The Season of Sin (Peace In The Storm Publishing Presents) (27 page)

“I wanted the truth and obviously you weren’t telling it.”

“I didn’t lie about anything. I thought you were on my side.”

“You might as well just admit that you and Billy were more than just drinking buddies.”

“I don’t have to listen to this.” She went to the door. “Call me when you wanna listen to reason and not before then.”

He held the door closed. “You’re not going anywhere.”

“What the hell is the matter with
you
? Why are you treating me like some criminal you hardly know?”

“Just cut the shit okay? It’s over, Zoë. You can say what you want but I know you’ve been lying.”

“She’s turned you against me hasn’t she?” She caressed his cheeks.  “This is Brianna’s fault. Can’t you see she’s jealous?”

He knocked her hands down. “Why did you give Billy money?”

Fuck.

“Did Kael tell you that?”

“What do you think?”

“Before I knew how warped Billy was I wanted to help him out. I didn’t say anything because I thought if I told I’d given him money that people would try to say his death wasn’t self-defense. I thought people would twist things.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Why did you go to Chicago in the first place?”

“You mean the very first time?”

“Yep.” He kept his spot between her and the door.

“I just like to go places to get away you know? I thought Chicago would be interesting to see. I ended up at Kael’s bar and met Billy there.  It turned into this other shit and I got in over my head.  That’s the absolute truth, Steven.”

“Hmm well Kael paints you to be some femme fatale who seduced Billy and gave him money to do something for you.”

“That’s a crock of shit.  What the hell does Kael know? He never liked me from the beginning and I don’t know why.”

“So you gave Billy money to help him out?”

“Yes. That’s all it was. He had a ton of bills and was whining about his financial situation. I had the cash and I felt sorry for him that’s all.  Maybe I shouldn’t have done it. It put more ideas in Billy’s head about us but I just felt so bad for him.”

“And you really expect me to believe this story?”

“It’s the truth!”

“I get the feeling you wouldn’t know the truth if it were between your legs.”

“Oh!” She slapped him.  “How dare you speak to me like that? I love you, Steven. Please don’t treat me like this.”

 “Ever heard of Kenneth Brockman?”

She almost threw up over them both.  “No.”

“Oh well uh, he was believed to be Jim Klein.”

“Klein?”

He clapped. “And the Oscar goes to Zoë Peron for Best Actress.”

“Stop it! I don’t know who you’re talking about.”

“Oh you know. Jim Klein was the man responsible for Elle Givens’ baby being kidnapped. Surely you haven’t forgotten those clippings Nadia had of all this.”

“What the hell does this have to do with me? You’re acting crazy.”

“Kael wasn’t the only person Bree and I spoke to in Chicago.”

She lifted her head.

“We talked to a cop who is investigating Kenneth’s, Klein’s murder.”

“Murder?”

“Oh yeah he’s dead.  The police believe Billy had something to do with Klein’s death.”

“Get out of my way!”

“No.” He pulled her from the door.

“Let go of me, Steven!”

“I want you to admit it.”

“Let me go.” She smacked him. “Let me go, Steven!”

“Tell me the truth. Did you have something to do with Klein’s murder?”

“God you’re crazy.”

“Answer me.” He pulled her into the living room.  “Is that why you gave Billy that money?”

“No! Why would I be involved in something so horrible? I didn’t know what Billy was up to.”

“Were you at Nadia’s the night she died?”

“What? Are you crazy? No.”

“You’re a liar.”

“No.”

He held her tighter. “All this time you’ve lied about everything to everyone but you won’t get away with it anymore, Zoë. You were at Nadia’s weren’t you? Why would you hide that?”

“Steven.”

“Answer me damn it. What the hell is going on with you?”

She drifted to that dark horizon in her mind that held her deepest sins and gave her the courage to act them out. That place where vulnerability didn’t exist or have power over her. 

That place she’d lived all her life.

“Please don’t do this, Steven. I care about you so much.”

“Then be honest with me. See I know your big secret.”

She shivered.  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Your Nick and Elle’s adopted daughter aren’t you?”

“Oh my god.”

“Zoë?” His fingers stiffened on her arms.

“Oh no, no, no.” She flattened her hands against his chest.
“You know don’t you?”

He took a long breath. “Know what?”

A tear fell.  “That I’m the killer.”

Dylan checked the clock by Bruce’s bedroom. She didn’t remember dozing off but she’d been asleep for at least twenty minutes. 

“Bruce?” She went downstairs. She smelled her paints from the living room.

Bruce stooped in front of her easel shirtless and barefoot.  His jeans hugged his tight ass.

He hadn’t turned on the overhead light, just the desk lamp on the table in the corner.

A Three Stooges episode ran on the television in mute.  Bruce seemed oblivious to everything except the easel.

“Bruce?”

“Shh.” He waved a dark-blue palm.

“What are you doing?” She peeked around him.  He pushed her back, leaving blue fingerprints on her gown.

“Look what you just did to my gown. What are you doing in my paints?”

“Shh. I got it.” His ass moved from side to side as he finger-painted odd shapes on the canvas. He’d mixed several of her paints together to get the unique blue.

“Bruce?” She yanked up one of her brand new paints he’d opened. “How could you?”

He put dots around the edges of the canvas. “What?”

“Oh you know what!” She punched him in the back.

“Oww!”

“You ruined my paint! Look at this!” She seized the bowl of mixed paints. “You got my army green in here with the black? You know how much this stuff costs?”

He dipped his fingers in the white. “You didn’t have the blue I wanted.”

“Don’t dip your fingers in the white when you got blue on your hands!” She dipped blue streaks out of the white paint. “Are you a complete moron?”

“Just go on back to sleep. I was trying to surprise you.”

“Oh you surprised me all right.” She covered her paints.  “You messed up my paint.”

“No I didn’t.”

“Bullshit.” She shoved him from the easel.  “Just get away from my stuff.  This isn’t anything to play around with.”

“Hold on.” He laughed. “I was just trying to do something nice for you.”

“Oh this is nice?” She followed him around the room throwing baby punches to his chest.

“Hey, stop.” He laughed with his arms up. “Cut it out, Dylan.”

“And you think it’s funny? You’re gonna buy me new paint.” She punched his arm.  “I don’t care what you gotta do.”

“I was trying to be nice and paint you something!” He laughed.  “I was trying to be nice.”

She followed him into the kitchen.  “You’re an asshole.”

“Oh come on.” He turned on the sink and poured dishwashing liquid on his hands. “You can’t see the compassion in this at all?”

“Well I guess I can’t.”

 “No good deed goes unpunished right?” He washed his hands. “So what do you think of my masterpiece?”

“It’s not funny. You’re like a big kid sometimes.”

“So I opened your brand new paints. Wow.” He threw the dishtowel on the counter. “Come on.  You’re a
little
flattered aren’t you?”

She turned so he wouldn’t see her smile.

“Hey I really was trying to paint you something. I thought it would get your mind off things you know? I wanted you to wake up and see it.”

“Well I’m glad I was asleep already or that thing would’ve given me nightmares.”

“Fuck you.” He threw the towel at her.

She laughed. “Okay I do appreciate the gesture but you still owe me some new paint.”

“And you owe me an apology.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Tell me you’re sorry or I’ll tickle it out of you.”

“I don’t have anything to apologize for.” She stood behind the table. “You should apologize to me.”

“No apologize for being a bitch when I was doing something nice.” He chased her around the table.

“Stay away from me!” She laughed.  “Bruce! Wait!” She zipped from around him and went to the sink.

“Apologize.” He wiggled his fingers. “Or I’m gonna tickle it out of you.”

“You wouldn’t.” She waved a wooden spoon.  “I’ll hit you.”

“I don’t think so.” He threw the spoon in the sink.

“Wait, Bruce!” He tickled her stomach.  “Stop!” She fell on the floor.  He tickled her underarms. “Ha, ha! Leave me alone!”

“Apologize!” He tickled her sides. “Apologize or I’m gonna tickle you to death.”

“Ahh! No!” She tried to keep his hands from under her neck. “Ha, ha, ha! Wait! Stop!”

“Come on.”

“Okay!” She coughed. “Stop it!”

“I didn’t hear an apology yet.”

“I’m sorry okay!”

“For what?” He tickled her waist.

“For…oooh….hoo…hoo!” She crawled up in a ball to combat his hands. “For you being such a…a terrible painter!”

“Oh so that’s how it is?” He tickled her feet.

“Ooh!” She giggled. “Okay I’m sorry for being bitchy!” She kicked. “Stop!”

“Yeah that’s right.” He pulled on her gown. “Where you get off acting that way when someone was trying to be nice?”

“You’re still an asshole.”

He stared at her with his face titled. “You got the prettiest smile.”

She went hot in the face and neck. “I uh, I’m going to bed.” She headed for the door.  “Goodnight.”

He got there before she did.  “Uh-uh.”

“Please, Bruce.” She sweated all over.  “I just wanna go to bed.”

He pulled her close. “You must be psychic because that’s exactly what I had in mind.”

“Bruce.”

“I want you.” He pulled one of the straps of her gown down and fondled her erect nipple. “We gonna really play this game, Dylan?” She tingled from his demanding touch.  “When we both know you want me too?”

“I…I’m not ready.”

“Well.” He picked her up. “You better hurry up and get ready.”

Ring! Ring!

Dylan giggled. “I’m saved by the bell.”

He put her down.  “Shit, man.”

They went into the living room.

“I swear phones only ring when it’s time to fuck.” He answered it. “Hello? Yeah she’s here.” His face went through a million expressions. He ran his hand through his hair. “Thanks for calling.” He blew a big breath and hung up. 

“Is something wrong?”

“Dylan.”

“What?” Butterflies coiled in her stomach. “You look like someone just died or something.”

“Fuck. I don’t know how to say this.”

“Just tell me. After what happened tonight I’m ready for anything.”

“Not this. I don’t think you could ever be ready for this.”

CHAPTER FORTY-THREE

Dylan charged down the hall of the police station with Bruce by her side.  She tried to analyze what Bruce had told her because it couldn’t be true. 

They made it to the little room the police had Zoë in. Brianna and Steven sat on the bench. They smiled at Dylan in a way that should’ve been comforting but only made her feel worse.

Sandra and Donna sobbed into tissues.

Jasmine pulled Dylan into a smothering embrace. “Oh, honey.”  Her tears wet Dylan’s cheek. “Oh I’m so sorry, baby.”

“Just tell me this isn’t true.” Dylan looked at the detectives.  “Please just tell me it isn’t true.”

“She confessed, Dylan,” Steven said.  “I’m so sorry. I know this is hard for you.”

“And you guys really expect me to believe that my best friend killed my mother? Bruce?” She ran to him.  “It’s not true.” She pushed her face into his shirt. “Oh please tell me this isn’t true!”

“I wish I could.” He rocked her. 

“She wants to speak to you,” Brianna said. “Jayce is in there with her now.”

“I don’t care what anyone says. Zoë is not a killer and she’d never do anything so horrible. She’s like my sister. She’d never hurt me.”

 “We were just telling your aunt things we’ve found out,” Brianna said.

Sandra and Donna held each other.

“What’s she talking about, Aunt Jas?”

“Sit down, honey.” Jasmine guided Dylan to the bench. “There are a lot of things about Zoë that you don’t know.”

Zoë sat in the cold interrogation room. The jumpsuit felt more comfortable than she thought it would be.  She knew this day would come for a long time.  She just hadn’t expected it to be like this.  Every time she made an effort to tell the truth the fear had stopped her.  So she welcomed being cornered. She couldn’t run away or pretend everything would work out on its own.

Things never worked out that way. Plus she’d grown so tired of running, lying and pretending.  Even freedom hadn’t outweighed the guilt.

Dylan stared at her from the other side of the table.  Moments went by. She didn’t feel like she was really there.  She figured she’d end up telling a cop about what she’d done.  Even if it ended up being one she cared about.  But telling
Dylan
the truth? No one had invented a way to prepare for something like that.

Dylan was her sister. They couldn’t be any closer if they shared the same blood.

As long as Dylan knew Zoë loved her then it hadn’t been all for nothing. 

“I’m sorry, Dylan. I am so, so, so, so sorry.”

Dylan closed her eyes.

“You don’t understand the place I’ve been all my life.  The pain I’ve felt. It just consumes you.” Dylan moved her hand when Zoë went to touch her. “It gets inside of you and you can’t do anything about it.  It just takes over and before you know it, it’s all you have.”

Dylan covered her eyes.

“I’m the daughter Elle Givens and Nick Sebastian adopted, Dylan.” Zoë walked around.  “They’re watching and listening to us from out there aren’t they?”

Dylan laid her head on the table.