“Get up,” said Pine.
“I . . . I don’t think I can. I’m—”
Pine gripped her under the arm and jerked Atkins to her feet.
She pulled the woman over to the box on the hand truck, and pushed her down on it.
Gail cowered in a corner, holding a washcloth filled with ice against her injured head. Blum stood next to Pine.
Pine said, “Your little mouse turned into a lioness, Desiree. I saw a little girl do that after being kidnapped by a creep in Colorado. He never thought she would do what she did, because she was young and a girl. He’s currently in a state pen for the rest of his life.”
Atkins glared at Gail and rubbed her swollen cheek. “I need a doctor.”
“You’re going to need a lot of things, including a lawyer. But even that won’t be good enough to save your ass.”
“You broke into my home and I was defending myself.”
“And Gail?”
“I have no idea who she is. Was she hiding in here? I never come into this room.”
Pine gave Atkins a condescending look. “Three witnesses against you, Desiree. And the fact that you have a hidey hole where Gail was forced to live. And then there’s the little matter of what happened back in Georgia.”
“What happened back in Georgia was that bitch Becky killed my husband,” Atkins barked furiously. Spit flew out of her mouth along with the words.
“Now there’s the real Desiree Atkins. I knew you were just hiding the psychopath in there somewhere.” Pine leaned against the wall. “Why don’t you tell me what happened that night?”
“Why don’t you go to hell?”
Blum stepped forward. “You’re going to prison. The only question is for how long. If you cooperate, it won’t be as long as it otherwise would be.”
When Atkins didn’t answer Pine pulled out her phone. “Okay, let’s just get the cops in here. They’ll charge you with kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, and attempted murder, among other felonies, and then we’ll call the Georgia police. They’ve been looking for you for a long time, Desiree. You fled a murder scene. There’s no statute of limitations on murder. And you imprisoned Mercy. We have video proof, and Wanda will testify as well. You’ve got no chance.”
Pine started to punch in the number.
“Wait!” exclaimed Atkins.
Pine looked at the woman while her finger hovered over the phone. “I’m listening.”
“What do you want to know?”
“We know Mercy broke out of her prison. Then what?”
“She attacked us. She knifed Joe and went after me. But I got away.”
“Where’d she get the knife?”
“She had it with her.”
Pine held up her phone. “If you keep lying I will call the police and it’s all over.”
“I’m not lying.”
“Mercy had no knife. We saw the tape.”
Atkins knitted her brows. “She . . . she must’ve found one on the way to the house.”
“Yeah, I’m sure you leave butcher knives lying all over the ground. Who fired the shot?”
“What shot?”
Pine held up her phone again but said nothing.
“That . . . that was Joe. He . . . Becky jumped him and he shot at her, but missed.”