The Bad Daughter(103)

“Gross,” Robin agreed, turning the snow globe over again, watching the snowflakes dance around the ballerina’s head. “Maybe it was the marijuana that made you sick.”

Cassidy stiffened. “What marijuana?”

Robin lowered the snow globe to her lap. “I can smell it in your hair.”

There was a long pause before Cassidy spoke. “It’s because I was so upset about you leaving, and Kenny said it would make me feel better,” she admitted sheepishly. “I just had a couple of puffs. I swear. I didn’t like it and I promise I won’t do it again.”

“Okay. That’s good. You’re too young for that sort of thing.” Robin held up the snow globe. “Where did you get this?”

“I have a whole bunch. I used to collect them. This one was always my favorite.”

“I’ve seen it before,” Robin said.

“There’s probably hundreds like it.”

“I saw it in Landon’s room.”

“Really?” Cassidy asked. “It was there on the nightstand when I got home from the hospital. Guess he must have put it there. So I’d have it.”

“Guess so,” Robin agreed.

“Which means he would never shoot me,” Cassidy insisted. “Don’t you see? Deep down, Landon’s kind and he’s sensitive, and he loves me. He would never do anything to hurt me. I don’t care what they found in his room.”

“I hope you’re right.”

“I am right. At least I think I am.” Cassidy jumped to her feet. “Oh, God. I don’t know what to think anymore. I’m so confused.”

“Me, too, sweetheart,” Robin said, taking the girl in her arms. “I wish there was something I could say to reassure you.” To reassure both of us.

“I don’t know who to trust.”

“You can trust me.”

“You’re leaving,” Cassidy said.

“Not till we know what’s going on,” Robin told her. “And not without you.”

“What do you mean?”

“Blake and I talked about it. We decided that if my dad doesn’t pull through, you’ll come back to L.A. and live with us. I wanted to tell you last night, but…”

“Oh, my God. Oh, my God!” Cassidy danced around the room with excitement. “I can’t believe it! This is so wonderful! Do you promise?”

“I promise.”

“Can we go right now? Please? We can transfer Daddy to a hospital in L.A.”

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

“I don’t want to stay here anymore. I want to get out of here now.”

“We’ll go soon, I promise, but—”

The doorbell rang.

Robin and Cassidy froze. “Who’s that?” Cassidy asked.

Robin left Cassidy’s side and headed for the master bedroom at the front of the house. She stared out the window at the driveway below, feeling Cassidy right behind her, the girl’s chin resting on her shoulder.

“It’s Kenny,” Cassidy said. “That’s his car.” She was out of Melanie’s room before Robin had even turned around.

“Cassidy, wait!” Robin called as the child’s footsteps receded down the stairs.

A multitude of thoughts began swarming around in Robin’s head, like a horde of locusts, their insistent buzzing getting louder, stronger. According to Melanie, Tara had been concerned about Kenny’s interest in her daughter. Had Tara told the young man to stop coming around? Had he gotten angry? Angry enough to kill?

It would have been so easy for him to blame everything on Landon once suspicions arose. Kenny had been in the house multiple times since the shootings. He’d had ample opportunity to hide both the jewelry and the balaclava among Landon’s things.

I searched that room, Robin thought, mentally retracing her steps that night. I checked each pocket and the inside of every shoe. I went through everything and found nothing. No ski mask stuck to the back of a drawer, no jewelry secreted in the toe of a sneaker. And while it’s possible I might have missed one or the other, there’s no way I missed both. I’m sure of it.

“Cassidy,” she called, “wait. Don’t answer that.”

But it was too late. Cassidy was already opening the front door. Kenny was inside the house.





CHAPTER FORTY-ONE


Robin heard them moving around in the kitchen as she approached the top of the stairs. She took her cell phone from her pocket and pressed Blake’s number. The call went straight to voice mail. “Get home as fast as you can,” she whispered. “Bring the sheriff with you.”

She could hear Cassidy and Kenny arguing as she crept slowly down the stairs and tiptoed cautiously across the hall.

“What the hell, Cassidy?”

“Why are you being such a jerk? It’s not like you can’t come and visit.”

“Yeah, sure. With him there?”

“Him? You mean Blake?”

“Yeah, I mean Blake. Everything was going great until he got here.”

“Going great? Are you kidding me? I just got out of the hospital. I almost died!”

“This morning you told me there was nothing to worry about, that you definitely weren’t going to L.A.”