The Perfect Son by Freida McFadden(57)

Judge Maycomb strokes his white beard. He looks Liam over and sets the bail at $200,000.

This is cause for celebration—the judge could have easily denied bail entirely and Liam would be locked up again until the trial. Instead, after we put down ten percent of the $200,000 to the bail bond company, we can have Liam home by this afternoon. It also means that Maycomb doesn’t think much of the prosecutor’s evidence against Liam.

But none of us are in a celebratory mood during the drive home. The car is so silent, it feels like we’re coming home from a funeral. Jason drives and I sit shotgun, staring out the window. Hannah and Liam sit in the back, so quiet that I could forget they’re there.

“How was last night?” Jason asks Liam, in a pathetic attempt to break the silence.

Liam tugs at his collar as he squirms in his seat. He’s back in the same T-shirt and jeans he’d been wearing when he got arrested. “Fine.”

“Were you able to sleep at all?”

“A little.”

“Did they feed you?”

“Yeah. It was fine.”

“What was the dinner?”

“I don’t know. I don’t remember.”

I nudge Jason to try to get him to stop. Obviously, Liam doesn’t want to talk about his night in jail. I can only imagine it must’ve been horrible for him. But isn’t it what he deserves?

When we get to our front door, I sense something just as Jason is turning the lock. I don’t know what it is exactly, but I have a feeling like we shouldn’t go inside. It’s like a hand against my chest, pushing me backwards. Instinctively, I step in front of Liam. Even after everything that’s happened, my instinct is to put my own life in front of his.

Especially when we step inside and see the glint of a knife.





Chapter 49


Erika



She appears out of the shadows, her hair wild, her face streaked with tears. She’s holding a carving knife—one of ours. I recognize the handle. It’s a knife that somebody gave us as a housewarming present when Jason and I first moved in here. Jason carves the turkey with that same knife every Thanksgiving. I’ve used it enough times to know the blade has dulled over the years, but it’s far from harmless.

She rushes at us with the knife. I take a step back, my arms outstretched to protect Liam and Hannah. Although I have a feeling Liam is the real target here. She goes right up to him, not caring that I am between them, and shakes the knife in his face.

“Where is she?” the woman shrieks at him. “Where is my daughter?”

Liam’s eyes widen. His mouth falls open and he manages to say, “I… I don’t know.”

“You’re a liar!” The woman, apparently Olivia’s mother, Mrs. Mercer, shakes the knife at him. “I know all about you, Liam Cass. My daughter used to talk about you all the time. But Madison told me what you’re really like.”

There’s only one of her and four of us, but she’s the one who has the knife. On the other hand, her right hand is shaking like a leaf. I don’t think she could stab him if she tried. But I’d rather she didn’t try.

“Mrs. Mercer,” Jason says with his best attempt at a smile. “Please put down the knife and we’ll talk.”

She doesn’t make any attempt to lower the knife. “I’ll put down the knife when he tells me where she is.”

Jason pulled his phone out of his pocket. “If you don’t put down the knife, I’m calling the police right now.”

Fresh tears sprout in Mrs. Mercer’s eyes. “Call them. I don’t care. He’s already taken the only thing that’s important to me in the whole world.”

I look at Liam’s face. His brows are knitted together. As much as I don’t want this woman threatening my son with a knife, there’s part of me that’s hoping this might work.

Tell us where she is, Liam! Please!

But he doesn’t say a word, and Mrs. Mercer collapses into tears. She drops the knife on the ground and buries her face in her hands, sobbing. “I wish she never met you. I wish…”

I don’t know what else to do, so I try to put my hand on Mrs. Mercer shoulder, but she shakes me off roughly. She lifts her tear-streaked face and looks at Liam one more time. “Please tell me where she is. If you have any ounce of humanity left inside you, please…”

Liam’s eyes meet mine. And he just shakes his head.

Jason is the one who gently leads Mrs. Mercer out of our house. He calls a taxi for her and gets her safely inside. She seems to have calmed down, but she’s still crying.

Liam watches the whole thing, his face devoid of any emotion. And when the taxi pulls away, he goes upstairs to his room and shuts the door behind him without another word.





Chapter 50


Transcript of police interview with Hannah Cass:



“How close are you with your brother, Hannah?”

“I’d say we’re very close. He’s my best friend.”

“Your best friend?”

“Well, yeah. He’s my big brother. He looks out for me.”

“You understand the charges against him.”

“Yes, I understand. But you guys are totally wrong. Liam didn’t do anything.”