Missing Pieces(83)

“Dean isn’t an issue.” Celia’s eyes gleamed dangerously. Had Celia killed him, too? Sarah wondered. And what about Hal?

“But I still don’t understand,” Sarah said, watching Celia swing the metal tool almost casually at her side. “Why did you kill Lydia?”

“Lydia was a nuisance. Stupid bitch tried to keep us apart and when I realized that Jack was never going stand up to his parents I saw him for what he really was. A weak little boy. And that’s when I truly saw John for the first time.” Celia’s face grew thoughtful. “I loved him. But I knew he would never leave her. So Lydia had to go.” She shrugged as if it was only rational. “I grabbed the nearest thing I could find.” Celia held up the notching tool. “I hit her and she kept looking at me as if asking, Why? So I hit her again and again but she kept staring at me.” Celia smiled at the memory.

“So you put the cloth over her face,” Sarah finished for her.

Celia pulled her cell phone from her jeans pocket and examined the screen. “The sheriff released Jack. Not enough evidence to hold him. Yet,” she added. She typed quickly. “He’ll be here any minute.”

Sarah could scarcely believe what she was hearing. Celia had been in love with Jack’s father all along? “You were having an affair with Jack’s dad?” Sarah asked.

A shadow of irritation swept across Celia’s face. “I thought he would be happy that Lydia was gone. We could finally be together,” Celia said, shaking her head with regret. “But it didn’t work out that way.” Celia set her face into a little pout that would have been charming on her in any other situation. “I told him what I’d done. What I’d done for him and he went crazy. He pushed me away. He was so angry. He wanted to go to her and I knew I had to stop him. He was going to tell.” Tears gleamed in her eyes. “It could have been so perfect.”

“So you killed him and pushed him into the cistern,” Sarah filled in. All these years everyone thought that Jack’s dad had murdered his wife and run away. It was all a lie.

“And Julia? You’re the one who hit her? Pushed her down the stairs? I still don’t understand.” Sarah’s head screamed with pain. A slow river of blood slid down the side of her face.

“I made a mistake. It broke and all the charms rolled across the floor. I thought I got all the pieces but I missed one.

“Julia found the bracelet last week when she was helping me pack up some things for Goodwill. I had it hidden in a drawer beneath some old clothes. She kept asking me questions and wouldn’t stop.” Celia’s voice rose to a high mimicking cadence. “Those charms look just like the one that was found with Lydia when she died.”

“So you beat Julia over the head and pushed her down the stairs so she couldn’t tell anyone. But why leave another charm at her side?”

“Shhh.” Celia put a finger to her lips. “I think he’s coming.” Celia cocked her head toward the stairs. Heavy footfalls echoed above them.

“Celia?” Sarah was at once relieved and terrified to hear the muffled sound of Jack’s familiar voice. She choked back a sob. He wasn’t guilty of any of this. He kept secrets, yes, but after twenty years of marriage, how could she have thought that he was capable of such horrific acts?

“Get up,” Celia gritted into her ear.

“I can’t,” Sarah cried. “My head.” She touched her temple and when she pulled her hand away blood dripped through her fingers.

“Get up,” Celia said again, grabbing Sarah’s sore arm, her clawlike fingers gripping into the soft flesh above her elbow. Sarah gasped in pain but managed to shift first to her knees and, with Celia’s prodding, to her feet. Another wave of nausea swept over her and her stomach clenched violently.

“Celia?” Jack called again.

“Down here!” Celia responded, her voice suddenly frantic and pained.

I’m bigger than she is, Sarah told herself. I’m stronger. But her limbs felt heavy. She wobbled dizzily and leaned against the freezer to keep from falling over. Jack’s steps came closer. Sarah looked upward. He was in the kitchen now.

Sarah wanted to call out to Jack. “Run,” she tried to shout, but it came out too softly. He couldn’t hear her.

“Shut up,” Celia snapped, striking her in the face with the palm of her hand. “Down here,” Celia cried loudly. “Jack, I need your help!”

Sarah could hear Jack’s pace quicken as he descended, the wooden stairs creaking with each footstep. Celia left her side for a brief moment but returned carrying a long, slim object. Black spots appeared before Sarah’s eyes and her fingertips tingled. A shotgun. She moaned in terror. By pure determination, she remained upright. She wasn’t going to lose consciousness and give Celia the easy way out. If Celia was going to kill her, Sarah was going to force Celia to look her in the eye.

“Is everything okay?” he asked as he cleared the final step and turned the corner. “Where’s Sarah?”

“She’s here,” Celia said, and pulled the trigger.





23

THE ACRID SMELL of gunpowder filled Sarah’s nose and her ears rang with the power of the blast. A hazy smoke filled the room and it was a few seconds before Sarah realized she was staring at her husband’s crumpled form resting against the opposite wall. A red stain bloomed against his white shirt and his face was a mask of pain and disbelief.