The Bad Daughter(23)

Robin glanced toward her groin, her cheeks growing warm, as if Melanie had slapped her. She heard her sister’s footsteps receding down the hall, and didn’t look up again until she heard Melanie’s bedroom door close. Then she crawled into bed, pulling the pink-flowered bedspread up over her head in an effort to keep unwanted ghosts at bay.





CHAPTER NINE


“You ready?” Melanie asked from the doorway. It was just past nine A.M.

Robin took a final sip of her coffee, followed by a deep inhalation, then used her exhale to push away from the kitchen table. She wiped her sweaty palms on the front of her jeans and walked to the sink.

“Uh-uh,” Melanie cautioned as Robin was about to rinse out her mug. “Dishwasher.”

“Sorry. I forgot.”

“Let’s go,” Melanie instructed. “Mustn’t keep the sheriff waiting.”

Robin put the mug in the dishwasher, anxiety driving invisible nails through the soles of her sandaled feet, rooting her to the spot.

“Are you all right?” Melanie asked.

“Do you really need me? I mean, I’ve never even been inside the house. I wouldn’t have a clue what’s missing.”

“You want me to go alone?”

Yes. “No.” Yes. “I’m just not sure I can do this.”

“Look, I know it won’t be easy,” Melanie said. “But the faster we get over there, the faster we can get back.”

Maybe that’s what I’m afraid of.

“Maybe you should take another pill. Don’t want you passing out on us again.”

“I already took one.” Two, actually. Unfortunately, they have yet to take effect.

“Then let’s go,” Melanie said, hanging on to the word “go” until Robin was forced to comply.

One foot in front of the other. One step at a time.

“I’m trying to understand why you’re so upset,” Melanie was saying. “These were people you hadn’t spoken to in more than five years. People you’d all but disowned. You don’t see me falling apart, do you? And I’m the one who was here every fucking day—”

“I’m coming, for God’s sake.”

“Good. Maybe you could walk a little faster. Landon!” Melanie called up the stairs as they moved through the hall toward the front door. “We’re leaving now. Be back in about an hour. In the meantime, don’t answer the phone. Don’t let anyone in. Do you hear me?”

“Did he hear you?” Robin asked as her sister opened the door without waiting for a reply.

“He hears everything.” They stepped into the bright sunshine, Melanie walking briskly despite the already intense heat, Robin struggling to catch up.

She glanced over her shoulder at the house, saw Landon watching them from his bedroom window.

“What now?” Melanie asked as Robin came to an abrupt halt.

“You just said he hears everything,” Robin said, seeing Landon disappear behind the curtains. “Did he hear anything that night?”

“Like what?”

“Like gunfire. Dad and Tara were shot multiple times. Did Landon hear gunshots?” Robin released a long, deep breath, feeling it slam against the heavy outside air, as if into a brick wall. “Did you?”

“It was after midnight. I was sound asleep.” Melanie dug her hands into the pockets of her denim skirt and resumed her former pace.

“But maybe Landon wasn’t.” Once again, Robin struggled to catch up. “The house is right next door. Maybe he heard shots and went to the window. He’s always standing there. Maybe he saw something. Maybe he saw the person who—”

“He didn’t.”

“How do you know? Did you ask him?”

“Sheriff Prescott asked him. Landon didn’t hear anything. He didn’t see anything. Are you done with the questions? I have no wish to get into this in front of everyone.”

“I didn’t mean—”

“Let’s just get this over with, okay?”

Robin felt a trickle of perspiration make its way between her breasts and cling to the underside of her white shirt. She followed Melanie in silence as they cut across the wide expanse of dry grass toward the mini-mansion next door. Two police cruisers were already parked in the long driveway, one so close behind the other that they were almost touching, leaving plenty of room for more cars, more prying eyes. The sheriff was standing at the front door, his wide-brimmed cowboy hat protecting his bald pate from the sun.

“Hello, ladies,” he said, tipping his hat in greeting.

“Sheriff,” Melanie said.

“Good morning,” Robin whispered, her voice barely audible.

“All settled in?” he asked her.

Robin managed a weak smile as she felt the Ativan kick in. Thank you, God. “All settled in,” she repeated, her shoulders inching slowly away from her ears. “Is that a camera?” She pointed with her chin toward a security camera positioned above the front door. Surely if there were cameras, there would be footage…

“Unfortunately none of the cameras have been connected yet,” the sheriff said. “Apparently the electricians were scheduled to come this week to finish installing the security system, which I understand is state of the art. If they had…” The sentence hung unfinished in the space between them.