Page 123 of Mercy (The Sins Trilogy 3)
Chapter Forty
Anthony
I call Edgar to let him know we’ll be in Tempérane tomorrow. If he’s surprised, he doesn’t show it.
“I’ll have Jonas get your old room ready.”
“Don’t bother. We’re not staying at the mansion.” Not when I have no clue whether Mother’s guilty or not. Ivy and I agreed on this point. “We’ll stay with you.” Edgar moved out and bought his own place when he graduated Harvard and started working for the family business. “And we’ll have Bobbi along.” Just in case.
“That’s fine. By the way, can you bring Harry with you? Mom wants him home for the reunion. She’ll want to invite you all for dinner, of course.”
Will she now? The last time I was home, I had to beg for crumbs of acknowledgment, a hint that she didn’t despise me. If she were making this gesture on her own, out of love, I’d welcome it. But after hearing the recording, I doubt anything she does is without an ulterior motive. “That won’t be a problem, and we’ll be there for dinner.”
Then I call Wei and ask him to put together a team of the best PIs in the country. Ivy’s worried that Caleb won’t pay for murdering the girl…and almost killing Ivy, too. But there’s got to be something we can use to nail that bastard.
I’m going to make sure he pays, without dragging Ivy through the humiliation and trauma of a public trial.
In spite of arranging things to my satisfaction, everything still feels unsettled. My nerves are taut as I fly toward Louisiana with Ivy, Harry and Bobbi. I have so much to lose by going there. Ivy. My future.
But at the same time, she’s right about starting our marriage with the possibility that my mother might be involved with her “death”…even though my instincts say she is. If so, what will Ivy do? Can our love withstand that kind of betrayal and darkness?
As though he can sense the underlying tension, Harry is being extra cheery. I wish TJ could join us, but he has to stay back and work on security for the wedding venue. Until I’m certain, I can’t be lax about that.
After lunch, I go to the bar in the back of the plane and grab a finger of whiskey, needing to work off the restlessness growing inside me. Ivy and Bobbi are chatting up front, so Harry joins me, pouring a whiskey for himself.
“You okay?”
“Why wouldn’t I be? I’m going home.” My tone’s too sarcastic, and Harry’s expression shutters. “Sorry. I don’t mean to take it out on you.”
“What’s wrong?” Harry comes closer and lowers his voice. “I thought you wanted to go because of what I said about Dad wanting to make things right between the two of you.”
I look at Harry’s guileless eyes. Part of me wants to tell him everything, but I’m still digesting what I heard on the recording, what it means. Bobbi emailed it to me, and I listened to it over and over last night after Ivy fell asleep. There was no way I could close my eyes and pretend everything was fine.
Especially when I also remember Harry telling me Caleb and Mother had an ugly argument not too long ago, while Sam was still alive…and undoubtedly still blackmailing her.
So instead, I say, “What’s Caleb Wentworth up to these days?” Maybe he still walks funny from my breaking his legs nine years ago and couldn’t have been the driver in the car on that stormy night.
And Sam doctored the recording.
And the sky is made of diamonds and unicorns are really elephants.
“Same old, same old. Colonel in the sheriff’s office now. Got married to Sue Ellen, if you remember her. Last year, I think. No kids yet, though.”
Sue Ellen.Ire cuts through me. I do remember her. Ivy’s “friend” who stood and watched as Caleb and his friends pawed her. Astounding that she’d marry a man like him, knowing what he’s capable of. Or maybe she doesn’t care.
“Still in Tempérane, right?” I ask, needing to know he didn’t suddenly move.
“Yeah. He’s running for some kind of political office now. Guess he’s tired of law enforcement.” Harry shrugs. “He had some trouble, though.”
“Like what? War chest too small?” That would serve him right.
“A couple of women came forward and claimed he sexually assaulted them. It went away, though, because they were, quote, trailer trash sluts, unquote.”
I scowl at the term, disgusted at Caleb’s gall and hypocrisy. He’s been a rapist for close to a decade. The only reason he couldn’t have his way with Ivy is that I happened to be there.
Harry raises a hand, palm out. “His words, not mine. His camp is saying it’s a smear campaign and if he really was a habitual offender, there should be more women coming forward. His opponent is saying nobody’s coming forward because of his vicious attacks, turning the traumatizing event into something victims asked for and deserved.”
Bastard.“The women are right, regardless of what he wants to call them.” It turns my stomach that an asshole like him can hide behind a mask of respectability because he followed his daddy into law enforcement. “Caleb is guilty.” Not just of sexual assault but murder and attempted murder.
“Sue Ellen is laying it on pretty thick about how good a man he is, so…” Harry scowls. “But why do you care? You aren’t close to him or Sue Ellen. Although Ivy used to be, before the accident.”
My gaze slides toward Ivy. Does she remember Sue Ellen, have flashes of her, like Yuna? Ivy’s chortling at something Bobbi said. “She was never Ivy’s friend.”
Harry downs his drink. “I don’t know what’s going on in your mind, but just give peace a chance, okay? Maybe Dad really does want to make things right.” He stares at the empty glass. “It’d be nice if we could…just be a family again.”
Margot sends her regards.
“Yeah. It would.” But the only way that will happen is if Mother has a damn good explanation for what Caleb said.
The captain announces we’re about to land. I return to my seat and pray there’s a rational explanation, even though my gut says I’m wrong.
