“No.” I shook my head. I wasn’t funny. Not at all.
“What?”
I hit the volume on my phone, making sure it was the highest it could go, then I turned to her and said, “What did you mean when you said Marcus didn’t choose those girls?”
“Because I did.”
Oh my god.
I started to fall back, but my fingers curled around the seat and held on. I had to keep going. I had to get all of it from her. “What do you mean by that?”
She laughed, but then it ended on a serious note, a bone-chilling note. “You know why, Sheldon.” A gleam entered her eyes. “Why don’t we discard the bullshit. You know who I am.”
There it was.
I said, “You killed Grace?”
She nodded.
“Why?”
A sad smile flittered across her face, and she let out a soft sigh. “Because she had to go. I always knew. It was hard, though, like I knew it would be.” A tear fell from her eye, and she let it trickle all the way to her chin. She never touched it. “I loved her and for a while I thought I wouldn’t have to, but that night she confessed. I couldn’t put it off any longer. I had to do it.”
“You had to kill her? Why?” The last question ripped from me.
She frowned. “You really don’t get it?”
“Get what?”
“Our parents. They were best friends, Sheldon. My dad, did Denton never talk to you about him? How he hated me? How my parents got a divorce and stopped hanging out with yours?” She frowned, shaking her head. “Do you really not get it?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I have to protect you. It’s my job.”
“Bu—what? Why?”
She laughed, and I held onto my chair. I knew then I would remember that laugh for the rest of my life. It wound its way down my spine, and a shiver went through my body.
Nothing would be the same. I knew it. Whatever she was going to say next, there would be no undoing it.
Then she said, almost laughing as she did, “I’m your sister, Sheldon.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
I didn’t move. I didn’t think. I didn’t breathe.
Then it all started coming at me at the same time. When Denton told me, “Our parents are a joke. My dad’s always hated her. Our mom’s never had the time for her. She’s only got me.”
When my dad had snorted. “He grew up next door. His folks were best friends with Sharon and me.” He shuddered. “That was a big mistake.”
When Denton had confided in me so long ago, in high school. “Mena has been . . . awful lately. I don’t know what’s going on with her. She just is angry and she takes it out on everyone. Dad’s called me three times this weekend to come over because he can’t handle her anymore.”
I choked out, “What?”
Denton’s voice haunted me again. “Our dad won’t have anything to do with us, well, with Mena. He’ll talk to me as long as I don’t bring her up. How’s that for father of the year, huh?”
“I’m your sister. Neil’s my real dad.” She let out a breath and rolled her eyes. “My mom and Neil had an affair. That’s why my dad has hated me all my life. You’re so funny. You never realized that? I mean, we were neighbors. They were best friends. It makes sense in some warped way, but that’s why. We’re sisters. No one else can threaten our relationship. I’ll protect you. I will. Corrigan and I will protect you now. It’s both of our jobs.” She rolled her eyes. “If he wouldn’t be such a dick all the time, he wouldn’t be so bad.”
My heart kept thudding against my chest. This was a nightmare that I had woken up to. It wouldn’t leave. “Our relationship?”
“You and me. Sisters. Friends. That’s why Leisha and Bailey had to go.”
I couldn’t swallow. “And Grace?”
“Duh. Yeah. You and she had that falling out because of the stupid sorority, but she called me that night. I knew you cared about her, but I couldn’t let her hurt you again.”
“So you went over there?” My tongue felt like lead, weighing me down. I couldn’t believe any of this.
“I went over there. We had a glass of wine and then . . .” She stopped, closing her eyes for a moment. “They never told you how she died?”
I couldn’t believe I was having this conversation. It was wrong. It was surreal. It shouldn’t have ever happened, but I asked, knowing I needed it to be told in case my mother was actually recording it. “No. They never did.”
I heard the detective’s voice in my head again. “As for the DNA, yours wasn’t enough of a match.”
“I poisoned her.”
Oh my god. I drew in a shuddering breath. I couldn’t talk for a moment.
Mena said further, “I had Marcus kill the others. I told him to do what he pleased. He and I—we bonded over you. I never told him you were my sister. I just said we were close and it was meant to be. He thought the same thing, but, you know, in a very different way. That’s why he stabbed Corrigan. You were right, by the way.”
Oh. Joy. Was I?
“He was going to kill Corrigan and Bryce no matter what. You were right in killing him, and I overheard you and Bryce. I know the two of you set him up. I don’t blame you. He was really sick. He would’ve killed me too. He was so possessive of you. I recognized it early on. I knew that eventually he would come for me. He wouldn’t be willing to share, but I will. I know you love Corrigan, and I’m okay with it. It’s a different relationship that you have with him versus me. I’ve always understood that. Corrigan and Bryce were your fiercest protectors. No one deserves you, but they protected you. For that, I’ve always been thankful to them, but I’m your sister. It’s my job to take care of you too. I won’t let anyone hurt you. I promise.”
“That’s why you killed Grace? And had Bailey and Leisha killed? They were female friends?”
“Well, yeah. They couldn’t have that sisterly bond. They would’ve tried. I mean, come on, Sheldon. I know they would’ve tried. They were thirsty to be close to you, but they would’ve done what everyone does.”
They weren’t. They so weren’t. Tears started falling free from my eyes. I couldn’t stop. I was afraid to ask. “What does everyone do?”
“What?”
I hit the volume on my phone, making sure it was the highest it could go, then I turned to her and said, “What did you mean when you said Marcus didn’t choose those girls?”
“Because I did.”
Oh my god.
I started to fall back, but my fingers curled around the seat and held on. I had to keep going. I had to get all of it from her. “What do you mean by that?”
She laughed, but then it ended on a serious note, a bone-chilling note. “You know why, Sheldon.” A gleam entered her eyes. “Why don’t we discard the bullshit. You know who I am.”
There it was.
I said, “You killed Grace?”
She nodded.
“Why?”
A sad smile flittered across her face, and she let out a soft sigh. “Because she had to go. I always knew. It was hard, though, like I knew it would be.” A tear fell from her eye, and she let it trickle all the way to her chin. She never touched it. “I loved her and for a while I thought I wouldn’t have to, but that night she confessed. I couldn’t put it off any longer. I had to do it.”
“You had to kill her? Why?” The last question ripped from me.
She frowned. “You really don’t get it?”
“Get what?”
“Our parents. They were best friends, Sheldon. My dad, did Denton never talk to you about him? How he hated me? How my parents got a divorce and stopped hanging out with yours?” She frowned, shaking her head. “Do you really not get it?”
“What are you talking about?”
“I have to protect you. It’s my job.”
“Bu—what? Why?”
She laughed, and I held onto my chair. I knew then I would remember that laugh for the rest of my life. It wound its way down my spine, and a shiver went through my body.
Nothing would be the same. I knew it. Whatever she was going to say next, there would be no undoing it.
Then she said, almost laughing as she did, “I’m your sister, Sheldon.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
I didn’t move. I didn’t think. I didn’t breathe.
Then it all started coming at me at the same time. When Denton told me, “Our parents are a joke. My dad’s always hated her. Our mom’s never had the time for her. She’s only got me.”
When my dad had snorted. “He grew up next door. His folks were best friends with Sharon and me.” He shuddered. “That was a big mistake.”
When Denton had confided in me so long ago, in high school. “Mena has been . . . awful lately. I don’t know what’s going on with her. She just is angry and she takes it out on everyone. Dad’s called me three times this weekend to come over because he can’t handle her anymore.”
I choked out, “What?”
Denton’s voice haunted me again. “Our dad won’t have anything to do with us, well, with Mena. He’ll talk to me as long as I don’t bring her up. How’s that for father of the year, huh?”
“I’m your sister. Neil’s my real dad.” She let out a breath and rolled her eyes. “My mom and Neil had an affair. That’s why my dad has hated me all my life. You’re so funny. You never realized that? I mean, we were neighbors. They were best friends. It makes sense in some warped way, but that’s why. We’re sisters. No one else can threaten our relationship. I’ll protect you. I will. Corrigan and I will protect you now. It’s both of our jobs.” She rolled her eyes. “If he wouldn’t be such a dick all the time, he wouldn’t be so bad.”
My heart kept thudding against my chest. This was a nightmare that I had woken up to. It wouldn’t leave. “Our relationship?”
“You and me. Sisters. Friends. That’s why Leisha and Bailey had to go.”
I couldn’t swallow. “And Grace?”
“Duh. Yeah. You and she had that falling out because of the stupid sorority, but she called me that night. I knew you cared about her, but I couldn’t let her hurt you again.”
“So you went over there?” My tongue felt like lead, weighing me down. I couldn’t believe any of this.
“I went over there. We had a glass of wine and then . . .” She stopped, closing her eyes for a moment. “They never told you how she died?”
I couldn’t believe I was having this conversation. It was wrong. It was surreal. It shouldn’t have ever happened, but I asked, knowing I needed it to be told in case my mother was actually recording it. “No. They never did.”
I heard the detective’s voice in my head again. “As for the DNA, yours wasn’t enough of a match.”
“I poisoned her.”
Oh my god. I drew in a shuddering breath. I couldn’t talk for a moment.
Mena said further, “I had Marcus kill the others. I told him to do what he pleased. He and I—we bonded over you. I never told him you were my sister. I just said we were close and it was meant to be. He thought the same thing, but, you know, in a very different way. That’s why he stabbed Corrigan. You were right, by the way.”
Oh. Joy. Was I?
“He was going to kill Corrigan and Bryce no matter what. You were right in killing him, and I overheard you and Bryce. I know the two of you set him up. I don’t blame you. He was really sick. He would’ve killed me too. He was so possessive of you. I recognized it early on. I knew that eventually he would come for me. He wouldn’t be willing to share, but I will. I know you love Corrigan, and I’m okay with it. It’s a different relationship that you have with him versus me. I’ve always understood that. Corrigan and Bryce were your fiercest protectors. No one deserves you, but they protected you. For that, I’ve always been thankful to them, but I’m your sister. It’s my job to take care of you too. I won’t let anyone hurt you. I promise.”
“That’s why you killed Grace? And had Bailey and Leisha killed? They were female friends?”
“Well, yeah. They couldn’t have that sisterly bond. They would’ve tried. I mean, come on, Sheldon. I know they would’ve tried. They were thirsty to be close to you, but they would’ve done what everyone does.”
They weren’t. They so weren’t. Tears started falling free from my eyes. I couldn’t stop. I was afraid to ask. “What does everyone do?”
