Page 62 of Quake
Jade was in a meeting, so I skipped out to lunch early.
Outside, the weather had turned. The first signs of autumn were beginning to manifest, a few stray leaves turning among the greenery. I held my phone in my hand, intending to call Caleb to make sure we were still on for tonight when the unexpected happened.
“Juliette.”
My heart twisted as I recognized the sound of Vincent Carmichael’s stony voice. Turning, I saw him lingering on the footpath a few steps away. My gaze shifted to the sleek, black Mercedes Benz illegally parked in the taxi zone. Must be his.
“Mr. Carmichael,” I said coolly, knowing he’d come to have another crack at me. There was no other reason why he would be standing out on this particular street and not sitting his bully ass in that fancy car.
“I’ve come to further our discussion. If you please.” He gestured toward the Merc.
I shook my head. “I gave you my answer.”
“I believe you didn’t hear everything I had to say,” he said, his eyes narrowing in warning.
A chill began to spread through my body, and I felt my resolve crumbling. Panic rose, warning me something was wrong. I didn’t want to get into that car, but what choice did I have? Caleb’s parents would meddle until they got what they wanted. Mr. Carmichael had threatened to have me forcibly removed, after all. What that entailed, I was sure I was about to find out all the gory details.
“If you please, Juliette,” he said. “I’m not going to harm you.”
How he knew to reassure me was beyond my knowledge, but I edged toward the car where the driver opened the rear passenger door for me. Mr. Carmichael slipped in from the other side, and just like that, we were alone. Watching the other man, I noticed he remained outside, leaning against the bonnet and lighting a cigarette. It was going to be a lengthy discussion then.
“When you declined my offer, I was slightly impressed,” Mr. Carmichael began, watching me closely. “That’s how I knew I had to find out more about you. The woman who proclaims she loves my son.”
I froze, my fingers clutching the strap of my bag.
“Juliette Spicer isn’t your real name,” he declared, his cold, dead eyes boring into mine.
“I… What…”
“The damsel in distress act has obviously worked on my son, but it won’t on me.”
“It’s not an act,” I shot back.
I felt bile rising in the back of my throat, fear clawing at my heart.
“Does he know the truth about your sister?”
“What are you talking about?” I inched away from him, racking my brain to remember the self-defense moves Caleb had taught me, but they wouldn’t work, would they? His father was a world champion boxer. I was screwed if he decided to attack.
“She was still alive when you found her, wasn’t she?”
My blood ran cold, my stomach churning. “How do you know that?”
“Money talks when you put it in the right hands,” he replied with a sneer. “At first, I thought it was what you wanted, but when you refused… Color me intrigued.” He retrieved a folder from the back seat pocket. Dropping it on my lap, I presumed he wanted me to look inside, so I eased open the cover with a trembling finger.
Melanie stared back at me, but it wasn’t a cheery family picture. It was a photograph taken at the crime scene. She was… I let the cover close, not needing to see any more. He knew everything then.
“Is it redemption you’re looking for with my son?” he asked.
“Redemption for what?” My voice shook, and I wanted nothing more than to wrench open the car door and run, but I was stuck. I was too afraid to move. He knew.He knew what I’d done.
Mr. Carmichael laughed like it was all the biggest joke of the century. “For finishing off Melanie, of course.”
I stared at him in shock. Everything was numb and so very far away. I breathed deeply, trying to catch my breath, but all I could smell was the coppery stench of fresh blood.Meagan, please…
“By the look on your face, I see I am correct,” he said. “The police kept it out of the media after they cleared you, but it’s all there in the report.”
“But… It’s closed. The case…”
