Such a Beautiful Family: A Thriller(74)

The only thing Nora could hear was the loud thumping of her heart. Where were David and Trevor? Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Alex. She thought he might be dead until she saw his hand move to his head. “Don’t do this,” Nora pleaded. She wondered if Hailey had called the police. “If I had known you were out there in the world, suffering and in pain, I would have found you and done everything I could to help you.”

“Oh, that’s priceless. Why should I believe you?”

“The devastation I caused you is undeniable. Don’t do anything you’ll regret. It won’t bring back your brother or your parents.” She could only hope that a spark of normalcy remained inside Jane . . . that she would snap out of this black hole of craziness she’d fallen into and see killing Nora and her family wasn’t the answer.

In one swift motion, Jane raised the knife and tossed it at Nora, watching the glistening blade fly through the air in a perfect arc. Nora jerked to one side as the sharp tip came at her, just missing her shoulder.

Jane grabbed another knife. It was bigger, sharper. When Jane stepped closer, vibrating with excitement, Nora raised the axe she was holding and swung it in front of her. It was heavy, and her leg throbbed. She wasn’t sure how long she would last.

Jane focused on the axe’s sharp blade and took a step backward, then another.

Nora didn’t stop. She couldn’t stop. There was no way she would let Jane hurt her family. She kept swinging.

Jane took another step backward toward the sliding door. Nora still, even in the midst of insanity, prayed Jane would snap out of it. The axe grew heavier with each step Nora took. The adrenaline rush she’d felt was beginning to wane as she continued to swing the weapon from side to side. If she could get Jane out onto the deck, Nora hoped to lob the axe and throw Jane off-balance, so Nora could lock her out on the deck until the police arrived.

Just when Nora wasn’t sure she could hold the axe for a minute longer, Jane stepped back onto the deck, stumbling slightly, before righting herself. She straightened her spine, smiling at Nora as she pulled back, ready to throw the knife.

Nora had no choice but to do the same. She straightened. Every muscle in her body quivered as she held the axe up and over her shoulder, drawing back.

They both threw their weapons at the same time.

Nora was ready. As soon as she released the axe, she ducked, but the sharp tip of the knife hit her this time, slicing through her arm. Numb to the pain, she watched the axe glide through the air, in a perfect arc, heading right for Jane.

In a frantic attempt to get out of harm’s way, Jane scrambled backward, her eye on the axe as her legs bumped into a side table, before her backside hit the railing. The wood railing gave way, breaking and allowing gravity to pull her over the railing in a backward flip.

Nora had been rushing that way, ready to lock the door, when the axe hit a chair, bounced back, and hit the ground at the same time Jane flew over the side and disappeared.

Nora ran outside onto the deck, Hailey at her side as they peered over the broken railing where Jane had disappeared. Nora’s gaze roamed down the bluff and at the lake, where she saw nothing but shimmering water.





CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

Trevor had never run so fast in his life. When he got to the cottage, he stopped and stared at the crackling flames, wondering if he was too late. And then he heard Grandma shouting for help.

The flames were about to overtake the entryway into the cottage. He pulled off his T-shirt and held it over his nose and mouth as he ran inside. He found Grandma with both hands grasped around Dad’s ankles as she struggled to drag him from the kitchen toward the entryway.

Grandma was pale and sweaty. She coughed.

“Get out!” Trevor said as he dropped his T-shirt and took hold of Dad’s legs. He yanked and pulled, trying not to breathe in the thick smoke. Suddenly someone was at his side. It was Gillian. She took one of Dad’s legs, and together they yanked and pulled him across the living room floor and out the door right at the same moment the earth vibrated beneath his feet and a loud explosion coming from inside flung Trevor and Gillian backward to the ground. A blast of heat came at them in waves as the cottage exploded. Debris flew in the air amid a string of loud booms, making his eardrums ring. The windows exploded, and both he and Gillian put their faces against the dirt and covered their heads. Shattered glass rained down around them. When Trevor thought the worst of it might be over, he sat up and watched a dark plume of smoke shoot up high above their heads.

Gillian began to crawl on all fours toward his dad.

Grandma was farther off, out of harm’s way. She gathered her breath, then joined Trevor as he made his way to Gillian’s side. The three of them dragged Dad across the dirt until he was far enough away from the burning structure. Gillian then slid a hand under Dad’s neck, leaned over him, and gave him mouth-to-mouth, while Grandma looked on, her face smeared with ash and tears.

“What happened, Grandma?” Trevor asked.

“Your dad was pulling himself out from under the sink, ready to test the disposal, when Jane showed up. She came out of nowhere and hit him over the head with a shovel. She looked right at me, a sneer on her lips, so I ran and locked myself in the bathroom. After her failed attempt to get the door open, she ran off. I didn’t come out until I smelled smoke.”

“Grandpa is on the pontoon,” Trevor said as he recalled seeing him on the boat.