Her mother exhaled. “That wasn’t…Your father was very upset at the time, Kerrison. He was simply frustrated and angry.
As were you.”
Kerry looked at her. “I’m sorry. You all stood there and let him do that. You stood by while they threw me into an insane asy-lum. Then you let him bully my brother and my sister into shun-180 Melissa Good ning me at the hearings.” Her voice had gotten louder and louder.
“And now you think I want to come back?” She stood. “Are you nuts?”
Cynthia stared at her in shock.
“Why in the hell would you think I wanted, or what’s more, needed you?”
“Kerrison!” her mother gasped. “Think of what you’re saying.
No one meant any harm to you—”
“Bullshit!” Kerry was really angry now. “You never cared a rat’s ass about me. All that mattered was what I looked like, how many eligible boys I could bring over to the house for daddy to wind around his finger, and how soon I could get married to become a family brood cow.”
“Kerrison—”
“Don’t call me that,” Kerry spat, her breath coming quickly.
“I don’t know who the hell you people think you are, or what gave you the right to bastardize my life for all these years, but—”
The door opened and Dar entered, pale blue eyes flashing, her hands flexing lightly as she bolted to Kerry’s side and glared at her mother. “What the hell is going on in here?”
Kerry drew in a breath and released it, then touched Dar’s side. She could feel Dar’s ribs expanding and contracting, the muscles under her fingertips taut and almost vibrating with tension. “My mother wants me to give up my job, and my life, and come home to be her office manager.”
Dar looked at her, then at Cynthia, who turned her head in discomfort. “Nice. I think I can outbid her, though.”
Kerry laughed humorlessly.
“What the hell is your problem?” Dar asked Cynthia.
Cynthia looked thoroughly upset. “I’m trying to bring my family back together. There’s no crime in that.” She patted her coiffed hair. “I can see it was a mistake to ask, however.”
Kerry closed her eyes and felt sick to her stomach. She leaned against Dar and felt Dar’s arm curl around her in a reassuring hug. “Why can’t you just let me be happy?” she asked in a very quiet voice. “Is that too much to ask?”
“I...” Cynthia paused, then sighed. “I have no idea what that is, so perhaps I simply can’t understand your viewpoint, Kerrison.” She sat down. “I’m just trying to do what I feel is right.”
Dar glanced down and caught the reflection of light off the tears that rolled down Kerry’s cheeks. “What’s right is for you to accept Kerry for who and what she is. And stop trying to remake her into an image that was never her to begin with.”
“I have known my daughter far longer than you have,” Cynthia said stiffly.
Thicker Than Water 181
“You never knew her at all,” Dar said. “And no, you can’t have her back. She was never yours to begin with.”
Kerry sniffled and peeked at Dar from under damp lashes.
“My, aren’t we possessive,” she murmured with a wan smile.
Dar looked at her.
“Nice feeling,” Kerry whispered. “Thanks.”
“Hmph.” Dar kissed her gently on the head. “C’mon. Let’s go home.”
“Wait.” Cynthia held a hand up, then walked to them.
“Please, let’s not leave in anger again.” She touched Kerry’s arm.
“I’m sorry, Kerrison. You’re right. I don’t understand what it is you want. Please believe that I was only trying to help you.”
Kerry sadly looked at her. “I know. I’m sorry I lost my temper. There’re just so many things I get so angry about when I think of them.”
Her mother glanced down at the marble floor.
“Maybe seeing Kyle brought a lot of that back. He was always the worst.”
A soft throat clearing made them glance at the now open solarium door. It was one of the butlers. “Mrs. Stuart? There’s a policeman here to see you.”
Cynthia blinked in honest astonishment. “To see me? What on earth for?”
“I don’t know, ma’am. He mentioned something about an accident,” the butler replied. “Shall I show him in here?”
Dar and Kerry exchanged looks, then looked at Cynthia. Cynthia lifted her hands in a tiny gesture of puzzlement, then nodded.
“Certainly. Please do so.”
THE OFFICER ENTERED, taking off his hat and giving Mrs.
Stuart a respectful nod. “Ma’am.”
“Come in, Officer,” Cynthia said. “This is my daughter Kerrison, and her friend Dar. What can we do for you?”
The policeman gave them both brief nods of acknowledgement, then turned back to Cynthia. “Ma’am, I’m sorry to bother you. I know this is a bad time, but we’re investigating an accident that happened near here, and we just need to ask you some questions.”
Cynthia looked properly and politely bewildered. “Me? Well, certainly. Please sit down.” She took a seat and waited for the officer to join her. Kerry and Dar took advantage of a nearby bench. “I’m sorry, but I haven’t been out of the house for quite some time. I’m not sure what I can hope to tell you.” She glanced at Dar and Kerry. “My daughter was out for a walk earlier. Per-182 Melissa Good haps it’s she with whom you wish to speak. Kerrison, did you see anything while you were out?”
Kerry shook her head. “No. Nothing except trees, snow, and a couple of buried cars.”
“No, ma’am, it’s not about something you might have seen.”
The policeman flipped open a pad and checked his information.
“Do you know a man by the name of Kyle Evans?”
It was the last thing any of them expected. “Why, yes,” Cynthia replied slowly. “He…well, at least until yesterday, he worked on my…late husband’s staff.” She fell silent. “Has something happened to him?”
“I’m afraid so, ma’am. He was driving down the highway last night and apparently passed out at the wheel. His car ran off the road and hit a tree.” The officer hesitated. “He’s dead, ma’am.”
Kerry blinked, absorbing the news with a wild mixture of emotions. She took a deep breath and released it slowly, knowing that as a human and a Christian, she should feel some sort of sor-row for the passing of another mortal.
She didn’t.
Oh, well. Kerry looked up at Dar, who had an interested, speculative look on her face. “What are you thinking?” she whispered.
“Poetic justice,” Dar answered succinctly. “And, gee…now your father will have someone to talk to down there.”
Kerry winced.
“Sorry. You asked,” Dar murmured. “I’m not going to pretend to be even slightly sorry that bastard’s dead. I only hope he didn’t ruin the tree.”
“My goodness,” Cynthia had been saying. “I can’t…I hardly know what to say.” She shook her head. “What time did the accident occur? He left here just about midnight, I believe.”
The officer nodded. “About one a.m., ma’am. Do you have any idea what he’d been doing between the time he left and then?
Only takes about a ten minute drive to get where he was.”
“I haven’t a mortal clue,” Cynthia answered, stunned. “He gathered his things and left in quite a hurry. I’m afraid he was quite upset. I had just released him and the rest of my late husband’s staff from employ.”
“Ah,” the officer grunted, writing that down. “Was he a drinker?”
“I have no idea. Certainly in social situations. I never had any reason to believe it was more frequent than that.” Cynthia looked at Kerry, a touch helplessly. “Did you think so, Kerrison?”
Kyle, A drunk? “No.” Kerry shook her head as the policeman looked at her. “I haven’t lived here for over a year, but Kyle was employed by my father for many years prior to that. I never Thicker Than Water 183