The Empty Cradle by Jill Nojack

Author:Jill Nojack [Nojack, Jill]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: IndieHeart Press
Published: 2017-11-03T16:00:00+00:00

***

“You might as well sit down, Butch,” Jenny said, motioning him toward the sitting room. It was hard looking at him. He didn’t look like a killer. A bad husband, a bad father, but a killer?

She had to get through this. And if he did know where Dahlia was….

She steeled herself. She had to talk to him. She didn’t have a choice. Maybe he knew something, something he’d tell her if she was nice.

“Why don’t you come outside instead? That squalling is too much. You’d think your friends would be able to get the brats calmed down better than that.”

Jenny realized it was going to be impossible to be nice.

“They aren’t brats, Butch. They’re our children. Our children, not just my children. Although they might as well be. My mother tried to warn me about you before we got engaged, but she gave you nothing but support after we married. She was sure things would get better. But now I know they never will. You wanted me all to yourself so I could wait on you night and day. My mother is gone now, but I finally understand what she tried to tell me. Get your truck out of her driveway and stay away from me. And I hope they find the evidence they need to lock you up.”

He moved toward her, his voice softening. “I didn’t do it, babe. You know I couldn’t do that.”

“Aren’t you hearing me? I don’t want you near us. You always hated her. But yeah, I don’t think you killed her. It doesn’t make sense, just like Denton said. But where is my Dahlia?” She dissolved in tears before she could stop herself.

He reached out, grasping her so that her arms were pinned at her sides. The magic at her fingertips sparked, but she was helpless to free herself without freedom of movement. He pulled her in close. “Look, come home with me. We’ll fix this. I only want things to go back to normal.”

“Normal? Any other father would be frantic with worry that one of his daughters is missing, but you? You just want to make sure that I’m not going to give evidence against you.”

He squeezed her hard. She was so very tired of so many demands. She didn’t mind the the demands of the girls; they couldn’t survive without her. But Butch could take care of himself. There was no reason for her to stay with him. There was no reason he should be allowed to hold her immobile there and demand anything of her.

She took a deep breath; he needed to let her go. She’d been willing to believe he’d killed her mother because of all the times he’d frightened her. But now she was done with all of that.

She rammed the fingers of her left hand up against his thigh. He screamed, letting go and grabbing at his injured leg where a hole had been burned through and the skin was red and coming up in blisters.

“Jen, you okay?” Cassie’s voice sounded from the kitchen.

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