Dead to Her(108)
“You think she killed Jonny?” Jason asked.
“I spent time in her hometown. I talked to her old friends. The woman she was out drinking with that night, the night Jonny died, she said she’d seen it in her face when they came back into the trailer. A moment of victory. She said Marcie hated being married. She’d hoped he’d die. And then he did. How rare that the terrible things we hope for actually happen. Yes, I think she killed Jonny.” She leaned across the table conspiratorially. “And more than that, my mama says she knows she did. It’s in the air around her. Bad juju.”
“But she’s out there walking around without a care in the world?” Jason said. “With Keisha and all William’s money? And you can’t do anything for me? To help me?” He couldn’t keep the pleading desperation out of his voice. “Nothing?”
“I’m afraid not,” Elizabeth said, with a sigh, as she leaned back in her chair. “There was a third choice for Marcie, you know.”
“What do you mean?”
“She could have refused to choose. She could have let justice run its course. That’s what a decent person would have done, don’t you think? A good person? She could have told Detective Anderson everything I’d said and added another suspect to the pot. But no, Marcie didn’t even consider that option. She only considered what was best for her.”
Elizabeth studied Jason thoughtfully, before leaning back in close to the glass. “I can’t save you. No one can do that. But I granted the wish of a dying woman and now I can grant the wish of a dying man. There’s power in a dying man’s wish.”
Jason’s eyes narrowed, confused. “What do you mean?”
“I’ll give you a choice, just like I gave your wife. Would you like me to leave Marcie be? To let her live her life regardless of the harm she causes others? Regardless of her slow murder of you in here? Do you love her enough for that? Or”—she smiled—“would you like me to take her own life from her when she’s least expecting it? A fitting punishment for a murderess, perhaps? As I did with William for Eleanor?” She paused. “The choice is yours.”
Jason smiled, and as her eyes burned, Elizabeth knew he could see the serpents shining in them.
“I know what I choose,” he said.
Acknowledgments
Firstly, a big thank-you and apology to the people of Savannah, Georgia. I visited your city about three years ago for SIBA (Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance), and along with meeting so many wonderful independent booksellers there, I also fell in love with the town and knew I would have to make it a book’s home at some point. I had intended to spend a month or two in an Airbnb getting to know the place last year, but sadly my wonderful father was diagnosed with terminal cancer and all travel plans were off the table so I could stay close to home. So, while I’ve tried my best to get things right, please forgive any inaccuracies that may be in the pages of this book; I had hoped to know the city better!
As well as the obvious thanks to my fabulous agents, Veronique Baxter at David Higham and Grainne Fox at Fletcher & Company, and exceptional editors, Natasha Bardon and David Highfill and ALL their teams who work so hard to make any book a reality, and who have me forever in their debt, there are several other people who need a mention with regard to Dead to Her in particular.
Big thanks to Lynn Radford, who was very generous in her bidding for charity to win naming a character in this book—I hope Keisha likes her namesake!
Kevin Wignall and Simon Kernick for always being there and being guaranteed to make me laugh even when it feels like the world is crumbling. I couldn’t ask for better friends. Likewise, the Stony Stratford dog-walking posse, who keep me and Ted grounded and sane in the early mornings.
A massive thanks to Amanda Palmer for letting me use the lyrics from her brilliant “Runs in the Family,” and also thanks to Neil Gaiman for making sure my request didn’t get lost in the ether.
Thanks of course to Mark for putting up with me in the madness of deadline chasing and book angst and all the other self-absorbed activities authors get so wound up about. Welcome to the world of living with a writer ;-). Yes, we are going to go on holiday now . . . well, once I’ve finished the next one.
And finally, thanks to all you readers, without whom this whole business would be pointless. You’re superstars.
About the Author
SARAH PINBOROUGH is the author of more than twenty novels and novellas, including Behind Her Eyes, which was a New York Times and number one Sunday Times bestseller; Cross Her Heart, a Sunday Times bestseller; The Death House; and the young adult thriller 13 Minutes. She has also written for the BBC. She lives in England.
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