“You’re sure, huh?” Judith puckered her lips, and deep lines formed. “How can you be so sure?”
Rachel’s anger rose, and her voice grew tight. “Because they weren’t terrible people. They would never have hurt anyone, and if they’d known about the dead girl, they would have come forward and told the truth.”
Judith snorted. “Right. And risk exposing themselves as child snatchers? I doubt it.”
Avery stayed silent but reached for Rachel’s hand to lend support.
“Why does it matter to you now?” Rachel asked. “You never wanted me in the first place, so you should have been happy when I disappeared.”
“Disappeared? You mean when you were murdered.” Judith moved forward in her chair. “The day you supposedly died was the beginning of the end for our family. Your brother was blamed and went to prison. Your father left after that. And then I find out you’ve been alive all these years while your brother is rotting in prison. Don’t you care at all about what you did to this family?”
“I was eight years old. I didn’t have much choice in what happened to me,” Rachel said, raising her voice.
Judith sat back again. “You’re not eight now. Are you telling me that in thirty-five years, you never once wondered what had happened to your family? You never saw a newspaper or a news program? How could you not have known?”
“I didn’t,” Rachel said, calmer. “When I was little, we didn’t have a television, and they didn’t have newspapers around. As I grew older, I had no interest in the news. I really had no idea that all this had happened until I grew curious about my family last week and typed my old name into the computer.”
“Well,” Judith said, her voice dripping with contempt. “You’re thirty-five years too late.”
Silence swelled between them. Rachel glanced at Avery, and he squeezed her hand. Finally, she turned back to Judith. “You weren’t my real mother, were you? Aunt Julie was my biological mother.”
Judith shook her head slowly. “No. I wasn’t your mother. And I never wanted to be your mother. It was all dropped on me by my selfish sister.”
Rachel tensed. She’d felt her mother’s contempt toward her all those years ago, but now she knew it was true. “Why did you adopt me then?”
“Because, as usual, I really had no choice.” Judith sneered. “My whole life, I was always supposed to look out for my baby sister, Julie. When my father died, I had to stay home after school every day to babysit her while my mother worked. After high school, my mother never offered to pay for college for me. So, I went to beauty school instead because that was all I could afford. But Julie got to go to college. My mother raved about how Julie was the smart one. Well, I was smart too. And I was definitely too smart to get myself pregnant before marriage like she did.”
“Why didn’t she keep me?” Rachel asked, her heart aching at the thought that Julie hadn’t wanted her back then.
“There was no way your grandmother would’ve paid for Julie to finish college if she’d known she was pregnant. By then, our mother had remarried and moved to San Francisco, so she didn’t see us very often. Julie was going to school in Sacramento, and I was married and living here. Julie begged me to take the baby and tell mom it was mine. I didn’t want to—I already had Keith, and I didn’t want any more children—but your father talked me into it. He said it would be nice to have another baby in the house. Hmph! Maybe for him, because he was gone half the time, but for me, it only meant more work.”
“But Gordon Scott was my father, wasn’t he?” Rachel asked.
“Yes. But at that time, they had no idea they’d end up married. So, I grudgingly took you in.” Her eyes narrowed at Rachel. “It was the worst decision of my life.”
Rachel swallowed back the lump that had formed in her throat. She didn’t want to give this woman the pleasure of knowing her words hurt her. “Why didn’t you give me back when she and Gordon married? They begged you for years to take me.”
Judith grinned evilly. “Because that would have made Julie happy, and I figured why would I want to do that? If I was going to be miserable, why shouldn’t she be?”
Rachel shook her head. “I knew you never cared about me. I wish you would have just let them take me years before. Maybe this mess wouldn’t have happened.”
“Oh, so now this is my fault? Don’t turn this all on me,” Judith spat.
Rachel sighed. “Is that what you wanted to talk to me about? To tell me you never wanted me?”
“No. What I want to know is where is Julie now? She kidnapped you and forged a birth certificate. She should be in jail,” Judith said.
Rachel’s face hardened. “She is, basically.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Uncle Gordon died a few years ago, and Aunt Julie is now struggling with Alzheimer’s. Most days, she doesn’t even know who I am or who she is. She’s in her own prison—one in her mind.” Rachel’s heart hurt to tell this evil woman about her beloved aunt. But it had to be said.
Judith grinned. “Well, there is some satisfaction in knowing that.”
Rachel had had enough. She stood, and Avery stood also. As she turned to leave, Judith spoke up again. “I want you to insist that Keith be let out of prison. You aren’t dead, so there was no crime. You tell the police that.”
Rachel turned and faced her. “There is still a dead girl, and Keith is still under suspicion. So, there’s nothing I can do.” She spun and headed toward the kitchen with Avery right behind her.
“You were always a selfish little bitch!” Judith screamed at her back.
“Just keep walking,” Avery whispered in Rachel’s ear. “Don’t give her the satisfaction of knowing she’s getting to you.”
Rachel did keep walking. Still, it was hurtful hearing her mother’s gravelly voice screaming the last words at her as she closed the kitchen door. “I wish it had been you who’d died after all.”
***
“Your mother is a real piece of work,” Avery said as they hid away in his kitchen, eating the lunch they’d picked up on the way there.
“She’s actually my aunt, thank goodness,” Rachel said. “After all these years, I thought I might have exaggerated in my mind how terrible Judith had treated me years ago. But now, I realize every memory was true. She really is a terrible person.”
Avery reached over and touched her hand. “I’m sorry. I wish your childhood had been better. My mother was so kind and sweet. I thought all mothers were supposed to be that way.”
“Unfortunately, you lost your mother too soon,” Rachel said sympathetically. “And I was lucky to have Julie and Gordon as my parents for all those years. They were wonderful to me and amazing grandparents to Jules.”
“I’m glad you had them,” Avery said.
After eating, they cleaned up the kitchen and sat together on the sofa. Rachel curled up next to him. It was nice to have someone she felt safe with beside her after all she’d been through this past week.
“I hate going back to that hotel with the press hanging around. It’s so cozy and quiet here,” she said.
“Then stay.” Avery kissed her temple. “We’ll watch movies all night, order in pizza, and have a slumber party.” He waggled his eyebrows at her.
She laughed.
Avery’s eyes lit up. “Better yet, let’s sneak back into the hotel, have you pack a bag, and we’ll head out of town for the night. It’s still early in the day. We can be in San Francisco in an hour-and-a-half. We’ll book a hotel and explore the city. How does that sound?”
“Are you kidding? That’s crazy,” Rachel said. But she thought it sounded wonderful. Just to pack up and leave and forget about all that was going on here.
“That’s the whole point,” he said. “To be crazy and have a little fun. We don’t have to be here until Monday morning. Don’t you want to forget about all this insanity for a few hours?”
“I do,” she said, turning serious. “But it wouldn’t feel right. I’ve always bee
n the good person who’s done the right thing. And leaving right now, when we’re on the the brink of finding out who the poor little deceased girl is seems wrong.”
Avery sighed. “I know. I just thought that getting away for a night might take the stress out of all this, at least for twenty-four hours.”
She smiled up at him, placing her hand gently on the side of his face. “It would be nice. But it’s nice just being here with you, too. You might be able to talk me into those movies and pizza, though.”
He dropped his lips on hers, and Rachel felt the warmth of his kiss fill her entire body. At that moment, she no longer cared about propriety or the fact that she’d only known Avery for a few days. She wanted to feel the warmth of someone next to her, the touch of his hands on her, and the closeness of his body. So, when Avery lifted her up and carried her to his bed, she didn’t protest. Rachel happily let nature takes its course.
They spent the afternoon and evening alternating between making love and watching movies from the eighties that they both remembered as teenagers. They ordered pizza and ate it in bed, then stayed up late into the night. Neither one spoke of the murder case, neither one spoke of the fact that she lived in Tallahassee and he lived in Casita. They let that all go by the wayside and just enjoyed each other and their time together.
***
Sunday morning Rachel and Avery woke up late and snuggled under the covers, both not wanting to begin a new day and go back to reality. Finally, reluctantly, Rachel got up and showered, and so did Avery. They drank coffee at his kitchen counter, and he made her scrambled eggs and toast.
“I could get used to this,” he said with a grin as the two ate their breakfast.
Rachel felt that she could get used to it, too, but was afraid to say so. They hadn’t known each other long enough to make any commitments, and they lived so far apart. But she didn’t regret their night together. For the first time in years, she’d felt close to a man who she trusted, and it had felt good. She was now ready to face whatever Monday brought.
“You’re quiet. What are you thinking?” Avery asked.
She smiled. “This is nice. All of it. It’s a shame it has to end.”
He bent toward her and kissed her lightly. “We have one more day. It doesn’t have to end.”
She laughed lightly. “No, I suppose it doesn’t have to. But I should go back to the hotel today and work. I still have a daughter to put through college no matter what we learn on Monday.”
He nodded. “I suppose I have a newspaper to work on, too.”
“Do you ever work there?” she teased.
He shook his head. “No. Not really.” They laughed.
After dragging breakfast on as long as they could, Avery finally drove Rachel back to the hotel. There were no press vans in the parking lot.
“Where do you think they all went?” he asked.
She shrugged. “I don’t know. Wouldn’t Jeremy have called us if something important had happened?”
“Maybe they got tired of waiting for something to happen,” Avery suggested.
He walked her inside the hotel and rode up the elevator with her. There was no police officer on her floor, which was a relief to Rachel. The last thing she wanted was for one of Jeremy’s men to tell him she hadn’t come back to her room last night.
Avery followed her into the room just to make sure there wasn’t someone lurking in there. “Why don’t you turn on the television and see if there’s any breaking news on this story,” he said.
Rachel sat on the edge of the bed and turned on the TV. She flipped through a few channels until she saw a news conference in progress. She gasped.
“What is it?” Avery asked, coming to sit beside her.
She pointed at the screen. “All the reporters are at my mother’s house.” She turned to Avery, her eyes growing wide. “Oh, my God! What if she’s telling them about Julie?”
Chapter Fifteen
Rachel and Avery sat on the bed, listening intently to Judith Parnell’s press conference. The older woman stood on her front sidewalk wearing a long, flowery, sack-style dress and sneakers with her bleached-blond hair stiff as always.
“I insist that the state drop all charges against my son, Keith Parnell, who is currently serving a life sentence for the supposed murder of his sister, Rachel Parnell,” Judith said to the crowd of reporters. “I have recently spoken to Rachel, and she is very much alive. He was sentenced for HER murder, so, therefore, he should be released.”
A swell of voices spoke at once, and microphones were crammed into Judith’s face. They watched as Judith took a step back and stamped her cane twice on the sidewalk. Immediately, the crush of reporters backed off.
“Well. She certainly knows how to control them,” Avery said, chuckling.
“Do you know where Rachel was all those years?” a reporter yelled over the chorus of voices.
“I do now. But I will not divulge that information. Let’s just say that someone took her away the same day that poor little girl was murdered, and we had no idea that she’d been taken. My husband mistakenly identified the other little girl as his daughter. I don’t know why.”
Rachel dropped her head in her hands. “Great. She practically told them everything.”
“But she did keep her promise not to throw Julie under the bus,” Avery said soothingly.
“For now.” Rachel looked up at him. “But if she keeps talking, it will come out sooner or later.”
Judith continued answering questions, lording over the crowd like a queen over her court. She finally had her moment in the spotlight, and she was relishing it. Her behavior was so opposite from her sister, Julie, who’d never felt comfortable being the center of attention.
Avery turned down the volume. “Are you sure you wouldn’t rather stay another night at my place? After your mother’s done, the press will be after you for more answers.”
“They can’t ask me anything if I stay locked in here,” she said.
“True.” He stood and glanced again at the television. The camera had been facing the reporter as she gave her summation, and something caught his eye. “Look. Behind that female reporter.”
Rachel looked, and she saw it too. “It’s the four-door car that’s been following me. And the man is inside. What is he doing there?”
Avery was already heading for the door. “I’m going to drive over there and see if I can catch that guy. He won’t be expecting me there, so maybe he won’t drive away so quickly.”
“Be careful,” Rachel called out after him.
He grinned. “I will. Lock up, okay? I’ll call you soon.”
Rachel rushed behind him and bolted the door. She moved over the privacy door latch, too, just for added measure. She knew it wouldn’t stop anyone from getting in if they really wanted to, but it made her feel safer.
With a sigh, Rachel opened her computer and started working. She had emails to read, customers to discuss changes with, and a new cover to design. She kept one eye on the television as she read emails, looking to see if she’d catch a glimpse of Avery in the background. But the news changed to other stories, and she eventually turned it off.
When Rachel’s phone rang, it startled her. She’d been concentrating on making changes to a book cover and had forgotten all about Judith and the press conference. She saw it was Avery and answered immediately.
“He got away again,” Avery said, sounding disappointed. “Jeremy was here, overseeing the press conference, and he said they hadn’t found anything from the partial numbers I got the other night. He claims he has no idea who the man could be.”
“Well, thanks for trying,” Rachel said. “Do you think it might be a private detective? I don’t know who’d hire him or why, but it’s a thought.”
“Maybe. I’d believe just about anything right now,” Avery said. “I’m heading to my office at the paper. I want to do some digging into Jeremy’s time in Sacramento. What his father said has really been bothering me. Should I brin
g you dinner later?”
“I wouldn’t complain if you did,” she said.
“Okay.” Avery paused. “I had a great time last night. I hope you did too.”
Rachel smiled. “I did. I haven’t felt that relaxed and happy for years.”
“We make a good pair,” he said.
She wasn’t sure how to respond. Rachel felt they made a great pair, too, and under normal circumstances, she’d be over the moon at how happy she was. But there was always that nagging thought in the back of her mind that they lived too many miles apart in separate parts of the country to keep a relationship going. And that made her sad.
“Well, I’ll see you later,” he said after she hadn’t replied.
“Okay.” Rachel hung up, wondering if she’d insulted Avery by not commenting on his last words. She hoped not. Rachel did have feelings for Avery; she just wasn’t sure where they would go from here.
She worked for another couple of hours and then sat back and rubbed her eyes. That’s when she noticed that Avery had texted her.
“I ordered dinner to be delivered to your room. I’m afraid I won’t be able to join you. I’m following up on a lead in Sacramento and am heading there now. Enjoy dinner, and I’ll meet up with you tomorrow.”
Rachel was disappointed, but she was also curious about what had made Avery jump in his car and head for Sacramento. She thought about calling him when her phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Rachel? It’s Jeremy.”
Now what, she thought. “Hi, Jeremy. What’s up?”
“Avery just called and told me you’d be alone at the hotel all night, so I’m sending an officer up there to stay in the hallway again. I want to make sure none of the reporters get the idea to pound on your door. Or that guy in the dark green car doesn’t bother you.”
“Thanks, Jeremy. I appreciate it.”
“That mother of yours really made a spectacle of herself today,” Jeremy said. “Now the reporters are going to be working even harder to dig into your life. I hope they don’t find anything out. It would be a mess for you.”
The Truth About Rachel Page 13
