Original Sin by Barbara Winkes

Author:Barbara Winkes [Winkes, Barbara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: UNKNOWN
Published: 2020-06-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

“I hope you’re not mad at me.” Rue’s tone was soft, like her touch on Joanna’s naked back. They had lost track of time, evasion, sweet distraction, until they couldn’t avoid that conversation any longer.

“For bringing guests and making me go out for brunch? No. I’m beginning to understand that there are some answers I’ll never get from Mary. And it was nice to see Kira again.”

“So you’ll be good with going home this weekend?”

“I’ll be good to go wherever you are.”

Her content sigh was muffled by the pillow as Rue leaned over and kissed her neck.

No need for any more complications.

It was only mid-afternoon, but they had slipped into a light sleep…

“Come on, we need to get going.”

Joanna didn’t want to go anywhere, and she didn’t like the frightened tone in her mother’s voice, the tight grip on her wrist. Where would they go anyway? All her books, clothes and toys were here. Mary all but dragged her down the stairs and to the front door where they both jumped when Lawrence Mitchell stepped into their way.

“You’re not going anywhere,” he said.

Joanna recognized the tone, the one where it was pointless to argue.

“Let us go. I’m not going to tell anyone. I just want—”

“Want what, Mary? Be normal? That’s never going to happen.”

“I know things,” she said, clutching Joanna’s hand tightly enough for her to yelp.

“I could have you locked up in the loony bin for the rest of your life.”

Joanna bolted upright, gasping for air. Slowly, she oriented herself in the present, realizing she’d woken Rue. Her concerned gaze spoke volumes.

Usually, they could trace the source of night terrors to a handful of predators, all of them dead. This was different. Joanna didn’t know if it was Mary’s story that had prompted the dream, or her own memory. If it was the latter, how could she have forgotten about it for so long?

Shivering all of a sudden, she pulled the sheet around her.

“Maybe she was telling the truth. Maybe she tried to leave with me, and he stopped her. If that’s true…I owe her an apology.”

Rue put her arms around Joanna.

“She still left you with him.”

“Maybe she thought she’d be in a better position if she was free, than committed to a psychiatric hospital by her powerful husband. Wow. I knew he wasn’t a good guy, but the more I find out about him, the worse it gets. To think she never really got away from him…it’s depressing.”

“She’s still accepting money. That’s her choice.”

“I know…Do you think there’s a chance we could still have her at the wedding?”

“I’m okay with it if you are.”

Joanna hadn’t known until she said it out loud how important this was to her, and not just because she knew it would make Lawrence angry.

* * * *

He’d been going down the list, past and present. Hollister had been easy. Men like him always were, because they thought of themselves as invincible, and they expected everyone to bow to them. A traditionally trained psychiatrist teaming up with a successful businessman, young Mary Mitchell didn’t stand a chance.

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