Hidden Secrets (The Hidden Series Book 3)

by Kristin Coley

  “Oh, you weren’t supposed to do that.” Joyce frowned at the handkerchief on the ground in annoyance and moved as if to pick it up. I braced myself, knowing this might be my only chance to get the gun away from her. She caught my sudden tension and stopped. “You won’t get me that easily, my dear. I’ve been cleaning up messes for more years than you’ve been alive.”

  “I bet. Did Roger ever figure out Royce wasn’t his? Cute by the way, Roger and Joyce, Royce. Except, he wasn’t Roger’s, was he?”

  She whitened at my question, stuttering as she said, “How did you know?”

  “I know a lot of things, Joyce. Like how you killed Summer, and convinced your husband she’d committed suicide so no one would suspect the truth. How the mayor refused to allow it to be ruled a suicide and almost ruined your plan. Except he blamed Duke which worked out for you. But the coroner, he knew better. He even put the cause of death in the notes, but ruled drowning as the official cause of death. I couldn’t figure that out. So many people lied because of you. What has his name?”

  “What was the coroner’s name?” Duke asked, his face cold.

  “Robert Kilpatrick,” I answered instantly, leaving Joyce unsettled.

  “Robert, that was it. Another R name, how about that?”

  “What was Royce’s full name?” Duke asked, catching on quick.

  “Royce Patrick Davis.” I clicked my tongue as I shook my head. “Joyce, you really shouldn’t cast stones in that glass house of yours. Calling Summer a whore, but you obviously played fast and loose with your own husband.”

  “You’re a witch!” She cried, her eyes wild as she waved the gun. I reared back, prepared for it to go off, but she calmed almost instantly and I could see the true depth of crazy she’d been hiding. “I spent years regretting the pain I caused your grandmother. We were best friends and supposed to grow old together, but after Duke was accused she was never the same. The pain of it all killed her and I knew I was indirectly responsible for it.”

  “Indirectly?” I laughed in disbelief. “You were the cause of all of the pain and suffering they felt. You killed an innocent girl.”

  “Innocent, ha, she was no more innocent than you. A whore who tempted and rejected my Roy. And you, a witch, a devil worshipper. Knowing things you shouldn’t. I saved your grandmother the pain of knowing you.”

  “No, you stole her peace and her sons from her.” I bit out, stung by her accusation. “You stole Summer’s life, and left her father in torment that she’d committed suicide. You protected your criminal son and yourself at the expense of everyone else.”

  “I thought the killer was left handed,” Duke said in a daze, interrupting us.

  Joyce glanced at her hands, holding the gun steady, but I noticed it was her left hand on the trigger. “I’m right handed,” she said, her eyes narrowing.

  “No, you’re mixed handed or cross dominance,” I corrected her. “It’s not something you see often, in fact if it wasn’t for my grandmother, I wouldn’t have figured it out.”

  “What are you talking about?” Duke asked, flicking his eyes sideways as Joyce stepped forward. He was using her distraction to our advantage, his lower height allowing him to see out the window.

  “My grandmother used to write with her left hand and churn butter with her right. It’s subtle, but apparent if you know what you’re looking for. You write with your right hand, hold a gun with your left hand, and you used your left hand to cover Summer’s mouth and nose until she stopped struggling and then stopped breathing.”

  The hands holding the gun started to shake and I held my breath. Duke nodded and I jumped sideways as he rocked himself sideways, knocking into Joyce as Jake and Wade came crashing through the back door.

  The sharp report of the gun going off had me crouching lower as I watched Jake grapple with her. I said a little prayer as they hit the ground, but Jake’s loud grunt forced me into motion as I saw Joyce still had the gun.

  “Addie!” Wade’s shout was the only warning I had as she lifted the gun toward me, rage twisting her features as she pulled the trigger.

  Chapter Nineteen

  “Were you just trying for all the glory?” I asked him as we rocked on the swing, the sunset on full display in front of us. “Not one, but two gunshot wounds. I think even Connor was impressed.”

  “I should hope so,” Jake groaned as he shifted on the swing. “It’s not every day a man jumps in front of a bullet to save his fiancée.”

  “Girlfriend,” I corrected.

  “Oh no, you accepted my proposal and I jumped in front of a gun to save your life. Both of those mean I get to call you my fiancée,” Jake insisted, unable to get comfortable since his arm was literally taped to his side to immobilize it. He pointed to his arm and said with a pout, “Two gunshot wounds, remember?”

  “You’re going to milk this for all it’s worth, aren’t you?”

  “Hell, yeah.” He leaned back with a sigh, finally accepting he wouldn’t be comfortable anytime soon. “If it gets me what I want.”

  “And what would that be?” I asked archly.

  “You,” he answered candidly, his eyes completely serious as he watched me. “Me and you forever, Addie. That’s all I want. I’d jump in front of a damn firing squad if it meant keeping you safe.”

  “Let’s hope you won’t ever have to,” I replied, resting my head on his shoulder, the one that hadn’t been shot. He’d taken two bullets, both on the same side, one in the arm and one in his shoulder. Luckily, they’d both been clean, in and out, but he’d be going through physical therapy for the shoulder wound.

  “How’s Duke?” He asked, curling his fingers around mine as the sun slipped below the trees. His question caused a round of emotions to surge in me, but the strongest was gratitude.

  “He’s okay, grateful to be alive and to know the truth after all these years.” I wiggled in the seat and Jake obliged me by pushing the swing into a gentle rock. “He feels guilty she used him as bait to draw me there. And sad. His story didn’t have a happy ending.”

  “No, it didn’t.” Jake’s voice reminded me of how close we’d come to having a similar ending and I shivered. He tightened his fingers around mine. “We survived.”

  “We did, but she caused so much pain and then tried to make up for it.” I shook my head at the insanity that was Joyce Davis. After she’d shot Jake, aiming for me, Wade had managed to wrestle her to the ground. I’d called an ambulance for Jake and untied Duke.

  Joyce had babbled for hours, admitting her crimes, some I’d had no idea of. She’d covered for her son, Royce most of his life, hiding the evidence of his psychotic ways along with her own. The mutilated animals and obsessive stalking he’d dappled in mingled with her own guilt over my grandmother’s premature death. She’d spent years taking care of my family’s cabin, burying the evidence of her son’s sick ways on the property as she soothed her own guilt.

  She’d done the same with Mayor Keyes, visiting him to assuage her conscious as he suffered with the thought that his daughter had committed suicide.

  “It was her visit to Mayor Keyes that made her decide to come after you, wasn’t it?” Jake asked, his thoughts mirroring mine.

  “Yes, he told her about Wade and I’s visit. She put it together and decided that I should die and Duke should be responsible. She hoped it would be enough to finally silence the doubts and get rid of her ‘problems’ as she saw them.”

  “Did David actually talk to Summer that morning? Did he tell her Duke had cheated on her?”

  “He did,” I answered with a sigh, disappointment pressing down on me. “He was jealous and upset. After she died, he couldn’t deal with everything, his own guilt, so he left Duke to hang and allowed his parents to believe their son was guilty of murder.”

  “I’m sorry. I know you wanted a different outcome.” Jake rubbed his thumb across my hand and I turned my cheek into his shoulder.

  “I didn’t expect much,” I admitted, his letter burning a hol
e in my pocket. I reached for it as I said, “He wrote me a letter before he died.” Jake jolted in surprise as I handed it to him. He untangled his hand from mine so he could open it.

  “It’s okay if I read it?”

  I nodded silently, content to sit there as he read.

  “Wow, he really set you up here, didn’t he?”

  “Yeah.”

  “The question?”

  “He loved me,” I answered, the knowledge sure in my heart. “But you know, it wasn’t enough. It takes more than words on a page to love someone. It takes trust and time and a willingness to be there. It takes forgiveness and maybe the occasional jumping in front of a bullet.”

  Jake chuckled, his hand coming back to mine.

  I tilted my head so I could look at him.

  “You taught me that.” He blinked at my words and moisture formed behind my eyes. “My mom loves me and my grandfather, they’ve always been there. My grandmother too before she died, but I didn’t really understand what it meant until you. How much effort it takes to truly love someone and how valuable it is when you have it.”

  “I’ll always be here, Addie. I won’t leave,” he promised as he kissed my forehead, the gentle touch reverent.

  “Is everyone dressed out here?”

  “Connor,” Jake groaned, closing his eyes.

  “I don’t know, did you and Jules finally put clothes on?” I retorted watching as they came outside followed by Wade, Carly, and Danny. After the police had arrested Royce and Joyce, and they’d been assured Jake would live, Jules and Connor had disappeared into the bedroom and we hadn’t heard from them since.

  Carly and Danny sat down on the bench, much closer than normal, while Wade propped his hip against the deck railing. It had been a long day of questions and explanations and I knew it wasn’t over yet. My mom and grandfather were coming up the next day to check on me and meet Duke. I knew it was past time I explained my gift to them and with Duke’s help, I hoped they’d accept it.

  The time for secrets was past and as I glanced at the letter on Jake’s lap I knew what I wanted to do.

  “Hey, Danny, can I borrow your lighter?”

  He dug in his pocket without question, tossing me the stainless-steel Zippo. I caught it and reached for the letter.

  “Are you sure?” Jake asked, concern creasing his forehead.

  “Yep,” I answered, flicking the lighter open. “I’m sure.”

  It lit immediately and as the flames eagerly licked over the paper, I felt no regret, only a sense of freedom. His choices didn’t have to be mine and I refused to live my life with regrets. I tossed the crackling paper into the unused firepit and we all watched as it burned to ash.

  “Anyone else have a sudden craving for s’mores?” There were a few groans and some muffled laughter at Connor’s question, but I hopped up.

  “I am,” I told him brightly, smiling at the friends surrounding me, grateful and happy we were all safe and here together. “Now, I just need to see if we have all the stuff for them.”

  “We do,” Jules said with a sigh. “I know my husband.” We all laughed as she hooked her arm in mine and we went to get the chocolate and marshmallows.

  “I hope you bought the good ones,” Connor bellowed behind us and Jules shouted back, “You’ll get what we have and be grateful.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” he replied suitably cowed.

  Hours later, I curled up next to Jake in the bed, his arm propped on a pillow to stabilize it.

  “I’m glad it’s over,” I told him, resting my head on his chest as my fingers glided over the ridges of muscle. His hand tangled in my hair, playing with the strands.

  “I’m glad you’re safe,” he murmured softly. “And Summer has justice finally.”

  “I’m glad I found Duke.”

  “So am I. He’s a good man. I’m glad y’all have a chance to get to know one another. He needs you.”

  “He wants to tell me about my dad.”

  “How do you feel about that?”

  I lifted my shoulder in a shrug.

  “If he wants to talk about him, I’ll let him. He lost his entire family, the least I can do is listen.”

  “They’re your family too,” Jake reminded me.

  “Yeah, but it’s hard to imagine them as family. They’re abstract.”

  “Maybe his stories will change that.”

  “Maybe, but either way, I’m glad to know him. He came through today.”

  “Yeah, we saw him through the window. He tilted his head to the back so we went around. That’s how we were able to catch her by surprise, especially when he threw himself at her.” Jake shook his head. “Even tied to a chair he was determined to protect you.”

  I rubbed my face against his chest, my eyes heavy as the day caught up with me.

  “Sweet dreams, sweetheart,” Jake whispered as my eyes fell closed.

  The deck was in shadows as the sun sat poised behind the tree line. Dawn wasn’t far off as I leaned on the railing, barely able to make out the water.

  Someone settled next to me and I glanced over to see a curious Wade standing there. I tapped my finger against my lips before he could speak and he glanced back down to the water’s edge.

  She stood there, her flame red hair lit from within as the sun inched over the trees and the first rays touched her. The smile she gifted us with was one of pure joy, its radiance rivaling the sun. She walked toward the lake, a soft shimmer following her as she disappeared from sight.

  I released a sigh, stepping back from the rail.

  Wade glanced at me and back toward the lake, a soft smile on his face. He cupped his hand around my head as he whispered, “You done good, kid.”

  I woke with a start, blinking in the predawn darkness as the dream I’d just had replayed in my mind. Jake was still asleep, my abrupt wakening not disturbing him as he gave a soft snore. I smiled at the sound, knowing he would deny it if I told him he snored.

  I slipped from the bed and headed for the deck.

  He handed me a coffee mug as I paused next to him.

  “It’s not that chicory crap you like. But its strong.”

  I nodded, inhaling the aroma as we waited for the sun’s appearance. I’d already accepted the dream for what it was, but I could feel Wade’s struggle as he stood there.

  “It was a dream,” he stated, but the undercurrent of uncertainty in his voice made it a question.

  “Yes,” I answered with absolute certainty.

  “Was it yours or mine?”

  “Yours,” I replied, interested to realize I’d dream walked through his dream.

  He nodded and drained his cup before setting it down on the railing with a thump.

  “I don’t know how I feel about that,” he finally said after taking a deep breath.

  “Maybe it was a one-time thing? Since we’d discovered her killer?” I offered, trying to give him peace of mind. He snorted, eyeing me like I was new breed of crazy.

  “And the moon is made of cheese.”

  I gave a surprised laugh, snorting and Wade’s lips curled up involuntarily.

  “It’s weird, Addie.”

  “It is, but I don’t know if there’s anything we can do about it,” I said, feeling as lost as him. “I wasn’t trying to be there. I just was.”

  “Yeah, I know that, there’s just been some weird stuff going on lately.” He had a pensive frown on his face and I had the feeling there was more to it than he was saying, but he also wasn’t ready to talk about it.

  “So, Danny’s on board with joining us,” I told him, going to sit cross legged on one of the chairs with my coffee.

  “Join us in what?” Wade’s frown was more puzzled now and I realized I hadn’t told him my brilliant plan.

  “Our new business venture.” I smiled brightly as he lifted his eyebrow. “The three of us are going to be a private detective agency, collaborating with the police department on current and cold cases. We’ll find missing people and work the cases l
ining your walls.”

  “You seem to have this all worked out,” he pointed out dryly. “Anything else I need to know about?”

  “Danny’s going to be your roommate,” I said, the words spilling from my lips with no forethought.

  He chuckled at my surprised expression. “Didn’t know that till I asked, did you?”

  I shook my head.

  “Guess it could be worse.” We exchanged knowing glances. “It could be Connor,” we said in unison.

  “That won’t happen, will it?” Wade asked a little desperately and I shook my head.

  “I don’t think so. He usually stays with Jake when he’s in the dog house.”

  “Thank God for small favors.” I punched his arm and he said, “What?”

  “I have to put up with him then.”

  “He’s your best friend.”

  I heaved out a sigh as I acknowledged that truth.

  “You leaving?” I asked him after a few minutes. Jules and Connor had already made their intentions known the day before. Carly was riding back with Danny on his motorcycle, to my shock. It seemed no one wanted to be around when my mom showed up.

  “Yeah, sounds like I need to clean out Granny’s stuff if I’m going to be having a roommate.” I opened my mouth to ask if he wanted help, but he nudged my mouth shut with his knuckle before I could. “I need to do this myself. I should have done it already. I’ve just been putting it off. Looks like now I have a reason.”

  I nodded mutely, feeling his pain as I remembered packing up my grandparents’ house after my grandmother’s death. It wasn’t a task I wished on anyone.

  “I’ll be fine,” Wade said with a disgusted sigh. “You worry too much.”

  “Actually, I think I worry just the right amount,” I informed him tartly.

  “Which is too much,” he replied, his smile taking the sting out. “So you, me and Danny are gonna be PIs?”

  I bounced a little in excitement as I heard the truth in his question. It was going to be a reality. He chuckled as he took in my excitement.