Page 84 of Crumbling Truth
“Well, now we can get this party started, hmm? I thought I’d have to issue a personal invitation, but I guess you have a brain in your head after all. Welcome, Theo.”
My breath stalled in my lungs at the words, but it was Theo’s expression that made me question my assumption about why we were here. He stared at Drew like he was seeing a ghost, shook his head slightly, then said, “Andy? Andy McNulty?”
Drew gave a sharp laugh. “Oh no, Andy died the same night as Michelle. New town, new name, new me. I've been Drew for the past twenty years. Not a single person in this shithole town recognized me when I moved back.”
“I don’t understand,” Theo said quietly.
“No, you wouldn’t. Instead of admitting the truth, everyone talks about you like some tragic fucking hero.” He paused, fondling the handle of the knife like it was precious to him as he moved toward me. “Do you like the house? When it went up for sale a few years ago, I knew I had to have it. It was destiny.”
Theo held perfectly still. “It’s me you want. Let Esther go. She had nothing to do with Michelle’s death.”
“No, she didn’t, did she? Sometimes innocents are the ones to pay for our mistakes, though, Theo.”
“Don’t do this,” Theo whispered.
“Michelle paid the price while you and your brother walked away, moved on, made a life for yourselves. You didn’t pay a fucking cent. While you two were off living your lives, my motherswallowed a bottle of pills and my father drank himself to death. Did your parents share that news with you?”
Oh, Christ.This wasn’t about me or the food truck at all.
Theo kept his gaze on Drew, but his muscles tensed like he was preparing to spring. I doubted he’d be able to reach us in time to keep the knife from making contact with my flesh.
“You were just a kid at the time, Drew,” Theo said gently. “And so was Esther. You want me to pay? I will. Gladly. Just let her out of here unharmed. You don’t want to hurt her, I can see it in your face.”
Drew looked down at me. “No, I don’t. I wanted her to be mine, but she wasn’t ready. I even sent you lilies, Esther. Didn't you like them? They were the same type of flowers we had at Michelle's funeral. After that, I waited for you to come to me. I waited fucking years, and then you chose him over me.”
I started to shake my head, but he laid the flat part of the blade against my cheek like a caress. A whimper slipped out before I could stop it. With a glimpse of that friendly smile he’d always given me in the past, he laid his finger over my lips.
It was only with the greatest effort that I managed not to flinch away from his touch.
“You should have chosen me, Esther. I would have treated you like a queen. Instead, you became his whore.”
“Please don’t do this,” I whispered when he removed his finger. The knife was like ice against my cheek, but it was the flat, dead look in his eyes that chilled me to the bone.
“Drew,” Theo said calmly. “Let her go. She’s not involved in this.”
Drew shook his head slowly. “Of course she is. I would have let her make it up to me, but she wouldn’t give us that chance. Do you know who your whore’s father is, Theo? The slimeball attorney who denied us an insurance payout, leaving us withnothing.”
The rest of my body went as cold as the knife.
“That’s right, Esther. Did you know your family betrayed mine like that?”
“No. No, Drew, he didn’t talk about work at home. I only knew he worked for an insurance company. I swear, I had no idea. I’d never even heard of Michelle until recently.”
“Of course, the mighty Silvers were always tight with the chief of police,” Drew went on. “They ruled it all an accident.”
“Itwasan accident,” Theo said quietly. “She tripped on her dress.”
It was like he hadn’t even spoken. “No criminal charges, no civil suit. Every last dime went to Michelle’s funeral and paying the lawyer who promised it was a slam dunk to get that insurance money. I took care of him years ago, but I wanted to give you a chance to make reparations, Esther. All of this could have been avoided.”
Theo shifted like he was going to throw himself between us when Drew tutted quietly and stroked the flat of the blade along my skin.
I hoped Theo had a plan, because I saw no way out of this.
Flashbacks to all those times he’d talked me down from a panic scrolled through my mind, but the chances of it working on Drew seemed terribly slim. Even if he didn’t intentionally cut my throat, I’d started shivering again and was terrified I might simply vibrate my way into the blade.
Since Drew was still staring down at the knife against my cheek, he didn’t see the swift glance Theo sent to something behind me.
“Drew,” Theo repeated. “Look at me. We can settle this between us.”
