“But … why?” Peterson was flummoxed. “Why would you need a gun?”
“Because I thought it might be necessary,” Tabitha said. “And look! It was necessary.”
“Tabitha, I think this situation is getting out of control,” Peterson said, bewildered. “You need to give me the gun.”
Mandy wasn’t sure that was a good idea. As crazy as the situation seemed, she worried things would get ten times worse if Peterson was put in control of their destinies. She decided to head Tabitha off before the girl could fall prey to Peterson’s machinations. “We’re going to run back to the dining room,” she said. “We’ll get help.”
“That’s not going to happen,” Tabitha said.
“Then we’ll split the difference,” Sophie offered, rolling to her feet. “I’ll stay here with you and keep an eye on Peterson while Mandy and Ally go back to the dining room. How does that sound?”
“That sounds like crazy talk,” Ally said, struggling to a standing position. “We’re not leaving you behind. We made a promise.”
Sophie ignored Ally’s directed plea and remained focused on Tabitha. “Nothing bad has to happen here,” she said. “We can work everything out in a mutually beneficial way.”
Mandy marveled at how calm Sophie sounded. She’d forgotten how cool Sophie was under pressure. That was Peter’s influence. He taught Sophie never to panic. She took her lessons to heart.
“Don’t talk down to me,” Tabitha spat, the gun wavering in her hand and causing Mandy’s stomach to clench. “You have no idea how much I hate it when people talk down to me.”
“I think everyone hates that,” Sophie said, adopting a pragmatic tone. “Why don’t you tell us what you want to see happen and we’ll make sure things go smoothly. How does that sound?”
“Like you’re talking down to me,” Tabitha replied, gripping the gun tighter. “You know what? I don’t like that you guys are on the other side of that fence. Why don’t you go through the gate and join me? I think we’d all feel more comfortable if we were up close and personal for this conversation.”
“Yeah, that’s not going to happen,” Ally scoffed.
Tabitha didn’t utter a warning before firing the gun a second time. She didn’t aim it at anyone, instead pointing it at the open sea. Her message was clear, though. She wasn’t messing around.
“We’d love to join you,” Mandy said stiffly, smoothing the front of her dress. “Unfortunately, well, we didn’t bring our passes to open the gate. We can’t move to the other side of the fence.”
“Jon has a pass,” Tabitha said. “He would love to open the gate for you. Isn’t that right, honey?”
Peterson’s expression was pained as he nodded. “Absolutely.” He shuffled toward the gate. It took him three tries to open it because his hands were shaking so badly, but when he lifted his chin he fixed Sophie with an unreadable expression. “Won’t you join us?”
“I think this is a very bad idea,” Ally muttered.
Mandy couldn’t help but agree, but she didn’t know what else to do. She followed Sophie through the small opening, keeping her eyes on Tabitha as Peterson took up position about ten feet away from the girl. He didn’t appear to want to get overly close.
“Now, isn’t that better?” Tabitha asked, her eyes bright. “I know I certainly feel better.”
“Well, you have us where you want us,” Sophie said. “What are you going to do now?”
“I’m not sure what I’m going to do,” Tabitha admitted. “I know what I want to do, but I’m not convinced that won’t be making things worse for myself. I need to think for a second.”
“That sounds like a plan,” Sophie said. “While you’re thinking, why don’t you fill us in on your relationship with Mr. Peterson. I think we’re all curious to know how that happened.”
“It’s not some big mystery,” Tabitha said. “He likes younger girls and I wanted an older man. Teenaged boys are such a bother. They’re immature and have no idea how to treat a woman. I like my men older. That’s been the case since I lost my virginity to Captain Archibald when I was fourteen.”
Mandy was horrified. “What?”
“Yeah, he got drunk one night and thought I was his dead wife or something,” Tabitha said. She didn’t seem particularly bothered by the admission. “That was his excuse anyway. We were alone in one of the bars after closing because my father had a conference call. It was over within five minutes, which sucked, but it was the way he treated me after that sold me on older men. He was so … caring.”
“That’s because he knew he raped you and wanted to make sure you wouldn’t talk,” Sophie said, disgusted. “That’s not how you show someone you care.”
“You don’t know,” Tabitha seethed. “You weren’t there.”
“Fine,” Sophie forced out, reining in her temper. “That doesn’t explain how you ended up with this … tool.”
“She approached me at school,” Peterson supplied. “She seemed … keen … to spend time together. I knew what she wanted. I know what they all want. I was happy to give it to her. Unfortunately for me, she kept wanting me to give it to her even after I tried to move on.”
Sophie couldn’t muster a lot of sympathy for the despicable man. “Oh, poor you,” she said. “Let me guess, you decided to date the teacher – I can’t remember her name – as a front to hide what you were doing with your students. How well did Tabitha take that?”
“Not well at all.”
“Why should I?” Tabitha snapped. “He’s my man. He’s going to be my husband as soon as I’m legal.” She missed Peterson’s reaction to the words, and the momentary flash of disgust that flitted across his face. “He only dated Mrs. Larkspur as a cover. Isn’t that right, honey?”
“That’s right,” Peterson gritted out, forcing a grim smile. “I only love my Tabitha.”
Something was decidedly wrong with this situation, other than the obvious, of course. Sophie couldn’t quite wrap her mind around what it was. Mandy was quicker on the uptake. Perhaps it was her time studying Clint’s history for clues on what turned him into a madman, but she grasped the truth before her friends could figure it out.
“You killed the teacher, didn’t you, Tabitha?”
Peterson jolted at the words, stunned. “No, that’s not true,” he said. “Denise took off on her own. No one killed her.”
Mandy didn’t believe that for a second. “Tabitha killed her because she was competition. You have to see that. You decided to move on permanently because you found it was easier dating someone your own age than constantly looking over your shoulder. I’m going to bet that Tabitha got wind of that and … fashioned her own happy ending.”
“You’re smarter than you look,” Tabitha said, looking Mandy up and down appraisingly. “That must be how you got your hot husband. I would totally go for him if I didn’t already have a man.”
“Yes, but James isn’t interested in children,” Ally pointed out, speaking before she realized how stupid it was to agitate the girl. “I mean … he likes his women a little older.”
“Obviously,” Tabitha said dryly, her eyes flicking to Mandy. “You guys are kind of kinky, aren’t you? I saw you flashing your panties to him in the dinner line. He seemed ready to take you right there.”
Mandy’s cheeks colored. James wasn’t going to be happy when he realized how many people saw her little show. Of course, he wasn’t going to be happy when he realized she was in danger again either. Nope. No matter how you looked at it, James Hardy was not going to be happy tonight. The realization caused Mandy’s heart to roll.
“We’re married,” Mandy said. “I don’t think kink really comes into play.”
Ally made an incredulous face but wisely kept her mouth shut.
“Is that true?” Peterson asked, his eyes latching onto Tabitha’s face. “Did you kill Denise?”
“I didn’t kill her,” Tabitha answered. “I simply … removed her from the picture.” She sounded much older than her si
xteen years. Mandy couldn’t help but wonder when she stopped being a child. Was it when Richard Archibald raped her and left her confused about love? Perhaps she was always like this.
“What does that mean?” Peterson asked, his voice breaking. “What did you do to Denise?”
“I simply asked to meet her at a private place so we could talk,” Tabitha replied. “I told her about our relationship and that I needed you to stay with me so it would be beneficial to all of us if she took a step back.
“She didn’t believe me at first,” she continued. “She thought I was making it up. Then, after that, she wanted to turn you into the police. She switched sides pretty quickly. I mean … she didn’t even take five minutes to convince and then she was ready to betray you. I did you a favor.”
“What did you do?” Peterson hissed, clenching his fists.
“I hit her over the head with a flashlight that I had in the back seat of my car,” Tabitha replied. “She was unconscious but not dead. Then I put her into the trunk of her car and pushed it into the lake. It was a lot easier than I thought. The car kind of rolled itself in, actually.”
Peterson’s mouth dropped open. “You drowned her?”
“It’s no different than what you did to Shelly,” Tabitha challenged. “You got her pregnant and made her disappear.”
“Is she the former student who disappeared?” Sophie asked.
Tabitha nodded. “She betrayed Jon, too. He took care of her. That’s how I knew I could do it and get away with it.”
“That is not what happened,” Peterson protested. “Shelly isn’t dead. Granted, what happened with her could’ve ended me, but she agreed to take regular payments and move. She lives in freaking Montana.”
Tabitha worked her mouth but no sound came out.
“How did you arrange that?” Sophie asked, filling in the conversational gap. “That girl fell completely off the map. There’s a suggestion in police files that you killed her.”
“And if it ever came to it, I would’ve pointed them in Shelley’s direction to clear myself,” Jon replied. “She’s living in the same town with my mother. My mother gives her free childcare for … the kid.”
“Wow, you say that like you really care about him,” Sophie deadpanned. “How … sweet.”
“I never wanted to be a father,” Peterson spat, extending a finger. “Shelly purposely got pregnant to trap me. Then she blackmailed me to get what she wanted. I may be something other than honorable, but I am not a killer.”
“No, you just inspired one,” Sophie said, narrowing her eyes as she focused on Tabitha. “Are you the one who killed Zoe Walters? Did you do that, too?”
“Zoe?” Peterson wrinkled his nose. “That can’t be right. I didn’t have any ties to Zoe.”
“Oh, don’t play coy,” Tabitha said, finding her voice. “You liked her. You thought she was hot. I saw you the first night of the trip. You were flirting with her at the bar. Don’t bother denying it.”
“I told her she looked nice in her dress,” Peterson corrected. “That’s not the same thing as flirting.”
“That’s what you told me before we had sex for the first time,” Tabitha challenged. “Then you ripped my dress when you were taking it off. It was brand new. I didn’t mind, though. I knew that meant you were excited to see me. I knew that meant you loved me.”
“You’re … crazy,” Peterson said, rubbing the back of his neck. “I don’t … how didn’t I see this?”
“Because she had all of the power in the relationship,” Sophie supplied. “You couldn’t do anything – including seeing her for what she really is – because you’re a disgusting piece of crap. When you do terrible things, others find ways to do terrible things right back.
“I have no sympathy for you,” she continued. “I have more sympathy for Tabitha, and she’s a murderer. She’s been warped. What’s your excuse?”
“I never asked for any of this!” Peterson exploded. “I just wanted some peace. That’s why I decided to settle down with Denise. I’m not proud of anything I’ve done, but I am not a killer.”
“You’re worse,” Sophie said, refusing to back down. “At least Tabitha was upfront with her beliefs. You lied and manipulated until you couldn’t see what was right and wrong even when the explanation was directly in front of you. You’re sick.”
“Don’t talk to him that way,” Tabitha snapped, waving the gun in Sophie’s face. She was trying to be intimidating, but Sophie wasn’t one to walk away from a fight. “He deserves some respect. He’s my … heart. I love him.”
“You don’t understand what that word means,” Sophie argued. “You think that love is something it clearly isn’t. This man isn’t capable of loving you. What happened with the captain was sick and wrong and he should pay, but he never loved you either.”
Instead of reacting out of anger, Tabitha’s lower lip quivered. The simple show of emotion was enough to remind Sophie how young and confused the girl really was.
“If they don’t love me, who does?” Tabitha asked.
Sophie opened her mouth to answer, debating how truthful she should be, but she didn’t get the chance. Will Davenport picked that moment to slip through the gate, his hands raised. His eyes were fixed on his daughter.
“I love you, Tabitha,” Will choked out. “I’ve always loved you.”
“You?” Tabitha snorted. “You’ve never paid any attention to me.”
“I’ve clearly been … remiss,” Davenport admitted. “That doesn’t mean I don’t love you. I’ve simply made mistakes. I want to make up for them.”
“I’m pretty sure it’s too late for that,” Tabitha said. “If you want to help, though, I’m going to have to shoot these three and toss them overboard like I did Zoe. Her body was heavy even though she was small. You’re going to have to give me a hand if we expect to get rid of them before the storm hits.
“The good thing for us is that the rain will wash away all of the evidence,” she continued. “That’s the reason I ran into trouble with Zoe. I didn’t clean up all of the blood.”
Will was at a loss as he stared at his daughter. “Oh, sweetie … .”
Mandy risked a glance to her right and her heart soared when she saw James moving in her direction. Instead of closing the gate, Will left it open and then directed Tabitha’s attention toward him as James, Grady, and Jake moved in to cut off the girl from her intended prey. Mandy wanted to run to him, but now wasn’t the time. Instead she returned his tentative smile and remained silent.
“You have to help me,” Tabitha said. “We need to kill them and we’re running out of time.”
“The killing is done, Tabitha,” Will said. “There will be no more killing.”
“But … I’ll go to jail,” Tabitha said. “I’m a teenager, but they’ll try me as an adult for two murders. I’m not an idiot.”
“No, you’re certainly not an idiot,” Will agreed. “You’ve always been smarter than everyone. I’m starting to realize that’s your biggest problem.”
“So help me,” Tabitha pleaded. “I have to kill them if I want to be free. Then you and I can sit down with Jon and plan our wedding. Doesn’t that sound like a fun idea?”
“Jon is not going to be marrying anyone,” Will said grimly. “Jon is going away for a long time. As for you … well … I’m going to get you some professional help. I promise.”
“What?” Tabitha was confused. “I don’t need help like you’re talking about. I need help tossing these three over the railing. That’s the only help I need.”
“No, you need a lot more than that,” Will said.
Tabitha realized he was reaching for the gun a split-second too late. She jerked her arm away to keep it from him, but she missed Grady creeping around in the shadows and closing the distance between them from behind. She jolted when she felt his arm come across her shoulder and take control of the weapon. She was fervent and refused to admit defeat, but the fight was short.
When it was over a
nd she was on the ground sobbing, the sky opened up and the promised storm arrived. It seemed to mimic her emotions as magnificent lightning split the sky and terrible thunder caused the boat deck to shudder.
James hurried to Mandy and drew her in for a hug as the rain pelted them. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine,” Mandy said. “I’m sorry. We were on our way to get you when … well … things got out of hand.”
“Like they always do,” Ally intoned, reaching for Jake. “Personally, I blame Mandy.”
“What did I do?” Mandy was incensed.
“You’re a trouble magnet and we all know it,” Ally said, wiping her damp hair from her face. “It’s fine. I forgive you. Can we get some dessert?”
Despite the serious nature of the situation, James barked out a laugh as he tugged Mandy’s body against his. She’d survived … again. And, more importantly, he hadn’t melted down in the face of danger. Perhaps they really were moving on.
“You’re in big trouble,” James said, pulling away. “I’m going to punish you after you eat some cake.”
Mandy’s smile was rueful. “That sounds nice except … .”
“Except what?” James asked, furrowing his brow.
The boat pitched beneath them, causing James to grip her tighter as Mandy’s stomach betrayed her and she leaned over to fight the nausea.
“Except I forgot to take my motion sickness medication,” Mandy admitted, her features ashen and pale. “I think … yup. I’m going to be sick.”
Instead of freaking out, James smiled. “I guess I’ll be sleeping on the floor with you for a different reason tonight, huh?”
“I’m so sorry.”
“I’m not,” James said. “I don’t care what we do as long as we’re together, wife. Come on. We need to move this party inside. I think the weather is going to get worse before it gets better.”
Oddly enough, the idea of letting James take care of her while she was sick held a weird sort of appeal for Mandy. “Can we watch out the marine door, too?”
“We might as well make a night of it,” James said. “Marriage is for sickness and health. I’m going to be by your side for both. Come on, baby. I’ll take care of you.”
Deadly Waves (Hardy Brothers Security Book 23) Page 19
