The End of Her: A Novel
Page 27
She’d bided her time until Stephanie had come into her money. And then she executed her plan. It didn’t go as expected, because Stephanie had been stubborn and unwilling to pay.
But it can all still work out nicely, Erica tells herself, now that Stephanie has killed Patrick. She has no doubts about that at all.
In the meantime, she has other things on the go. Niall has been avoiding her calls. He’s proved more slippery than she expected. But she’ll talk to him eventually, and when she does, he’s not going to like what she has to say.
And she’s got the Mannings wrapped around her little finger. They’ll do anything to protect that boy from the truth.
* * *
• • •
NANCY STARES OUT her living-room window, hiding behind the drapes. She and Niall are freaking out.
Erica has tried to call Niall again; she even showed up at the office, but Kerri was instructed to say that he was out. It worked, but only because he’s stopped driving his Tesla to work, so Erica can’t tell when he’s there. Niall’s using Uber a lot these days. But it’s a short-term solution.
Erica has them living in fear, and they hate it; in this they are united.
Nancy is aware that keeping Erica from Niall at work makes them more of a target at home. Erica knows where they live. She’s already been here. It’s just a matter of time before she shows up again. Nancy spends much of her day watching out the window like this.
The only upside—Nancy doesn’t think her husband will be straying again anytime soon.
They both perceive Erica’s hovering presence as a serious threat. They can’t live in fear forever. Something must be done.
* * *
• • •
GARY MANNING SITS quietly in his car—a leased Lexus—in the underground parking lot beneath the office tower in downtown Denver where he works. It’s already dark out. He’s putting off going home. It will be another late night of tears and histrionics in the basement and he doesn’t know how much more he can take.
He loves Cheryl and he loves Devin. He’s their boy. He’s a fine boy, and they’re not going to let his birth mother fuck him up by telling him things he doesn’t need to hear.
Gary thinks about watching Devin on the soccer field the other day—how proud he made him feel. He couldn’t be more proud of him even if Devin was his own flesh and blood.
And now this godawful mess. Erica demanding more money to keep her mouth shut. He’d like to go to the police, but he can’t. Imagine the effect of the publicity on his business. They paid her a hundred grand to get Devin. They’d made a deal with the devil all those years ago. Erica knows they’re not going to go to the police.
Gary hates to see Cheryl so upset all the time, but he understands it. She’s terrified that they will lose Devin, that contact with his birth mother—and learning the truth about his birth parents—will traumatize him. It might even turn him against them. She’s probably not wrong. Gary can’t bear to lose the little family that took them so much time and effort to build. And Devin knows something’s up; yesterday he’d asked him why everyone’s acting so weird lately. He’s a smart kid.
Gary’s had trouble getting the money together. He can do it, it will just be difficult. But his family comes first.
If only Erica Voss were dead, all his problems would be solved.
EPILOGUE
The Aylesford Record, November 9, 2018
Authorities have determined the identity of a woman whose body was pulled from the Hudson River early this morning. The deceased woman is 31-year-old Erica Voss, of Newburgh, New York.
Orange County police recovered the body earlier today near the Newburgh-Beacon Bridge, after receiving a call just before 7:00 a.m. from a jogger who noticed the body floating in the river.
Ms. Voss was in the news recently when she gave evidence at the inquest into the death of Lindsey Kilgour, in Colorado in 2009.
The cause of death has not yet been determined.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shari Lapena is the internationally bestselling author of the thrillers The Couple Next Door, A Stranger in the House, An Unwanted Guest, and Someone We Know, which have all been New York Times and The Sunday Times (London) bestsellers. Her books have been sold in thirty-five territories around the world. She lives in Toronto.
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