“But?” I asked, sensing her hesitation.
She sighed. “The attending doctor was Richard Banner. He was the same doctor who had saved Carol’s life. He checked the birth record book I had signed as the attending nurse and he knew I’d muddled the babies up. Still, he agreed to keep things quiet if I helped him with a few schemes he had going.”
“What kind of schemes?”
“Nothing major at first. He was stealing drugs from the hospital and selling them. My job was the delivery girl. Easy. But things started to get worse. The jobs started to get more difficult.” She shuddered and tears filled behind her lashes. “I hated helping him, but the more I did the deeper I got. I knew I needed out, but I didn’t know how.”
I had to swallow hard to stop the vomit from filling my mouth.
“At the time Paul Pritchard was my savior. He’d found the glitches in the records and confronted Richard. But you see Paul had a soft spot for me, and in exchange for certain services he kept me out of it.”
“What happened to Richard Banner?”
“I never asked but let’s just say he never surfaced again. He was out of my life for good, and everything was great.”
“Until you met your husband.” I’d filled in a few gaps on my own.
“Yes. Until I met my husband.” Adele slumped against the wall. “I wasn’t comfortable with my arrangement with Paul, so I ended it. He was angry, so angry! And when the blackmail came, I figured I deserved it. He had helped me when I needed it and giving him money was far better than giving him...well, you get my drift.”
“So why did you kill him?”
Adele straightened her back, her lips pulled in a tight line. “It should never have come to that.” Tears welled behind her lashes. “I told him I had no more money to give him. But he insisted if I didn’t pay, he was going to tell that reporter of yours everything I’d done. Everything that Banner had done and how I was involved. I’ve been paying that man for over fifty years! I’d pay him and he would go away for a while, but he always came back demanding more. The last time I just couldn’t take it anymore.” She stepped away from me, her voice low. “I picked up that stupid looking cement gnome and I ran at him, hitting him with it as hard as I could. You have to understand,” she said, spinning towards me. “I never intended to kill him. He stumbled backwards and fell down those steps hitting his head on the corner of the wall.”
I stared at her too dumbfounded to speak. How did anyone allow their life to get so out of control? She’d trained as a nurse. They were supposed to help and to heal, yet here she was committing crime after crime in the name of love and protection.
Brooke who’d been quiet up till then burst out laughing. “You should have done that years ago.”
I saw Adele swinging her head around to Brooke and hit her with a deathly stare. “Do you not understand? I didn’t want to hurt anyone! It all started with a stupid mistake. That’s all it was.”
“It’s kind of more than that now though, right?” Brooke nodded towards me and Adele rubbed her hands over her face.
“I just want Matthew to bring me that book. Once I have that I can destroy it and all evidence will be erased.”
“We should have burnt that house down from the start,” added Brooke, her nose scrunched.
“Well, why didn’t you?”
“Look Adele, I know you didn’t want any more violence, but at the time I figured torching that house would have looked suspicious straight after Paul’s death. Plus, I really thought Matt would drop the story after that.”
“I told you that you can’t trust a reporter to keep their noses out of other people’s business,” admonished Adele.
Brooke huffed. “Yeah, I know that now. When he continued checking birth records and asking questions, I thought I could distract him. When he disappeared, I had no idea where he went, so I moved in closer to Molly, dropping tracking devices onto both of them, just to learn what he was up to. After all, if you want to know what a man is really thinking—learn from the woman he’s sleeping with.”
“You do know he was checking records to learn who his father was, right? He wasn’t looking into the story at all.”
“Matt is a smart man. It wouldn’t have taken him long to have traced it all back to me!” yelled Adele. “All I wanted was to protect my family.”
Brooke prickled. “I did everything I could to stop Matt finding his father at every turn, including slashing his tires and stopping any witnesses who would have helped his search. It’s not my fault he accidentally bumped into him.”
Adele released a long-suffering sigh.
“How did you know Matt’s father was the switched baby?” I asked her.
“I didn’t. That was an unhappy coincidence. I just wanted him to stop looking into birth records and his search was driving him to look deeper all the damned time! When he rocked up to Lara needing DNA tests and she’s requesting hospital records I knew that I was in trouble. I’d kept this secret for over fifty years and it comes to haunt me now? No! I’m not having that. My husband is far too important to this town for a scandal like that. And Lara. What would happen to her practice if Westport learned what her mother had done? Now, where is Matt?”
The tension in the room had escalated, both Brooke and Adele focused on their phones, probably checking for communication from Matt.
I had no idea what he was doing, whether he was on his way with the cavalry, or whether he was still caught up with the fire and hadn’t even checked his calls. But what neither Brooke nor Adele had noticed was Tom had woken up.
While I’d kept them talking, he’d crawled across the shed floor and found the bottle of weed killer. Silently communicating with me, he positioned himself in the shadows. Ticking off his fingers he reached three, and I screamed at the top of my lungs causing both women to spin towards me. Tom ran from his hiding place, hitting Brooke in the eyes with the poison before swinging the bottle at Adele’s head. She staggered backwards and I kicked out my leg, tripping her over. She landed with a bang, blood oozing from her head.
Oh my God! I hope she’s not dead!
Tom jumped onto Brooke’s back as she howled and clutched at her eyes. But she was a fighter, flinging him onto his back like a rag doll. She then hit out at him, punching him hard.
Adele moaned and rolled onto her side. Tom was about to be outnumbered.
I cried. Everything was happening too quickly. Fear consumed me, making me want to close my eyes and hide, but I knew what would happen if I did. Brooke wouldn’t hesitate in killing us both. In fact, as she kicked Tom hard in the ribs, I knew without a doubt she would relish watching us die.
I had to do something. I had to stop her. But how? My hands were bound and without them I was hopeless.
The chair I was sitting on was old and rickety and I wondered if I could break it. Getting to my feet, I held my breath and braced myself as I slammed it into the cement flooring. The timber cracked but held together.
Brooke kicked Tom in the stomach as Adele got onto her knees, her eyes locked on the flame thrower. It didn’t take a genius to figure out her thoughts.
I definitely didn’t want to die in a fire. As Brooke ran for a sledgehammer, her mouth in an ugly grimace, I knew it was now or never.
Saying a silent prayer that my babies would be unharmed, I flung the chair backwards landing with a thump. Pain shot through my back as the wood smashed against the force but I was freed from the broken chair. Rolling onto my knees I cried as I got up and ran for Adele.
She’d reached the flame thrower, her hands shaking as she tried to ignite it. But I had too much to live for. I had my babies, I had Matt and I had my family. A crazy woman with a past wasn’t taking that from me.
Lunging at her, I knocked the tool out of her hand as she screamed with annoyance. Regaining my footing, I pulled my shoulder back, clenched my fist and hit her square on the nose. We both heard the crack as blood spurted and she staggered backwards, falling over a bicycle stand
and hitting her head.
My anger boiled as I spun to Brooke. She’d found the sledgehammer and was advancing on Tom and I knew I had to act fast. No time to think. Only a split second to do something. Anything. I hurriedly scanned the room, looking for something that would stop her. I saw a small bin full of saw dust. Hurrying towards it, I picked the bin up and swung its contents in her face.
She coughed, spluttered and screamed, but it slowed her down enough for Tom to gain his footing. I saw him grab the wrench and as he threw it, it hit her square in the face.
Her eyes widened before she fell to the floor, silent.
Epilogue
“Mum, please stop fussing,” I begged as she tucked the blanket a little bit tighter around me.
“You just wait until you have these babies and then tell me to stop fussing,” she snapped. “You never stop fussing over them. No matter how old they are or how much trouble they seem to get themselves into.”
It was a busy night at the Westport General and we’d just added to the chaos. The smell of antiseptic and blood clogged my sinuses as the sounds of police radios crackled outside my cubicle.
“I’m sorry I worried you, but the doctor has already told us that everything is okay with me and the babies. It’s over now. You can relax.”
“Can I? Can I really? After all, both you and Lizzie have had a turn. When is Danny going to nearly get himself killed?” She was bordering hysteria and I discreetly pressed my buzzer to call for the nurse. Hopefully, they could give her something to calm her down.
“Don’t bring me into this,” huffed Danny, his look indignant as Andrew tensed beside him.
“And how many times do I have to apologize?” asked Lizzie, looking freaked to be standing in the ER once again. Riley put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close against him, kissing her just above the ear.
“I keep telling you I don’t want your apologies. I just want you to stay safe!” yelled mum throwing her hands in the air.
Grandma Mabel shuffled in behind her, taking her arm and leading her to the nearest chair. “Come on, Nelle. This isn’t good for your blood pressure. You’ll have a stroke if you’re not careful.”
Mum allowed herself to be led, then sat with her head in her hands. My heart broke a little for what she’d been through, but as I’d already pointed out, it was hardly my fault. I hadn’t asked for Adele to turn out to be a psycho.
I had asked Ed what had happened to both Adele and Brooke, and apparently, they were being treated in another ward. Brooke was getting her head scanned and Adele was having her broken nose taped. He congratulated me on my right hook, before informing me that the gold charm found next to Harper in my apartment, matched a broken link on the bracelet Brooke wore. It seemed she had no way to deny she was in my apartment that day.
Tom had been taken to get a scan to ensure his skull wasn’t fractured. When Brooke had decided he made a good scapegoat, she’d hit him hard. Too hard. But I was assured he was going to be okay and the good news was neither of us had died in a shed fire.
Matt took my hand and held it between both of his. It turned out Brooke wasn’t a very good kidnapper as he’d never received the message from her to bring the diary before she’d start to cut off my appendages. When I’d run into Tom’s house to call for help, Matt and Ed had jumped into action and had arrived on the scene within ten minutes, bringing the cavalry with them. Ed had been amazing. As his constables secured the area, he cuffed both Brooke and Adele before providing both Tom and I immediate medical attention while we waited the few minutes for the paramedics to arrive.
Upon seeing me, Matt had cried like a baby. But then that could have been me. Oh, who knows. All I knew for sure was there were a lot of tears and neither of us cried like a lady. He now held me so tight I feared he’d cut off my circulation.
Dad ambled towards me, one hand shoved deep into his pocket. He was paler than usual and had a look resembling a kangaroo stuck in headlights.
“So, I’m not really following what happened tonight,” he said, scratching his whiskers. “I understand what that woman Adele did, but I don’t understand how you’re a part of this, Matt?”
Oh oh.
Mum and grandma both snapped their heads in Matt’s direction, obviously not understanding either. Danny, Andrew, Lizzie and Riley all silently slinked from the area. Not that I blamed them. I, too, would have run away from this conversation if I’d had the chance.
“Ummmm,” Matt stalled for time, his face searching mine as he tried to find the right words.
“This is better coming from me,” I whispered to Matt. He didn’t argue. Instead he took a step backwards so that Dad and I had a better view of one another. He did however, continue to hold my hand, filling me with his strength.
I took a deep breath and started to retell the entire tale. When I’d finished the only sound that could be heard within my cubicle was Grandma Mabel’s teeth clicking as she swished them around.
“Dad, are you okay?”
He didn’t respond, instead he stared at the floor, the color draining from his face.
The nurse responded to my call and arrived just in time as dad turned completely white and then fainted at the foot of my bed.
****
Once Dad had been wheeled off to his own cubicle, my mum and grandma decided that he needed them more, and my siblings decided that now they knew I was safe it was okay for them to go home. That left Matt and I in blissful silence.
“What a night,” he said on a breath.
“You never told me what happened when you told Ed about our B and E.”
“My B and E,” Matt reminded me. “And at this stage nothing is going to happen.”
“He’s not going to arrest you?”
“No. I’m going to co-operate with what I know in exchange for me staying on his good side.”
I smiled, and relaxed back onto the pillow, as Matt’s phone dinged in his pocket.
Reading the message, he laughed. “Sam went to your place and found Harper sitting in the dark on your handbag. Apparently, he was doing a very good job of protecting it and Sam had to bribe him with treats to get him to stop growling. He’s now at Sam’s being spoiled rotten.”
I smiled, loving Harper just that little bit more and closed my eyes, the events of the night filling me with fatigue. I was just drifting into a peaceful sleep when I heard the curtain swish open and high heels clicked the short distance to my bed.
“Hello Matt, Molly.” The soft tones of Lara Jenkins made me sit up straight and pay attention. “Before you say anything, I know I’m the last person you probably want to see right now, but please let me say what I came here to say.”
Her tone was pleading and both Matt and I nodded for her to go on.
“I’ve heard what my mother did. What she did all those years ago, what she did to keep the whole disgusting affair quiet, and what she did to you tonight, Molly. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything my family has put you through. Mum will face the consequences of her actions, but she can’t erase the pain she has caused you and I don’t know what to do to make it right.”
“You don’t have to do anything,” I said to her. “The actions of others aren’t your responsibility.”
She nodded. “You probably don’t want me as your obstetrician anymore.”
Hmmm, she was probably right. No matter what my feelings towards her were, I just wouldn’t feel comfortable around her anymore.
“I can recommend that you see my colleague Kylie. She’s an amazing doctor and will look after you.”
“Thanks.”
“With your permission I’ll have your file transferred to her first thing in the morning.”
“Thanks again. And I am sorry about how this whole thing turned out,” I added.
“Me too. Yours would have been a fun pregnancy to follow. Good luck with it all. Your babies are very lucky to have you both as parents.” She smiled and made her way out of the cubicle. Before she disapp
eared though, she popped her head back around the curtain.
“I almost forgot to tell you,” she added with a smile. “Your DNA test results came back, Matt, and I compared them to Carol. You probably already know this, but it proved that you’re not related.”
I had already learned this information, but to have it confirmed lifted the final weight from my shoulders. As her heels clicked her from my life, I turned to Matt, tears of happiness stinging.
“Great news, hey?”
His grin matched mine. “This pregnancy has been one heck of a rollercoaster and you’re not even out of the first trimester yet.”
I still had to tell Matt about Tom and his crush on me. And how because of it he was made scapegoat to take the fall for our murders. Oh boy. I just hoped the second trimester was a lot more relaxing than the first.
Would you like to know where it all began? Why not check out the first books in The Westport Mysteries? On sale now!
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Does Grandma really know best?
Gracie Saunders loves her job at The Ivory Veil Bridal Boutique. She loves matching the prefect dress to the perfect bride, and she loves how the veil can show a woman what a bride really looks like.
But when the one man she hates buys the boutique, and then reveals a hidden secret, suddenly her life is turned upside down.
To complicate things, there’s a long-standing family feud raging between their families.
Can Gracie solve the family feud? Can she find the truth behind the secret?
Or will she find herself unemployed?
Just when you think you hate someone, life turns everything on its head.
Wicked Little Lies- Molly Page 20