Erik raised his head. “Pick her up?”
“For questioning. She’s an accomplice if she knew what her old man did and kept quiet all this time. I’ve contacted the Boston PD to take the son in for questioning, too. Come on, do you really think it’s a big coincidence that she showed up at your house for a nanny position? I mean what are the odds? Nil to none, I’ll tell you. It must have been guilt that sent her to you.”
“Garret, I wish you’d never come here, today of all days. I wish you’d never told me who killed Cassie.”
Garret tilted his head to one side. “I don’t understand.”
“I’m in love with her. I married her!” He pounded his fist on the desk.
“Oh boy, I didn’t know.”
The last think Erik needed was the pity he heard in the detective’s voice. He turned his back to him, trying desperately to hold back his rage. “Thanks for stopping by,” he said as calmly as he could. “And please, leave his children alone. I know them, and I know they would never be mixed up in anything so horrible. If they’d know, they would have turned him in.”
He couldn’t even thank the man for cracking the two-year old case. This day that should have brought him joy beyond compare had brought him more turmoil than he’d had before.
“I’m sorry,” Garret said again. “I’ll keep you posted with the details.”
When the door closed, Erik cleared his desk with one swipe of his hand.
“No! No! No!” Harsh sobs tore from his throat as he fell to his knees. Misery, far worse than the night Cassie died in his arms, tore away at his guts.
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How could he have been so blind, so stupid, so trusting? How could he have entrusted his happiness and that of his child’s—Cassie’s child—to the very woman whose father had caused them so much grief?
Ice spread through Erik’s stomach. Michelle had told him that her father was dead, then she told him she’d lied, and that she didn’t know where he was. Was she slowly reeling him in, giving him a little bit here and there until she had him in her clutches? She knew it was a possibility her drunken father could have killed Cassie. That’s why she never gave him the entire truth. When was she going to tell him? After the birth of their first child when it was too late to end their relationship?
His body trembled as nauseating despair buried itself in his chest. All the times she said she loved him, all the sweet words she’d poured like hot honey into his ears, now made him sick. He had believed her, trusted her with his love and his child.
That was the ultimate deception.
He closed his eyes as the harsh realities twisted inside him like a sharp knife. He’d given himself to her—heart, body, and soul. The passionate intimate memories that only minutes ago had brought him such joy, now tasted like bitter gall in his mouth. He’d loved her, enjoyed her much more than Cassie.
As night descended upon the town of Manchester, as the stars popped out, one by one, shining brilliantly across the dark canopy of open sky, Erik wept as the blackness that had cloaked his soul for two years returned, hardening his heart toward love and trust and forever. The swell of pain was so powerful, the anguish so acute, he could do nothing but surrender to the sorrow that shattered his soul, his hopes, his dreams.
***
Where could Erik be? Michelle wondered for the millionth time as she paced back and forth in the family room. This morning he’d told her he had something special planned for them tonight, and had even booked a room at a hotel in town. It had been three days since Cape Cod, three days since they made love. She’d been so filled with anxiety that she was barely able to get through the day. She’d dropped Precious off at Felicia’s then hurried back home to pack and get ready for Erik.
It was during that time that her brother had called to let her know that he’d discovered something about their father—something that puzzled him. He’d promised to tell her all about it tomorrow night when he came for dinner.
After hanging up the phone, Michelle had decided that she wasn’t going to wait. She was going to tell Erik everything about her father tonight, and had called to tell him that they needed to talk before leaving for the hotel. She could not let him publicize their marriage with that hanging over her head. She needed to be absolutely honest with him.
He should have been home five hours ago. It was almost midnight, now.
She’d called him several times but he never picked up. Filled with worry, she’d called Felicia a short while ago to see if she’d heard from him. She had, but he’d told her not to speak to Michelle.