Poisoned Promises by Maggie Thom

Author:Maggie Thom
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: international crime thriller, excellent crime thrillers, page turning suspense, prairie crime thriller, amateur sleuth, female sleuth, thrillers set in Canada, woman sleuth, suspense mystery, business thriller
Publisher: Quadessence Press
Published: 2023-05-09T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 34

After swiping at her face to remove any semblance of tears or anger, Bryana shoved open her mom’s front door. Planning to disappear into her room until she pulled herself together, something made her stop. She cautiously made her way to the kitchen. No one. Heading to her room, she heard the noise again. Rushing forward, she threw open her mom’s bedroom door. Her mom’s wheelchair was sitting near the bathroom.

“Mom?”

“I’m here.”

Bryana raced around the bed. Her mom was lying on the floor trying to get up. Bryana crouched beside her. “Are you okay?”

Her mom nodded, seeming a bit shaky. “Just help me up.”

Bryana did a quick check of her mom’s body first to make sure there weren’t any serious injuries. As a teenager, it was one of the first things she’d learned after moving in with her mom. Putting her hands under her mom’s armpits, she said, “Ready?” Barely waiting for her nod, Bryana used her legs to thrust upward, managing to get her mom onto the bed. On her face. Her mom was mumbling something. Shifting to get a better grip, Bryana managed to help her flip over and sit up, propped against the pillows.

“What happened? Do you want to go to the hospital?”

“I’m fine.” The bite in her mom’s voice had Bryana clamping her mouth shut. She was about to leave when she realized her mom’s wheelchair was out of reach. Grabbing it, she moved it closer to the bed, locking the wheels.

“I’m assuming you can get in it yourself.” Not waiting for a response to her snarky comment, Bryana left. She wanted to yell at her mom, to demand that for once she say thank you. Or show some kind of appreciation. But one look at the tired, drawn lines on her mom’s face and her struggle to remain sitting reminded Bryana that there would be no satisfaction. It would be like kicking a kitten. A fierce one, but still.

It was as she closed the door that she realized her missed opportunity. She shoved the door open and walked back in. Her mom looked at her quizzically.

“I know about the lawyer. I know about the blood work. What am I missing?” She said it quietly, calmly, as she approached the bed.

One, two, three, four... ten, eleven, twelve... twenty, twenty-one... She counted in her head to keep herself from breaking the silence.

“I made a promise—”

“And you have an obligation to your daughter. You’ve been lying to me long enough. I’ve paid the price of whatever you’re hiding. I need to know, Mom.”

“I can’t—”

“Then I can’t stay. You won’t see me again. I’m done feeling like dirt. Like I did something wrong. Only I don’t know what I did that made me such a bad daughter. I’m just done hurting all the time.”

“Nooooo. You can’t disappear, too.”

“I can. I’m surprised you care.”

Her mom gasped. “No!” She shifted slightly, so she could reach out and touch Bryana. “No! I don’t hate you. I love you. I’ve only ever tried to protect you.

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