Best Kept Secrets(164)

open doorway. He pointed a shaking, accusatory finger at his

father. "You didn't want me to marry her because you wanted

her for yourself! You killed her because she turned down



your despicable proposal! You goddamn bastard, you killed

her for that!"



The road seemed bumpier than usual. Or maybe she was

just hitting all the ruts because her eyes were blurred with

tears. Alex fought to keep the Blazer on the road to Reede's

house.

When Junior had launched himself at Angus and begun to

beat him with his fists, she had run from the room. She

couldn't stand to watch. Her investigation had turned son

against father, friend against friend, and she simply couldn't

stand any more. She had fled.

They'd all been right. They'd tried to warn her, but she

had refused to listen. Compelled by guilt, headstrong and

fearless, armed to the teeth with an unshakable sense of right

and wrong, cheered on by the recklessness of immaturity,

she had excavated in forbidden territory and disturbed its

sanctity. She had aroused the ire of bad spirits long laid to

rest. Against sound counsel, she had kept digging. Now those

spirits were protesting, making themselves manifest.

She had been brainwashed to believe that Celina was a

fragile heroine, tragically struck down in the full bloom of

womanhood, a heartbroken young widow with a newborn

infant in her arms, looking out on the cruel world with dismay.

Instead, she had been manipulative, selfish, and even cruel

to the people who had loved her.

Merle had made her believe that she had been responsible

for her mother's death. With every gesture, word, and deed,

whether overt or implied, she had made Alex feel inadequate

and at fault.

Well, Merle was wrong. Celina was responsible for her

slaying. By an act of will, Alex unburdened herself of all

guilt and remorse. She was free! It no longer really mattered

to her whose hand had wielded that scalpel. It hadn't been

because of her.

Her first thought was that she must share this sense of

freedom with Reede. She parked the Blazer in front of his



house, got out, and ran across the porch. At the door, she

hesitated and knocked softly. After several seconds, she

pulled it open and stepped inside. "Reede?" The house was

gloomy and empty.

Moving toward the bedroom, she called his name again,

but it was obvious that he wasn't there. As she turned, she

noticed her handbag, lying forgotten on the nightstand. She

checked the adjoining bathroom for items she might have left

behind, gathered them up, and dropped them into her handbag.

As she snapped it closed, she thought she heard the familiar

squeak of the screened front door. She paused and listened.

"Reede?" The sound didn't come again.

Lost in sweet reverie of the night before, she touched

Reede's things on the nightstand--a pair of sunglasses, a

comb that was rarely used, an extra brass belt buckle with

the state seal of Texas on it. Her heart swelling with love,

she turned to go, but was brought up short.

The woman standing in the doorway of the bedroom had

a knife in her hand.



Forty-six



"What the hell is going on here?"

Reede grabbed Junior's collar and hauled him off Angus,

who was sprawled on the floor. Blood was dribbling down

his chin from a cut on his lip. Oddly enough, the old man

was laughing.

"Where'd you learn to fight like that, boy, and why haven't

you done it more often?" He sat up and extended his hand



fllo Reede. "Help me up." Reede, after giving Junior a warming

glance, let go of his collar and assisted Angus to his feet.

"One of you want to tell me what the devil that was all

about?" Reede demanded.

f. When the Jeep had arrived, he had driven straight to the

4 ranch house, where an anxious Lupe had greeted him at the

door with the news that Mr. Minton and Junior were fighting.

Reede had run into the den and found the two men locked

in combat, rolling on the floor. Junior had been throwing

earnest, but largely ineffective, punches at his father's head.

' 'He wanted Celina for himself,'' Junior declared, his chest

heaving with exertion and fury. "I overheard him telling

Alex. He wanted to set Celina up as his mistress. When she

said no, he killed her."

Angus was calmly dabbing at the blood on his chin with

a handkerchief. "Do you really believe that, son? Do you

think I would sacrifice everything--your mother, you, this

place--for that little chippy?"

"I heard you tell Alex that you wanted her."

"I did, from the belt down, but I didn't love her. I didn't

like the way she came between you and Reede. I sure as hell

wouldn't gamble away everything else in my life by killing