On the Line (35 page)

“No,” Janelle’s voice cracked and she took a step toward Nathan as they eased him,
handcuffed, backward down the steps. He shook his head once and she froze.

Bonner finished his recitation and looked squarely at George. “Think again, old man.
These two are going to pay for their crimes. They’re sleeping with your daughters,
so I’m sure your interest in their freedom is too personal. There’s nothing you can
do about it.” He turned back to his dark car as Nathan and Patrick were each escorted
toward a separate police car.

Janelle watched as the officers closed the back doors of the cars then climbed in
the front. She grew weaker as, not having the space to go around George and Nathan’s
vehicles, the cars made three point turns until they were
facing in the other direction.
The women’s quiet sobbing was uncontrollable as the cars drove away into the night.

Janelle saw movement in the dark and squinted.

Just beyond the border of the light from the porch, she saw a person. Several of
them, actually, all holding what looked like cameras in their hands. Her stomach
plummeted, and she thought she might be sick when she realized that the arrests had
all been captured by the photographers.

“Well, shall we go inside?”

Twenty-Five

Janelle blinked slowly as she recovered the ability to move and turned to face her
mother.

“What did you say?” she asked, deliberately pausing between each word.

“We should go inside. It’s getting chilly,” Mary stated, either ignoring the tautness
in Janelle’s voice or completely missing it.

Zoe squirmed a little as Janelle narrowed her glare on her mother’s calm face. “Is
that all you can say? Really? Did you not just see Patrick and Nathan get arrested?”

“Of course I saw it, Janelle. I was standing right here.” Mary folded her arms across
her chest. “It’s refreshing to see Richard finally get some justice.”

“Refreshing!” Kelsey’s angry steps echoed across the porch as she stormed to Janelle’s
side, Zach still held tight in her arms, her eyes, cheeks, and nose still red and
damp. “You insensitive, uncaring bitch!”

Mary’s jaw dropped as she fell back a step.

“Richard got his justice when he took a bullet in the chest,” Janelle snapped. “What
happened tonight is not justice. Those two men were just arrested for a crime we
all know they didn’t commit. Aside from Dad, Patrick and Nathan are the most important
men in our lives.”

“That would be your problem, not mine,” Mary snapped.

“Once again, Mother, your concern for our happiness is underwhelming.”

“Your happiness?” Mary scoffed. “Janelle, how many times have I told you that if
you’re unhappy, you have no one to blame but yourself ?”

“I’m not sure.” Janelle rolled her eyes. “I lost count.”

“Don’t give me that attitude,” Mary snapped. “Your husband is dead, and you continue
on as if nothing happened.”

“I’m well aware of what happened to
my husband
,” Janelle said with a curl
of her
lip. “How could I forget when you’ve reminded me of it every time you’ve visited
since he died?”

“Someone has to.” Mary glared at Kelsey for a moment then turned her focus back to
Janelle. “I feel like I’m the only person in this family who cares that Richard is
gone.” She narrowed her eyes. “I just want to know if you feel any remorse, Janelle,
for driving your husband to the grave at such a young age.”

“He did that to himself !” Janelle roared as she took two steps forward.

“Zach, Zoe, please go inside,” George said calmly from behind Janelle.

Zoe wriggled to the ground, and Janelle watched her scamper into the house. Kelsey
slowly lowered Zach to the floor and he followed his sister, pausing when he reached
the door. He turned and looked at his grandmother as he pulled his shoulders back.

“I care that he’s gone, Grandma,” Zach said softly, and Janelle’s heart sank.

She heard Mary’s triumphant sniff and turned to see the smirk on her lips.

“I’m glad that we don’t have to be afraid of him anymore, and I’m happy to see mommy
smile more,” he added, and the screen door closed silently.

Janelle watched the glee on her mother’s face fade as her eyes widened and her lips
curled into a scowl. Kelsey appeared at Janelle’s side, and George moved into the
group as well, positioning himself against the wall between his daughters and his
wife.

Mary’s mouth opened and closed, making her look like a fish out of water. “What have
you been telling him?” she sputtered when she finally found her voice.

“I haven’t needed to tell him anything, Mom,” Janelle replied. “Richard took care
of Zach’s final impressions of him by kidnapping him and shooting Kelsey.”

“Or it could be the bruise he left on Zach’s arm at Thanksgiving,” Kelsey said flippantly.

“True.” Janelle nodded at her sister. “Or the broken wrist he left him with in the
cabin.”

“Excellent point,” Kelsey agreed then glared at her mother. “Or the
handprint he
left on my arm in December. Or the black eye Janelle had when she moved into my house.”

“Or any number of the bruises he left on me before we moved out, those could have
influenced Zach’s opinion of Richard.” Janelle folded her arms across her chest and
narrowed her eyes on Mary. “Put your blame where it truly lays, Mother, and not on
Kelsey or me.”

“I told you how to prevent that, did I not?” Mary pulled herself up to her full height,
almost eye level with Janelle. “I told you to keep your husband happy and he wouldn’t
hit you. You chose to ignore my advice, you broke your marriage vows, and you got
punished for it.”

“What did you just say, Mary?” George stepped away from the wall and stopped beside
his wife. “Janelle deserved to be abused by her husband?”

Mary’s eyes widened on George’s face. She shook her head slightly. “I didn’t—”

“Yes, you did,” he snapped. “Keep him happy and he won’t hit you. Is that what you
taught her?”

“I . . .” Mary stuttered.

“Yes,” Janelle answered simultaneously. George gave her a dark look, and Janelle
shrunk back.

He looked back at Mary and scowled. “Was that your takeaway from your childhood?
Did you honestly think your father only hit your mother when she’d done something
wrong? How could you be so naïve? Or give our daughter such misguided advice?”

“It was not misguided,” Mary snapped. “It’s worked for me.”

George’s face turned red. “It hasn’t worked for you. You haven’t needed it to work
for you. I am
not
your father!”

“I never said you were.” Mary fell back a step as she turned her horrified face to
her husband.

“You clearly thought it,” George barked then turned to Janelle. “And how could you
believe her?” Janelle’s cheeks warmed as he looked at Kelsey. “Did she tell you the
same thing?”

Kelsey looked at her father’s feet and bobbed her head.

George was silent for a moment. “Tim?” he asked and Kelsey flinched. “Did you try
to use it with him?”

Kelsey nodded again as she looked up at him.

“It’s still good advice, she obviously just didn’t do it right,” Mary argued. “Or
we wouldn’t be in this mess.”

“This is hardly my fault,” Kelsey hissed.

“Isn’t it?” Mary looked relieved to be able to turn her anger on her youngest child.
“If you’d done what you were supposed to do, Richard wouldn’t have needed to adopt
your son, and everything would have been fine.”

“Mary, that’s enough!” George bellowed. “I have had it with you letting Richard off
the hook. He was responsible for his own actions.”

“But, George, dear—”

“No!” His eyes bulged as he glared at his wife. He raised his arm and pinched the
bridge of his nose as he took a few deep breaths. “First things first,” he said calmly.
“Your father was an angry, abusive alcoholic. Your mother feared him. She feared
not being perfect for him, but no amount of perfection
ever
spared her from his anger.”

“At least she tried,” Mary snapped. “Janelle—”

“Is not your mother.” George folded his arms across his chest. “But Richard was your
father. And no amount of perfection or coddling or surrender from her would have
stopped him from drinking.”

“You don’t—”

“Mary!” George took a step toward her and she stepped back into the rail. “There
is never any excuse for a man to hit your daughters. Ever! Is that clear?”

Mary wrapped her arms around her waist and nodded.

George looked at his daughters and frowned. Janelle suddenly felt like she was back
in middle school and had to fight the urge to run into the house.

“Didn’t you girls realize her advice wasn’t sound?” he asked, glaring at each of
them in turn.

“Maybe,” Kelsey muttered.

Janelle shrugged as she looked at the floor. “As we got older.”

“Don’t you trust me enough to come to me for help when you need it?” George’s feet
came into Janelle’s vision as his hand reached her chin. He lightly lifted it so
she had to look at him. “You should have told me sooner what he was doing.”

Janelle’s lower lip quivered and her eyes filled with tears. “I’m sorry, Dad. I didn’t
want to bother you.”

“You could never be a bother.” George smiled at them both then kissed them each on
the forehead. “It’s what I’m here for. Always.”

Kelsey looped her arm through Janelle’s and stepped closer to her as George turned
back around to face Mary. She’d been watching him with a mixture of fear and disgust
on her face.

“These girls have been through enough following your advice. Unless they come to
you, and I don’t see why they would, you will not give them anymore of your ‘
help.
’”
George walked two steps toward Mary. “They’ve had bad experiences, they’ve learned
from them, and their chances at finally finding happiness were just falsely arrested.”

“You don’t know that,” Mary snapped. “Patrick may have very easily pulled the trigger.”

“After he saved your grandson’s life.” George’s tone rose in volume and Mary cowered.
“And he ended up saving Kelsey’s life, too. You forget that Richard was determined
to die in that cabin and he very nearly took our daughter and grandson with him.
You should be thanking Patrick every day for saving them.”

“I will not.” Mary pulled her shoulders.

“That’s your choice, Mary. But if Kelsey chooses not to allow you in her life, or
even into her house, I will back her decision,” George said calmly. “The same goes
for Janelle if you can’t support her relationship with Nathan.”

“How can you do that? I’m your wife,” Mary whined.

“You leave me no choice.” George gripped his hands behind his back. “I have a feeling
there is more that I don’t know—more that you have kept from me.” He looked over
his shoulder at Janelle and Kelsey. “More that I will find out over the next few
weeks.”

Janelle swallowed and nodded her response to her father’s command.

“Right now, I’m taking you home and then I’m going to the police station to see what
I can do for Patrick and Nathan.” He reached out and laid his hand on Mary’s back.
“Girls, I will keep you posted. Kelsey, you may want to call Patrick’s family. Janelle,
please call Mason or Nancy. I’ll wait for them at the station.” He slowly walked
Mary down the steps. “Give the kids a kiss from Grandpa.”

“We will,” Janelle called as she and Kelsey walked to the top step on the porch.
She watched George open their mother’s car door then close it after she was in the
car. He walked around to the driver’s side, climbed in, and they were off.

Kelsey turned and went back into the house and Janelle let her gaze rest on Nathan’s
truck. She hoped it wouldn’t have to sit here without its owner for too long. She
wasn’t sure what she’d do if Nathan had to spend time in prison for Richard’s death.
It was like a nightmare coming true. She hugged her body against the sudden chill
as she turned and followed her sister into the house.

McClane greeted her as she closed the door. She sat on the bottom step and rubbed
the dog’s head. “He’ll be back soon,” she cooed to the animal and hoped her words
were true.

“Janelle,” Kelsey said softly from the top of the stairs.

Janelle looked up and saw the trouble in Kelsey’s eyes.

“Could you come up here please?”

Janelle nodded as she rose then slowly climbed the steps. When she’d reached the
top, Kelsey put her back to the wall and pointed toward Zach’s room. Janelle followed
her sister’s directions and walked down the hall. When she reached Zach’s door, she
stopped and looked in on him.

He had his suitcase on the floor and was standing at his dresser, pulling clothes
out, and tossing them onto his bed. Janelle frowned slightly at the sight.

“What are you doing?” she asked as she walked into the room.

“Packing,” Zach answered as he continued to toss clothes onto the bed.

Janelle walked into the room and moved some of the clothes out of the way so she
could sit at the foot of the bed. “Why are you doing that?”

“Don’t we have to move?” Zach looked at her, his cheeks damp, his eyes wide with
fear.

Janelle shook her head and opened her arms. “No, sweetie,” she soothed as he came
into her arms and laid his head against her chest. “Why would you think that?”

“We moved here when . . .” he began. Janelle looked down and saw his lips twisted
in thought. He looked up at her. “Do I have to call him Dad anymore?”

Janelle’s lips lifted slightly and she shook her head. “Do you remember what Andrew
told you?”

“To call him what I feel like I should call him,” Zach said quietly.

“So, if you don’t feel like calling him Dad, you don’t need to,” Janelle replied
as she pulled him onto her lap.

“Good,” Zach whispered.

“Why are you packing?” Janelle repeated her earlier question.

“We moved here when . . .
he
was arrested and taken away.” Zach began scratching
at his jeans. “I just thought we’d have to move since Patrick and Nathan were arrested.”