In the Absence of Truth: An Eastern Shore Mystery (The Eastern Shore Mysteries Book 6) by Cheril Thomas

Author:Cheril Thomas [Thomas, Cheril]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tred Avon Press
Published: 2023-05-30T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

“You think Mom killed him, don’t you?” Niki’s words were barely a whisper.

“In my heart?” Grace asked, remembering Connie’s expression as she looked at the young Stark’s photograph on the day of his funeral. “I think she and Stark were killing each other without knowing it for a very long time. But did she cause him to die two weeks ago? Maybe. I believed she was lying about the peeper, and I was wrong. I just don’t know anything for sure.”

“I’m sorry.” Niki wiped her face with the sleeve of her silk blouse, leaving damp patches on the pale pink material.

“You don’t have anything to be sorry about,” Grace protested, but even as she said the words, she knew Niki wasn’t apologizing for her parents.

“I need to leave, Gracie. I’ve been trying to talk myself out of it for ages, before I ever met Dylan, actually. Now that he’s a part of my life, though, it seems like a sign. I wanted to prove everyone wrong, to prove I’m smart and strong, and that I could make a successful business out of our properties, and I’ve done it. Funny thing is, no one really cares. Those accomplishments were only important to me.”

“That’s not true,” Grace protested. “I’m really proud of you and I appreciate what you’ve done here. I renovated the house, but you returned it to its original beauty.”

Niki waved the praise away impatiently. “We’re a good team, I agree, but we’ve finished the challenge of creating Delaney Inns, don’t you see? From here on it’s just maintaining the business, there’s no more creating to be done and we’re limited in how much money we can bring in. It’s a healthy enterprise, and we have a way to go before the potential is maxed out, but that day will come.”

Grace felt numb. What did Niki expect her to do? She couldn’t run the inns and the vacation rental, and most of her assets were tied up in them. Anger poked at the edges of her panic, and they’d had enough of that in the past few days. Finally, she said, “What exactly do you mean by ‘leaving’ and when are you planning on going?”

Niki seemed to weigh her next words more carefully. “You believed in me and I won’t let you down. I’ll figure it all out, but I can’t stay here in Mallard Bay.” She stood and glanced over her shoulder toward the hall and the staircase that led to Dylan. “Please don’t worry about any of it. Like I said, I’ve been thinking about this for a while and I’ve got a plan in place. When Cy told us about the trust and said he was sure I’d like to have a real home, he was right. I just don’t want one here, where Mom can pop in and out wrecking things at will. It was like my prayers had been answered that day. I won’t do anything rash, and I’ll consult with you every step of the way.

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