Now?
“I thought, if you and I could find a way to make amends, then we could visit Russ’s grave. Together. As family.”
Family.
This woman would never be her family. It was much too late for that. But a quick trip to the cemetery wouldn’t kill her. Out of respect for Russ.
“Let me get my coat.”
“Excellent.” Barbara’s aged face lit up. “I’ll wait for you in the car.”
Closing the door to stave off letting even more cold air inside, Cassie donned her coat and grabbed her purse. After shooting a quick text to Archer letting him know of the plan, she ended the message with a promise to be back in plenty of time to make dinner…and a stern order to keep out of the cherry pie.
With a wry grin spread across her face, she buttoned her coat and opened the door. Cassie’s footsteps faltered when she realized Barbara was in the passenger seat of her BMW, rather than sitting behind the wheel.
“If you don’t mind, I thought you could drive,” the other woman explained when Cassie opened the door and slid into the empty seat. “I don’t do well driving when I get emotional. Too much distraction rolling around in this old brain of mine, I suppose.”
“I don’t mind.” She pushed the button to fire up the car’s ignition.
The awkward drive was filled with more small talk, but at least they weren’t at each other’s throats. Taking it as a win, Cassie continued on with the pleasant, albeit odd, conversation.
Before long, the two women were standing side-by-side at Russ’s grave. The mound of dirt was still fresh, his headstone shiny and new.
“I can’t believe he’s really gone.”
“I know.” Cassie risked a gentle pat of Barbara’s shoulder. “Me, neither.”
“It’s all your fault, you know.”
Low. Flat. Menacing.
What the..
The unexpected words—along with the drastic change in the other woman’s tone of voice—had Cassie’s eyes flying from Russ’s grave to his mother.
“What did you just?—”
Her entire body stiffened, her heart nearly stopping when she saw the gun in Barbara’s hand. Its small black barrel was pointed straight at Cassie’s side, and with their close proximity, there was no way she could run away without getting hit.
Oh my god!
“Barbara, what are you?—”
“It should have been you!” The woman screamed. Facing her fully, Barbara kept that gun surprisingly steady as she revealed her true purpose for bringing Cassie here. “That poison was meant for you. Not my baby boy!”
The poison…
“I know.” Cassie nodded slowly. “I was there when Eddie confessed. He told the cops all about how he put the poison in the wine with the intent of killing me. Not Russ.”
“Eddie.” Barbara scoffed. “Like that man would be smart enough to pull off something like that.”
“What?”
“It wasn’t Eddie, you idiot! It was me! I’m the one who put those pits into your wine. Not Eddie.”
No. That couldn’t be right. This woman was clearly delusional with grief.
“Barbara, Eddie confessed. He confessed to it all.”