The Bad Daughter(106)
“You want to know how it went down?” Kenny asked Robin. “I’ll tell you exactly how it went down.”
“Don’t listen to him, Robin. He’s drunk and high on coke.”
“Her mother didn’t like me always hanging around,” Kenny said, ignoring her. “She was getting suspicious that something was going on. And she was right. We were going at it like rabbits. Have been for months.”
“He’s making all this up,” Cassidy said, crying now. “I swear—”
“Her mother told Cassidy she couldn’t see me anymore, and Cassidy got real pissed off, said her mother had no right to tell her anything, that she was ruining her life. Said her mother was cheating on her dad and planning to run off with some old boyfriend, which would’ve meant no more big house, no more money for nice clothes, no more nothin’. She said her mother was gonna spoil everything and that we had to stop her.”
“I told him that Mommy was cheating on Daddy and I was afraid he’d find out and divorce her and that would ruin everything, yes, that’s true,” Cassidy explained, choking back tears. “I was upset and I needed someone to talk to. I thought Kenny was my friend. I thought I could confide in him.”
“Cassidy heard her mother talking on the phone that night, making plans to meet up with your brother,” Kenny continued, ignoring Cassidy. “She and her mom had this big fight and she called me, said we couldn’t wait any longer, that they were coming to install the security cameras that week, so we had to take care of things right away, and to bring my gun. I went to the house. Cassidy let me in. Her mother saw me and right away started yelling. Her dad ordered me to leave. I pulled out my gun, and told them both to shut up. Cassidy already had the gun your dad kept in his bedroom. Shit, you should have seen her. The damn thing was bigger than she is. She held it on her mom while I made your dad open the safe. Cassidy knew your dad kept a lot of cash in there and we were gonna need it to start our life together once things calmed down. Her mom was crying and begging her to think about what she was doing, telling her that she loved her and stuff. And that’s when Cassidy shot her.” He laughed. “Shot her right in the fucking face. And then just kept on shooting her. I didn’t have a whole lot of choice but to finish off Mr. Davis. Then we messed up the place to make it look like a home invasion.”
Cassidy was sobbing. “That’s not what happened. Please, Robin. Can I tell you what really happened?”
Robin nodded, unable to find her voice.
“It’s true I was angry with Mommy. I knew about her and Alec. I recognized him the minute I saw him in San Francisco, even though he said his name was Tom Richards. I knew they didn’t just run into each other by accident. I figured out that they were having an affair, and that she was planning to leave Daddy. And make me go with her. Make me leave the only father I’ve ever known. And I love him, Robin. I love him so much. He’s been so good to me.
“I heard Mommy talking to Alec on the phone that night, making plans to meet him, and I was so upset, we had a big fight, and I called Kenny to come over. I just wanted somebody to talk to. But then when Mommy saw him, she went ballistic. Daddy told Kenny to get out, and that’s when Kenny pulled out his gun. I didn’t even know he had a gun. Guns scare me. I begged him to put it away, to leave before anything really bad happened. But Kenny wouldn’t listen. He made Daddy open the safe and Mommy started screaming, and…and…that’s when he shot her. And then he shot Daddy. And I tried to get away, to call nine-one-one, but he came after me. I screamed at him to stop, but he just smiled and pulled the trigger. I almost died, Robin. Did I plan that, too?”
Robin’s head was spinning, her whole body tingling. “But why didn’t you tell anyone?”
“I couldn’t. At first I was in shock. I didn’t remember anything. It was like what you see on TV. What do they call it? Am— am—”
“Amnesia?”
“Yes. That’s it. From the trauma and everything. And then when things did start coming back to me, Kenny was always there. And he said if I told anyone what had happened, he’d tell the police it was all my idea. Just like he’s doing now. So I didn’t say anything, and I pleaded with you to take me back to L.A. Please, Robin. That’s the honest-to-God truth. You have to believe me. I would never shoot Mommy. I would never hurt Daddy Greg. Please, please believe me.”
Robin closed her eyes. What Kenny was suggesting was impossible. Cassidy was twelve years old. She was a child, for God’s sake.
“Well, you can believe whatever the hell you want,” Kenny said, brandishing the piece of broken glass in his hand, “but I’m getting out of here and Cassidy’s coming with me.”
“No,” Cassidy said. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“The hell you aren’t.” He grabbed for her hand.
Instinctively Robin threw herself in front of Cassidy. The child screamed as the jagged piece of brown glass in Kenny’s hand swooped through the air. A sudden sharp pain sliced across Robin’s abdomen, a thin line of blood slowly seeping through the white cotton of her blouse and expanding like a sponge.
There was a loud banging on the front door. Kenny disappeared through the mudroom seconds before Blake and Sheriff Prescott came rushing into the kitchen.
“Robin, my God!”