The hotel called. Your mistress left her hair straighteners.”
He hung his head low. “Shit, Mack, I––”
“No.” Blood pummeled through her veins, angrily. She was hopping mad. Like a fly trapped in a jar, she had an urge to bash herself against something. “How long did it go on for?”
He looked at her pleadingly. “We don’t have to do this.”
“How long?” she repeated, like she was talking to a child.
“Only two weeks. I ended it.” His neck turned crimson red.
“How many other women have you been with?”
“Mack!” He was stunned. “I… it was a one-time mistake. It meant nothing.”
“That’s what bothers me!” She leaned forward and hissed through clenched teeth. Spit sprayed out her mouth. “You betrayed me for nothing. For fun? That’s how little I meant to you? I thought you’d fallen in love with someone else, Sterling. At least, I would have understood that. But you did this to me for a fling.”
“No! I love you! I only love you.” He was begging.
“Fuck off,” she blurted, and marched away. She felt like a caged animal. She wanted to claw and punch. He followed her and grabbed her elbow. Blood rushed to her head. She spun around and shoved him away. “Stay away from me!”
He stared at her, shocked. He breathed hard and paced back and forth, running his hands through his hair. “Please tell me how to fix this. Please. I will do anything. Anything. I just want you.”
“I don’t believe that.”
“If I didn’t want you, I wouldn’t be here. I would have ended our marriage. But I want you.”
A bitter laugh erupted from her throat. “Oh! You just want to have some occasional fun then? I’m going to sit here while you go around and screw another Samantha Walker for two weeks and then come back to tell me that it was a mistake?” His mouth fell agape. “Of course I know who she is. I’m a cop.”
“We did a million things right.” His voice was thick. “I did one thing wrong. I’m sorry. I feel horrible about it. Just tell me what to do. I will do it.”
“I want to know why. Why did this happen?” she asked flatly. “Was there a real reason? Or could you just not keep it in your pants?”
Tears collected in the corners of his eyes. He sniffled and wiped them away. She had never seen her husband cry. In their six years together, he had not shed a single tear. A part of her wanted to comfort him.
But what had he done to them?
“Do you remember our argument from about four months ago? We had it weeks before I left for the conference.”
Mackenzie remembered clearly.
“I was thinking that maybe we should try? To get pregnant?” Sterling suggested nervously.
“I thought you weren’t very keen on kids. We had this conversation before.”
“Yeah, but that was four years ago.”
“I… I don’t know what to say. I don’t want kids. We talked about this.”
“Come on, Mack. Are you saying never?”
“Yes, I am. Why are you ambushing me with this?”
“I can’t even tell my wife what I want now?”
It had been a long night. He accused her of being insensitive. She accused him of being unfair. For days, there was tension between them. His lips were always pursed in disapproval. His words to her were short and dismissive. She had waited for their fight to blow over. He didn’t want kids before, and he had changed his mind. Surely, he could change it again.
But he hadn’t. Instead, he’d looked at her like she had ripped his heart out.
“You cheated on me because I refused to have kids?” She smacked her palm on the granite island. “Are you kidding me?”
“You have no idea how badly I wanted to be a father! I wanted our children! When you said no, you destroyed me.”
She paced around the kitchen, vibrating. “I didn’t realize that was a deal-breaker for you. You should’ve just left me.”
“I couldn’t!” he shrieked. He fell on a chair, panting. “I was confused. I was
mad at you. I thought you had taken something away from me—the joy of being a parent. I met her at a bar when I was out with my friends. I had a lot to drink. It just… started.”
“You’re such a piece of shit.”
“I made a mistake. I realized I was wrong. It happened so fast. I broke up with her in San Fran. I haven’t seen her since or been in any contact. I swear.”
She didn’t look at him. She couldn’t. She wouldn’t know what to do.
“You won’t even look at me,” he whispered, wounded. “I realized that you were more important to me than anything. I don’t care about children anymore. I saw my life without you in those two weeks, and I did not want it. I’m sorry it took me betraying your trust to figure that out.”
“You really punished me for not wanting kids, didn’t you?” A tear raced down her face. He raised a hand to touch her, but she flicked it away. “Please don’t touch me.”
“Mack…”
“You have to go.”
“No!” His lips quivered. “Please don’t end this.”
“I can’t see you for the next few days. I need you out of my face.”
“How long?”
“I’m tired,” she confessed. “I can’t deal with you. Just get out. You can come back tomorrow when I’m at work to pack your bag.”
Sterling picked up his keys and walked away, defeated. She turned around, refusing to look at him. She felt his gaze burning a hole through her back. Like he was waiting for her to change her mind.
Our Daughter's Bones: An absolutely gripping crime fiction novel (Detective Mackenzie Price Book 1) Page 32