Juniper Hill (The Edens #2)(80)

“But she showed me a badge.” It had been in a black wallet that she’d flipped open when I’d seen her outside my townhouse.

“We did find a badge on her person. It was a fake. A good fake. There was no way you’d know.”

“So she tricked me.” My heart sank. “She was just trying to get information on Oliver. Why?”

“From what we were able to find on her phone, she’s got a lot of video footage of Oliver. When I say a lot, it’s the sort I would expect to see from a stalker.”

“When I talked to Oliver, he sounded like he’d already dismissed her,” I said. “If he was being stalked, wouldn’t he know?”

“Not necessarily. She also had videos of your father. I doubt he knew she was following him either.”

“Why?” I shook my head. “I don’t understand why any of this was happening.”

“You and your family were a target.” Winn gave me a sad smile. “I’m guessing that Averie was offered money from Oliver to stay quiet about their relationship.”

I huffed. “He probably paid her the fifty grand I didn’t take.”

“Afterward, she must have learned about you and your family. Thought that if Oliver would pay her, you would too. And it would be an easy way to make money.”

“You think she knows how much Memphis is worth?” Knox asked.

Winn nodded. “I do.”

“I’m worth nothing,” I said. “Not anymore.”

Knox put his hand on my knee. “I doubt she saw it that way.”

“She could have gone to his wife,” I said.

“Nah.” Knox sighed. “Too dangerous.”

I was the easy route to millions. Except I didn’t have millions. Not anymore. “Why would she want Drake?”

“This is where Jill comes into play,” Winn said. “Again, without a confession, I can’t be sure, but I suspect that after your father denied her money, she decided she needed more ammunition. Specifically, a paternity test. Something to hold over his head, maybe Oliver’s too.”

“Enter Jill,” Knox mumbled.

“She’s a piece of work.” Winn rolled her eyes. “She doesn’t think she did anything wrong. Averie reached out to her weeks ago. Fostered some sort of relationship. Told her that she was Drake’s aunt. That her brother was his father. Averie’s story was that you refused to admit Drake was her brother’s son. And before they could get answers, you fled New York.”

My jaw dropped. “What? And Jill believed her?”

“Apparently. They’d become friends. Jill thought she was helping Drake get reunited with his family.”

“Oh, I hate her.” My teeth ground together.

Knox seethed at my side. “That fucking bitch.”

“Averie convinced Jill that she needed her help but they couldn’t meet in Quincy. That you might recognize her. It was too much of a risk that you’d take Drake and disappear like you had in New York. So Jill agreed to take Drake and meet her at that motel. It turns out, we weren’t all that far behind her. Thirty minutes, maybe. She thought she’d be back in town by five and you’d never be the wiser. Except it took longer at the motel because the money Averie promised Jill wasn’t there.”

“Wait.” Knox held up a finger. “Money?”

“One hundred thousand dollars. Averie said it was a reward her ‘brother’ was paying to anyone who helped reunite him with his son.”

“But Averie didn’t have the money,” I said.

Winn shook her head. “No and Jill refused to leave without it.”

“And Jill believed all of this?” I asked.

“I don’t know.” Winn shrugged. “It’s what she’s claiming.”

“Do you think it’s the truth?” Knox asked.

“Unfortunately, yes. Jill’s panicked. I don’t think she’s got the guts to lie when she’s staring at a kidnapping charge.”

“Of course it’s true. She thinks I’m a horrible mother,” I said. “She was probably enamored with Averie and thinking Drake would be better off without me.”

Knox put his arm around my shoulders. “You’re not a horrible mother. She’s fucking crazy, honey.”

“Then what am I for leaving Drake with her?”

His eyes softened. “I left him there too. So did other parents. Don’t put this on your shoulders. It’s on hers. Hers alone.”

“I should have trusted my instincts.” And the guilt for ignoring them would plague me for years to come.

“Knox is right, Memphis,” Winn said. “This is not your fault.”

“Do you think Averie was really after his DNA? Or was she going to take Drake?”

“My hunch is DNA,” Winn said. “I asked Jill if she was under the impression that Averie intended to take Drake away. She said all she wanted was his saliva and a hair sample. That she hardly spared him a glance.”

“Because he wasn’t the endgame.” Knox huffed. “She was after the money.”

Winn nodded. “It’s a lot of speculation at this point, but most of the time, our speculation turns out to be close to the truth.”