Page 118 of The Last Mrs. Parrish

“But you were still my friend. You believed me. I don’t understand.”

“Did you really think I was that stupid? That I didn’t know exactly what you were up to? Please.” She shook her head. “Oh, Amber, I’m so worried about Jackson cheating. I could never give him a son.You ate it all up, did everything just the way I’d hoped you would, even ordered the perfume I was ‘allergic’ to.” She put air quotes aroundallergic. “And once you were carrying his son, I knew you had him. The reason I never got pregnant was because I had an IUD.”

Her mouth dropped open. “You planned all of this?”

Daphne smiled. “You thought you were getting the perfect life, the perfect man. How do you like him now, Lana? Has he shown you his true colors yet?”

Amber glared at Daphne. “I thought it was just me. That it was because of what he found out. He told me I was nothing better than white trash.” She looked at Daphne with hatred. “You’re the one who gave him the file?”

She nodded. “I read all about how you framed that poor boy Matthew Lockwood for rape when he wouldn’t marry you. How you let him sit in prison for two years for a crime he didn’t commit.”

“That son of a bitch deserved it. He kept me his dirty secret, slept with me all summer while his rich girlfriend was away. And his mother—you’d think she’d have wanted her grandchild. But she said I should have it aborted, that any child of mine would be nothing but trash. I laughed while they put her precious son away. I loved seeing the Lockwood name tainted with scandal and dirt. They thought they were so wonderful, so high-and-mighty.”

“You still feel no remorse? Even though because of you, he was beaten in prison and is in a wheelchair for the rest of his life?”

Amber stood up and began to pace. “So what? If he was too much of a weakling to take care of himself in prison, that’s not my fault. He’s nothing more than a coddled mama’s boy.” She shrugged. “Besides, he has money; he’s well taken care of. And his simpering girlfriend married him.”

“And what about your son?”

“WhataboutJackson Junior?”

“No, yourotherson. How could you just abandon him?”

“What should I have done? My mother found my diary and went to the police. They found that juror I convinced to fight for the conviction, and he agreed to testify against me. They arrested me. What kind of mother turns in her own daughter? She said she felt sorry for Matthew—like that spoiled brat deserved any sympathy. Once I got out on bail, I had to run. No way was I going to prison just for giving Matthew what he deserved.” She took a deep breath. “But I would like to get my son back, punish Matthew and his fat cow wife. She’s raising him like she’s his mother. He’s my kid, not hers. It’s not fair.”

“Fair?” Daphne laughed. “He’s so much better off without you. Tell me something, who is Amber Patterson? Did you have anything to do with her going missing?”

She rolled her eyes again. “Of course not. I hitched a ride out of town with a trucker from Missouri to Nebraska. I got a job waitressing there, and one of my regulars was a guy who worked in the records department. He got me the credentials.”

“How did you get her passport?”

She smiled then. “Oh, well, you know how small towns are. After a while, I finagled a way to meet her poor mom. She worked at the grocery store in town. Took a few months, but I guess I reminded her of her lost daughter. It helped that I wore my hair the way she had and talked to some of her friends and pretended I liked the same things. Her mom would make me dinner once a week—what a shitty cook. I found out Amber was supposed to have gone to France with her senior class—that’s the only reason the stupid hick had a passport. So I stole it.” She shrugged. “She also had a nice sapphire ring. I took that too. She didn’t need it anymore.”

Daphne shook her head. “There really is nothing beneath you.”

“You could never understand. Growing up dirt-poor, with everyone looking down on me, I learned early on that if you want something, you have to get it for yourself. No one’s going to just hand it over.”

“And do you have what you want now?”

“I did at first. Until he found out about my past.” Her earlier bravado was waning. She straightened and looked at Daphne. “If you hadn’t given him that file, I could leave him, get child support and alimony. But if I do, he’ll turn me in.” Her demeanor changed suddenly, and Daphne could almost see the transformation taking place. “Daphne, you know what he’s like. We’re both victims now. You have to help me. You figured out a way to escape. There must be something I could use on him. Is there?” She was the old Amber now; the one Daphne had believed was her friend. She was narcissistic enough to believe that she could still manipulate her.

Daphne looked at her. “Tell me something, honestly: did you ever consider me a friend?”

Amber took Daphne’s hand in hers. “Of course I was your friend. I loved you, Daph. It was just too tempting. I had nothing, and you had everything. Please forgive me. I know what I did was wrong, and I’m sorry. Our children are related. It’s like wearesisters now. You’re a good person. Please, help me.”

“So if I help you, then what? You’ll leave him, and we can go back to being friends again?”

“Yes. Friends again. For Julie and Charlene.” As soon as the words left her mouth, Amber realized her mistake.

“Yeah. For Charlene. Who never existed.” Daphne stood up. “Enjoy your bed, Amber. You’ll be spending lots of time in it. Jackson’s a man of strong appetites.”

Amber scowled at Daphne. “You want to know the truth? I was never your friend. You had all the money, all the power, and you gave me your crumbs. You didn’t even appreciate what you had. All that money he spent on you and your bratty kids. It was obscene. All the while, I was working in his office like a dog.” Her eyes were cold. “I did what I had to do. It was so boring, listening to all your depressing stories.She’s dead!I wanted to scream.No one cares about Julie. She’s been rotting in the ground for twenty years. Let it go.”

Daphne grabbed her wrist and held it tight. “Don’t you ever speak my sister’s name again—do you hear me? You deserve everything you’re getting.” She let go of her. “Take a look around. Try and commit to memory what it was like living the good life, because it’s over now.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I’ve come from Jackson’s office. The FBI just took him out of his office in handcuffs. Seems they got access to his offshore accounts. Pity. He never paid taxes on that money. I’m pretty sure when all is said and done, you’ll be lucky if the two of you can afford to live in your old apartment. That is, if they don’t give him jail time, but knowing Jackson, he’ll figure a way out of that. He’ll have to deplete all his resources, of course. Maybe you can help him start a new business.”

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