Blood And Bone (28 page)

The vehemence in her words caught Des like a sucker punch to the gut, thrusting the air from his lungs. Oh, he’d known she hated him. She hadn’t exactly hidden her feelings when he’d been a child growing up in this hellhole. But all these years he’d assumed her hatred stemmed from his being the son of the man who’d killed her daughter. He had no idea she viewed him as the catalyst. The reason her daughter was dead.

Des cleared his throat. “That may be, but more than one person has told Shayne you were responsible for vandalizing their home and Robert’s business.”

Her lips curled back from her teeth. “And this is why that bitch thinks I killed my daughter? I would never have hurt my Gwen. Your father killed her because she was leaving him. She was coming back to me, to the life she should have been living. She was coming home.”

If Heddi was telling the truth, she didn’t have a reason to kill his mother. Robert, on the other hand, had every reason.

“When push came to shove,” Heddi continued, stabbing a bony finger at him, “your father couldn’t provide for his family, and when Gwen finally came to that realization, she had no choice but to come home.”

“And vandalizing his business and their house no doubt helped hammer home that particular point.”

She tilted her head and flashed him a faintly coy smile. In her younger days, the expression would have been coquettish, but in her present state it was horrifying. “True, but I needn’t have wasted my money. In the end, her useless first husband did the work for me. I warned her when she married Warren his kind were all the same. Like vermin picking through your garbage. Once they get a taste, they always come back.”

Des frowned. Maybe the implications his mother had been with someone else were true. “He wanted to get back together?”

“No, he wanted more money. She needed to pay him off, or he’d sue her for custody of the children. She came to me for help, and I agreed, provided she’d leave Robert. But that bastard would have rather seen her dead than let me win. At least, I can go to my grave knowing he’s dead—and I hope hell is hot.”

She shouldn’t hope too hard, she’d be there soon enough. “Did you kill him?”

She leaned heavily against the back of the chaise and closed her eyes. “I can hardly stand and walk across the room.”

Des rolled his eyes. “You know what I mean. Did you have the job done?”

“I thought about it. From the moment I learned what had happened to my Gwen. I would have loved nothing more than to wipe any trace of that man’s existence from the planet.” Himself included, no doubt. “But I didn’t get where I am today by making foolish decisions. I wouldn’t risk all I have by arranging his demise.”

She opened her eyes, her black gaze locking with his. “Whoever did do it has my eternal gratitude, though. Now, you said that woman had other suspects in mind.”

Des shot her a knowing smile. In truth, he and Shayne hadn’t discussed anyone else, but letting Heddi think there were others might keep her honest—for a while, at least. “I’ll tell you more when I’m sure you’re keeping your word.”

Her eyes narrowed and she sat up a little. “Don’t play games with me, Desmond. I can make things go very badly for you.”

Christ, like he hadn’t heard that before. He nearly rolled his eyes, but stopped himself. “I’ll throw you one more bone, but that’s it for now. Shayne is also exploring the possibility my mother was involved with another man when Robert murdered her.”

“And where would she have gotten that idea?” Heddi’s bony fingers curled into the thick blankets on the chaise.

“Cal Warren.” His uncle, as well, but Des wouldn’t sell out Ian.

She nodded slowly, her thin lips pursed tightly together. “I’ll deal with him.”

Shit, he should have kept his mouth shut. He hoped he hadn’t cost Shayne a source. He’d have to tell her what he’d done. What if she thought he’d done it on purpose, that he was still helping his grandmother put a stop to her book? Their new trust was shaky. It wouldn’t take much to shatter it.

“Don’t do anything. After the damage Vivian did, getting Shayne to trust me again wasn’t easy. The last thing I need is for you to screw that up.”

“If you think I’m going to sit back and let that stupid girl slander my daughter, imply I had something to do with her death while that murdering bastard, Anderson, was railroaded, you’re in for an unpleasant surprise.”

“For Shayne to do all that, she’d have to finish the book. I’ll see she doesn’t.”

“And how do you plan to do that?”

He shot Heddi a pointed stare.

“You actually believe you’ll be able to stop her from writing this book by sleeping with her?” She let out a dry cackle.

“Look how easily I was able to regain her trust. I’m sure Rose informed you she spent the night with me last night.”

“She did. And Kate informed me you’re quite fond of the writer. So much so, you threatened me.” She leaned forward, eyes narrowed. “Which I didn’t care for.”

“That’s why I’m helping you, to keep Shayne safe.”

She sniffed and waved her hand. “What else do you have to tell me?”

“I think that’s enough for now.” When Heddi opened her mouth to argue, he cut her off. “Don’t worry. By the end of the week Shayne will be gone and the book forgotten.”

“You better be right.” Heddi leaned back against the chaise, and turned her head to the window. “If you double-cross me, I’ll make you pay. And I’ll do it through your writer.”

Shayne sat on Des’s sofa, computer balanced on her lap and fingers flying over the keyboard. She should have been at work on her book—and in a way she was—making a list of people who might have killed Gwen and why. Heddi was still her best suspect. Unfortunately, she still couldn’t come up with a reason why Robert confessed. If she could figure out why the man admitted to a crime he didn’t commit, served twenty-five years without even trying to appeal the verdict, she might be able to figure out who killed Gwen and Christian.

Unless, of course, Robert was guilty all along, and she was a sucker for buying his story.

She sighed, and tapped her finger on the edge of the keyboard. But Robert Anderson was dead, murdered. Coincidence? She couldn’t be sure, and she’d rather rule the possibility out before continuing on with her book.

Why would someone be willing to go to jail for a quarter of a century for something he didn’t do?

Guilt? While he may not have killed his wife and stepson, perhaps Robert believed their deaths were his fault. That didn’t sound right. Granted, she’d only spoken to the man once, but he hadn’t struck her as the martyr type. Especially if Heddra Grey was the killer. Could he have been trying to protect someone? Maybe, but who?

The most obvious choice seemed his own child, and perhaps his stepdaughter. Julia may have seen the killer. Could Robert have gone to prison to somehow protect her? And if Heddra was the murderer, his confession put both children in the woman’s hands.

Of course, Des wasn’t his only son. Shayne sat up a little, slow dawning rolling over her like a wave. He had Sam, the son from his first marriage who was about twelve when the murders occurred. If Robert and Gwen planned to move on with their new family, could Sam have been angry enough to kill?

He might have seen Gwen as the catalyst for his parents’ divorce, the woman who had taken his father from him. And Christian, who was close to the same age as Sam, the son who’d replaced him.

But would Robert have confessed to protect his son? Possibly. He might have even felt some responsibility for his son’s actions.

Shayne dug her Day-Timer and cell phone out of her purse. After a few minutes of scanning the pages of her organizer for the right number, she dialed. The electronic ring sounded in her ear, then Sam Anderson’s low voice instructed her to leave a message.

Voice mail. Figures. She didn’t like her odds that the man would actually bother to call her back, but what choice did she have?

“Mr. Anderson, this is Shayne Reynolds. We spoke the other day. I have some follow-up questions and a few details I’d like to clarify. These are things we could take care of over the phone when you have a free moment. If you could give me a call back, I’d appreciate it.” She rattled off her number, then snapped her phone closed.

Hopefully, he’d call her back, but after meeting the man in person, she had her doubts.

The lock in the door downstairs rattled, and Shayne tensed. Her heart rate kicked up.
It’s Des
. Still, she strained her ears, listening for Tic’s mirth-filled voice.

“Des?” she called.

“Yeah, it’s me.” The low timbre of his voice chased away her swelling anxiety. She let out a slow breath. Paranoia was not a state she enjoyed.

“You okay?” Des asked as he emerged from the stairway. “Your voice sounds funny.”

“I’m fine, just overreacting. I heard from the police earlier. They still haven’t picked up Tic. They went to his house, and his truck was there, but they couldn’t find any trace of him. They figure he’s laying low. One of his pals is probably hiding him. They did manage to find his friend, Norton.”

Des slipped his hands into his jeans pockets and nodded, his gaze distant as if his mind was somewhere else. His skin looked pale beneath the reddish-brown stubble on his cheeks and chin. He hadn’t shaved before going to see his grandmother. “That’s good. Norton has no backbone without Tic. If he knows where Tic is, he’ll tell the police.”

“Maybe. He’s denying anyone paid the two of them to come after me, even though I overheard them talking about it.”

Des snorted and flopped onto the sofa. “Yeah, well, he might be willing to roll on Tic, especially with the pictures to prove it, but he won’t mess with Heddi.”

Shayne sat next to him, struggling to gauge his expression. “How did it go with her?”

“As expected.” He shrugged. “I think she believed me when I told her I wanted to stick with our deal.”

His flat tone fed her growing unease. “That’s good, isn’t it?”

“She knows I care about you. When she realizes I played her, she’s going to go after you to get to me.” He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “I hope we’re not making a mistake.”

“Me too.” But she wasn’t concerned about herself. After all, she doubted there was much Heddra Grey could do to her once she left Dark Water. Unfortunately, Des would be stuck here alone to face the woman’s wrath. But what could she do about that? Her only options were to give up the book like the woman wanted, or pay off Des’s debt, which she couldn’t afford. At least not yet.

In a few weeks, she’d have the money from her condo. Using those funds to pay off Des’s grandmother would mean having to live in her parents’ basement a while longer, but that didn’t matter. She couldn’t leave Des here to face Heddra Grey alone.

Absently, she took Des’s hand in hers. He gave her fingers a squeeze and cracked an eye. “I don’t think she had anything to do with killing my mother or Christian.”

She listened as he relayed his entire conversation with his grandmother, and by the time he’d finished, she was starting to agree with him. Besides her own conclusions about Robert’s willingness to confess, if Heddi was telling the truth, she had no motive.

Shayne stood and started to pace. “That’s interesting about Cal Warren’s trying to shake your mother down for more money. That means half the crap he fed me during our interview was bullshit.”

Des snorted. “Are you surprised?”

“No, not really. You know, he might have even known about Gwen and Robert’s plans to leave. If your mother had planned to disappear, maybe she’d gone to Warren to ask him to give up his rights to the children, which he would only do for a price.” She stopped pacing. “I wonder if he ever got the money.”

“What difference does it make?”

“If Heddi had paid him, Gwen could have planned to leave with Robert, anyway. And as you said yourself, Heddi doesn’t like to be double-crossed.”

Des sighed and sat forward. “Why is it so hard for you to believe Robert killed them?”

She shrugged. “I don’t know. His murder wraps everything up too neatly. I feel like there’s a piece missing here. If we find it, everything will make sense. Maybe I could convince Warren to see me again.”

“Couldn’t you just call him?”

“I could, but I need to pick up my rental car, anyway,” she told him. “Besides, I’d like to see his expression when I tell him I know he lied.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

“Most fathers will do anything to protect their children. This, unfortunately, was not the case for Christian and Julia Warren.”

—excerpt from
Blood and Bone
by Shayne Reynolds

“Ever notice how these houses all look the same? Sure they’re big, but they have zero character.”

Shayne shot Des a quick glance as they climbed Cal Warren’s front steps. An odd flutter tickled her chest. She’d thought the same thing the last time she’d been here.

“Why not have a flashing neon sign that says ‘look how much money we have’?” Des continued. “Actually, a sign might be more subtle than the house.”

She snorted. “Just a little.”

She pressed the button for the bell and waited. The sun glared down from the blue sky, but a chill wind kept the air cool. Still, a thin sheen of perspiration coated her skin, unease tightening her stomach into knots. Warren was not going to be pleased when she told him she knew he was full of crap. Nor, when he saw that she’d brought Robert Anderson’s son with her.

She hadn’t even bothered to try and convince Des not to come. Besides his refusal to leave her side until Tic was apprehended, he was as entrenched in this search for the truth as she was. More so, maybe. This was his family. His past.

The door swung inward and Warren filled the opening. Dressed in a pair of casual khaki pants and a navy golf shirt, the man still appeared stiff and austere. His bright gaze shifted from her to Des and back to her. His thick gray brows drew together, a deep line grooving the flesh between them.

“What is this?” he asked, his voice flat, a hard scowl etched in his face.

He recognized Des and he wasn’t at all happy to see him. She’d have to talk fast, or Warren wouldn’t let them past the front door. “Mr. Warren, thank you for agreeing to meet with me again. This is Des Anderson, he’s been helping me with my research. We only have a few questions to go over. May we come in?”