“Thanks, Rose,” I said. “I’m starving.”
She patted my good shoulder. “Want me to bring the first aid kit in?”
“I’ll get it later, thanks.”
Rose nodded and left the room.
As we passed around the tray of food, and Bella ferried the drinks in, I leaned toward Sapphire. “You okay?”
“I will be when we sort this out.” She looked at my bloody arm. “You’re not, though. You need that wound looked at. You might need stitches.”
“I’ll get it checked later. This is more important.”
Once everyone had a feed, and Bella returned to the table, I told them about Bob taking off in his car, and how we’d gone back into William’s house, and the bloody mess in the bathroom.
“So, you think Frank’s wounded?” Declan said.
“That’s our guess. And pretty bad, too. There was a lot of blood.”
“Maybe he’ll go to a hospital,” Charlie said.
“Doubt it,” I said. “We think Frank’s come back here.”
“What the hell? Why?” Cassidy said.
I gave them our theory about Frank and Bob wanting to kill each other. Then I looked at Sapphire, then at the Chivas box.
Sapphire opened the box and pulled out the next folded note, then looked around the table. “I came out here this morning as Bob’s cop. I’m not anymore. Bob is corrupt. I witnessed that with my own eyes, and I’m absolutely shocked by that. I trusted him. Believed in him.”
She swallowed hard. “He fooled me, and I hate that he did. But I guarantee this, he will not get away with what he’s done, and neither will Frank.” She let that land for a second, her gaze moving around the table. “I need you to know that my only job right now is finding Frank and stopping Bob.” She paused. “I’m asking you to trust me.”
She looked at each of them in turn, the way she had this morning, except there was no chirpy smile this time, and no jotting notes in her notebook. “I could’ve taken this box of evidence straight into custody. I didn’t. I brought these notes here because I need your help. I’m hoping that shows the trust I’m putting in you, and I hope you know you can trust me.”
“She’s right,” I said, glancing around the table. “Every single thing she just said.” I looked at Sapphire. “And for what it’s worth, I’m sorry it took me this long to say it.”
Mitch leaned forward, pressing his hand to the table as he met my gaze. “I believe you. I also trust you. You have my word that we will help you, but I can’t guarantee what will happen when we find Frank.”
Mitch was right. After everything we’d discovered since Frank had disappeared, every one of my siblings had a reason to want Frank dead.
And once they’d read his confessions, we’d probably be fighting over who would kill him.
Chapter 13
Kayden
* * *
Sapphire pulled another note from the box and after she read the top of the note she looked at me.
“What?” I asked.
“We were right. Frank is dying.”
“What? He’s sick?”
“According to this.” She passed me the page.
“What’s it say?” Declan asked.