BooksBarbecue
Back Confess to Me Save as PDF
Chapters (87)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by Sharon Doering
  3. Title Page
  4. Dedication
  5. Prologue
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. Author’s Note
  86. Acknowledgements
  87. About the Author

“My youngest went to college and I, well, I needed to come back and look into something for Mom. But we moved in and right away Bruce had a stroke and I’m working overtime at the hospital and well, it’s been overwhelming. I’ve barely made any progress. Listen, there’s something I need you to do. I need to show you something.” She said it like she’d organized our meeting a week ago.

I felt her needling her way into my life, asking me to do things for the family when the family had already emptied me out, shaking me so hard upside down like a piggy bank. I felt my cheeks flush.

“Holly,” I said. “She confessed to murdering Dawn Young. You know that, right?”

Holly narrowed her eyes. “She didn’t do it.”

“Why would she confess?”

“I don’t know.” Maybe Holly’s memory was as useless as mine. She sighed, her body full of regret. “I never asked her. We never talked about it.”

Holly knew? I couldn’t believe she’d never told me. That wasn’t true. I could believe it.

Holly went on, “I should have asked her, but you know how you put off saying things, and then years go by, and it’s too late. It doesn’t seem worth it.”

Yes. I’d done the same thing with Trevor.

“Let me show you something,” she said.

“Was Mom covering for Rodney? Did he kill Dawn?”

“What?” she said, appalled. “Are you kidding?”

Holly was like the mother who thought her children, her family, could do no wrong, even after they’d been convicted.

“This was a mistake. I’m sorry I came here.” I stood. “I’m glad you’re well.” I walked down her driveway, and she didn’t try to stop me.

43

43

TREVOR

Don’t think about what’s in the trunk. You’re almost in the clear.

Was I though? Seemed like I’d told myself that a lot lately.

My palms were sweaty on the steering wheel, and I eased onto the brake because the red Mazda in front of me dipped outside its lane again.

A truck honked. Might have been the one behind, but it was hard to tell; semis were everywhere. Seemed like everyone was pissed off and honking today.

I took the pot-holed Dan Ryan Expressway into the city. As I watched my surroundings lose their fractal and wistful greens and sharpen to gray geometric edges and skyscrapers in the distance, I reviewed a checklist of things I needed to do in the next hour.

Once you empty your trunk, it will be alright.

I heard the sirens before I saw them. Glanced in my rearview. The semi was gone. In its place was a Ford Explorer, blue neon line of light spinning on its roof.