“Of course!” Margie reaches into the car and pulls out her giant purse. She rifles around until she finds her phone. “Oh fudge, there’s no service.”
I expected that. “Fine, then we’ll have to drive to the police station. Let’s go—now.”
Margie swivels her head to look out at the woods. “Are you sure he’s in danger? I mean, he’s with his father. I’m sure he’s fine.”
“Margie—” I start to say, but then I stop myself.
I never told Margie that Shane was Josh’s father. I never even told her I was with Shane. And I certainly never told her where I was today. Even though she doesn’t look the slightest bit surprised to see me here.
“Margie?” I say.
Her lips curl slightly. “That’s not actually my name. We have met before, and you do know me by my real name, but I doubt you would remember it. Of course you wouldn’t.” She titters. “In fact, I’ll tell you what, Brooke. If you can tell me my real first name, I’ll take you right to Shane and Josh.”
I stare at her wrinkled face, trying desperately to place her. While I’m trying to figure it out, she sifts around in her purse again. But this time, instead of her phone, she pulls out a gun.
And she points it right at me.
Chapter 52
I don’t understand what’s happening here. Why does Margie have a gun? What is she doing here? How does she know Shane is Josh’s dad? I’m sure I never told her that. I never told anyone except Tim—and he wouldn’t have told her.
“Margie,” I gasp. “Why… why are you doing this? I thought we were friends.”
“Friends!” Margie throws back her head and laughs until her jowls shake. “No. We weren’t friends. I only tolerated you so that I could spend time with my grandson. That’s the only reason I didn’t spit in your face.”
My mouth falls open. “Your…”
“Josh is a very sweet boy,” she muses. “Not as sweet as my boy, but of course, he was raised by you, not me. All those years, your witch of a mother wouldn’t even tell us he existed. Can you believe that?”
I can only shake my head. “I don’t understand. What about your daughters? What about your grandchildren?”
She grits her teeth, her knuckles whitening as she clasps the gun tighter. “I don’t have any daughters. I have one son, and I have watched him rot in prison for the last ten years. And I have one grandson that I didn’t even know existed until a year ago.”
“You’re Shane’s mother,” I gasp.
“I didn’t expect you to remember me.” She shrugs. “We only met a few times, and it was a long time ago. And it wasn’t like I meant anything to you.”
It’s not just that. Pamela Nelson looks very different from the way she did a decade ago. I remember her as having dark hair and a curvy figure, but the woman I hired to take care of Josh was gray-haired and pleasantly plump. She entirely changed her appearance over the last decade. I didn’t have a chance.
“Mrs. Nelson…” I’ve got to appeal to her. I know she cares about Josh, and he adores her—she was much better with him than my mother ever was. Maybe she doesn’t realize what kind of monster her son is. Of course, she’s holding a gun, so I’m guessing she must understand something. “Look, I know you love Shane, but he has done some terrible things. I was wrong about that night eleven years ago. It wasn’t Tim. I mean, it was, but he was working together with Shane. The two of them killed three people that night.”
Mrs. Nelson sneers at me. “Oh please. Is that really what you think?”
“Yes! It’s the truth. Tim and Shane were working together. While Shane was strangling me in the living room, Tim was upstairs, and he… he stabbed my best friend.”