Page 156 of The Secrets She Keeps

"Without announcing our presence. Heather went in the kitchen door—but they will have cut that off now."

"There are some people still upstairs.”

"Then we go in downstairs. This place have a basement?"

Gunnar nodded. The family had a large game and media room down there. They spent time together in that space, Powell had told him about it before.

"Then let's do this."

It took them all of two minutes to find a window large enough for Gunnar to squeeze through. Miguel was too damned big, though. They used a landscaping paver to break the glass. It was far enough away from the front of the house it shouldn't have been heard.

Heather's sister had already disabled the security alarm. After this, Gunnar was never using an online alarm systemagain. The gremlin had hacked this one just far too quickly for his peace of mind.

Miguel gave an impatient growl. "Go. I'll find another way in. I may just climb a damned tree. I'll take out the ones upstairs. You get to rescue the girls in this one. Go."

“French doors lead into Powell’s old bedroom. There is a balcony right next to the garage roof. Can you get up there? Third floor."

“I’ll make it work. Get yourself gone.”

Gunnar went.

117

Heather hearda small whisper in her ear. That still, small voice telling people what to do thing—it was her sister Hope now. “Gunnar is coming in through the basement. Mig is on his way upstairs. Mig’s got his sights set on the guy upstairs. Other guy is in the first-floor hallway, coming out of Mason’s office.”

“Okay,” Heather said and paused. She wanted her sister to know she got the message. “Timothy and Timmy Three, we need to decide what we are doing now. We can’t let this go on much longer. Powell looks a bit sick here, and her father needs medical attention. And…I’m really good with this gun. It’s Norm’s; did you know that? You remember Norm, right, Timothy? You met him at Angela’s funeral. After you sexually assaulted Marcia. He married Marcia eventually. They have four kids together.”

“I didn’t assault Marcia. I never would. My hand tangled in her dress, and it ripped. That was all.”

“Not at all how I remember it. Or Marcia.” Heather smirked at him. Timothy had always hated it when she would shoot him that expression. So whenever he’d make her mad as a kid she’d do that. On purpose. Maybe she had been a bit of a brat back then, but hell—helping raise a gaggle of Coleson girls hadmatured that right out of her. “I could shoot Timmy Three, possibly. That is probably the most expedient use of my time. And it would feel damned good to do it too. I need to be getting home. I promised my great-nephew Iagan I’d read him a chapter or two from the fifth Harry Potter book tonight. Do you know whoIaganis, Timothy?”

“No. I don’t.”

“He’s your grandson. Iagan Andrew Coleson. He’s ten.”

She saw the surprise in his eyes then. “I didn’t know.”

“Eden adopted him eight years ago, actually. He is such a sweet little boy. He was one of Denita’s. Eastman…created…him. See, Iagan was left on Eden’s dining room table one day as a baby. She quit med school to raise him. Did you know Dr. Eastman?”

“Yes, Daddy, tell her all about good old Gregory, and what great friends you were.” Trey didn’t like it when she looked away from him. Heather had figured him out fast.

He hadn’t changed that much at all. Just gotten taller. Stronger.

Filled with more evil.

“Eastman…was just an associate of your father’s, Heather. Did some time at the hospital when you were an infant, I believe. He wasn’t well liked. Your father and he were assigned to a committee together before Angela and I even met. Andrew didn’t like him.”

“Did you know what Eastman and Denita were doing?” This was not a direction she’d expected the conversation to take. But she was going to ask questions she’d had for a while.

“Not at first. Definitely not when you girls were younger. He did approach me over a decade ago for a favor. But…was I fully a part of what he was doing, absolutely not. I did not know he was doing anything illegal at all.”

Trey cackled. For lack of a better word. “He really didn’t. But he benefited. Don’t let Dad pull one over on you, Auntie Heather.”

“I won’t, nephew Timmy Three.”

“Gunnar is in.” Hope’s voice was so faint Heather doubted Trey heard. Not where he was clear across the room. Houses in Hughes Heights had really large rooms.

“What was that? It sounded like something breaking,” Trey demanded. Just as they heard a loud thump upstairs.

---