It Takes Monsters by It Takes Monsters (retail) (epub)

Author:It Takes Monsters (retail) (epub)
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Epub3
Publisher: Penzler Publishers

39

Teagan needed to fortify, as she put it, so Victoria directed her sister to the basement where she could pilfer their wine reserves to her heart’s content while Victoria went upstairs to change. Glasses poured, they set up on the couch in front of a fire roaring and watched the flames dance, each lost in her own thoughts.

“I don’t think I’ve ever had an occasion to think about who would want me dead,” Victoria said.

“Congratulations, you’ve entered your Taylor Swift era.” Teagan sipped her wine and clicked the home screen on her phone. She’d done it five times since they’d sat down and Victoria wondered if it was just nerves. The need to do something with her hands.

“Maybe I’ll get a snake tattoo to commemorate this outstanding milestone,” she joked, drawing a looping line along her wrist with the tip of her finger. “Isn’t that what people do? Memorialize their suffering in ink and stories?”

“Someone’s been reading poetry again,” Teagan hummed. “I swear you were one skull and a little black eyeliner away from being an emo English major.”

“This is why half of America is illiterate: people like you shaming others for liking to read.”

“Okay, before you start soapboxing your presidential platform, can we refocus? It’s getting late and I have a full schedule tomorrow.”

“Fine. Okay. So. We need to . . . think about . . . who we know that could’ve wanted Warren dead.”

The good-natured ribbing deflated and they reverted to their quiet reflection, the only sounds the crackling from the fire and the settling of the house.

“It’s funny,” Teagan said after a moment.

“What is?” Victoria asked.

“Well.” Teagan drew her knees to her chest. “Okay, I know this might not be the nicest thing to say.”

“Never stopped you before.”

“But before Warren died, you guys didn’t seem to be on the best terms. Sometimes it seemed like you didn’t even like him.”

“And?”

“And,” she continued, “if you had asked me to do something like this before, you know, think of people who’d want Warren dead, I would’ve put your name at the top of the list.”

Victoria tensed. Perhaps Teagan was more observant than she gave her credit for. “Every marriage has issues, Teagan. Couples fight and make up. Go through periods where they can’t stand each other and then remember why they fell in love.”

“So, love. That’s why you’re going to all this trouble?” she asked.

Love had little to do with it, she thought, but love was complicated. Had her feelings for him worn thin throughout the years? Sure. Was her desire to find X solely based on self-preservation? A sliver of doubt worked its way through her tough exterior like a splinter. She wasn’t heartless after all.

“Warren didn’t deserve to die like that,” she said.

“That doesn’t exactly answer my question.”

“Maybe you’re not listening hard enough.”

“Victoria,” Teagan huffed.

“You’re not going to let this go, are you?”

“When have I ever taken the easy way out?”

Victoria curled her legs beneath her on the couch and balanced the glass on her knee, carefully choosing her words.

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