Best Kept Secrets(130)
her.
"No. You left because you were afraid Junior was going
to propose to Celina that night. You were even more afraid
that she was going to accept."
He brought the truck to a jarring stop outside her motel
room. He got out and came around to her door, almost jerking
it off its hinges when he opened it. Grabbing her arm again,
he pulled her to the ground and pushed her toward her door.
She resisted and turned to confront him.
"I'm right so far, aren't I?"
"Yeah, I went out with Nora Gail to blow off some steam.''
"Did it work?"
"No, so I sneaked back to the ranch and found Celina in
the mares' barn. How the hell I knew she was going to be
there is something you've yet to figure out, Counselor," he
sneered.
"I look the scalpel out of my pocket. Why I'd taken it
from the vet's bag when I could have strangled her with my
bare hands is something else you'll have to muddle through.
While you're at it, think about where I'd hidden it when I
took off all my clothes to screw Nora Gail, who would in all
probability have noticed a scalpel.
"Anyway, I used the scalpel to stab Celina repeatedly.
Then, I just left her body there on the outside chance that
Gooney Bud would come wandering by, see her, try to help
her, and, in the process, get her blood all over himself."
"I think that's exactly how it was done."
"You're full of shit, and a grand jury will think so too."
He angrily gave her another shove toward her door. In a
quavering voice, she said, "There's blood on your hands."
He looked down at them. "I've had blood on (hem before.''
"The night you murdered Celina?"
His eyes moved back to Alex's. His voice was raspy with
menace when he lowered his face close to hers and said,
"No, the night she tried to abort you."
Thirty-five
Alex stared at him blankly for several seconds. Then, she
attacked him. She went for his face with her nails, his shins
with the toes of her shoes. He grunted in pain and surprise
as she landed one solid kick against his kneecap.
"You liar! You're lying! Lying!" She took a swing at his
head. He managed to dodge it.
"Stop it." He grabbed hold of her wrists to protect his
face. She tried to wrest her hands free, while still kicking
out with her feet and knees. "Alex, I'm not lying to you."
"You are! You bastard. I know you are. My mother
wouldn't do that. She loved me. She did!"
She fought like a wildcat. Fury and adrenalin pumped
through her system, endowing her with additional strength.
She was still no match for him. Holding her wrists together
in his left hand, he shook her key out of her handbag and
used it to open the door. They stumbled inside together. Reede
kicked the door shut.
She bucked against him, shouting deprecations, trying to
work her hands out of his grip, slinging her head from side
to side like someone demented.
"Alex, stop this," he ordered fiercely.
"I hate you."
"I know, but I'm not lying."
"You are!" She twisted and turned and tried to stamp on
his feet.
He forced her down on the bed, and secured her there with
his own body. Keeping an iron grip on her wrists, he placed
his other hand over her mouth. She tried to bite it, so he
applied more pressure, making any motion of her jaw impossible
unless she wanted to break the bones.
Her eyes were murderous as she glared at him over the
back of his hand. Her breasts rose and fell dramatically with
each breath. He hung his head above hers, his hair falling
over his brow, gulping in draughts of air until he regained
his breath.
Finally, lifting his head, he stared deeply into her eyes.
"I didn't want you to know," he said in a low, throbbing
voice, "but you just kept pushing me. I lost my temper. It's
out, I can't take it back, and damn me if it's not the truth."
She tried to shake her head no, the denial in her eyes
vehement. She arched her back in an effort to throw him off,
but she remained pinioned beneath him.
"Listen to me, Alex," he said, angrily straining the words
through his teeth. "Nobody even knew Celina was pregnant
until that night. She'd been back from El Paso for several
weeks, but I hadn't gone to see her yet, hadn't even called.
My pride was still hurting. In a juvenile way, I was letting
her sweat it out."
He closed his eyes and shook his head ruefully. "We were
playing games with each other, childish, foolish, silly, boy-girl
games. Finally, I decided to forgive her." He smiled
with bitter self-derision.
"I went to see her on a Wednesday night because I knew