Amazed, Linda watched her mother rise to her feet. “How could you do this to me?”

She hadn’t thought about what kind of response she’d get from her mother, not really. Was that because she no longer cared? What mattered was how telling her story helped her move on with her life. “My decision is not about you. It’s about me finally letting go of what you did to me.”

“You’ve always told hurtful and cruel lies. I gave you beauty—a body that could rival any supermodel’s. You repaid me by faltering in every competition!”

Huh, Linda wondered. She’d have to talk that over with Dr. Kirkland. Maybe she had sabotaged her pageant chances subconsciously, trying not to give her mother what she wanted. “I know that it hurts you that you couldn’t fill that case you set up in the house for my trophies and tiaras.”

“You can claim you hated it all but I saw you. Don’t forget I was there.” Her mother’s eyes narrowed. “You enjoyed the compliments and fawning attention of judges. You enjoyed being the little Lolita. Remember how you used to show your paltry second-place trophies to your grandfather? I knew what you were doing but I only wanted you to be happy.”

Linda guessed she couldn’t keep the puzzlement out of her face, because her mother quickly added, “Don’t look at me like you don’t know.”

Alligator leaned into the table, holding out one hand. “This meeting isn’t going to achieve anything productive. Let’s schedule the hearing as soon as possible.”

He took her mother by the arm, pulling her toward the door.

“Of course she knows. That’s why he left her all that money, because she was his beautiful little darling.”

The door closed behind them and Linda realized Ted Jeffers was staring at her.

She closed her eyes and searched her memory. What her mother suggested was ugly, ugly almost beyond words. There was nothing in her mind that she shied away from now. She could think about her mother, her childhood, those horrific teenage years and not hide from any of it. She hadn’t known her grandfather very well. True, he’d always asked about her pageants and she’d sometimes shown him the awards. But she felt none of the warning signs—red flags Dr. K called them—that had surrounded her mother, beautiful and food.

“I don’t know what she’s talking about. I don’t mean I can’t remember. I mean I don’t know.”

“Then,” Ted said slowly, “If she repeats it we can counter her libel claims with slander ones on your part. It’s a disgusting suggestion. Your mother evidently believes children are responsible for the actions of adults.”

“There is a part that’s true—sometimes, I did like the attention. I did like being told I was attractive, sometimes. I would forget for a while all about the pain and the torment and it felt good.”

Ted gave her a thoughtful look. “I don’t know much about this but I don’t think just because something good comes out of the something bad you have to be happy the bad things happened. I had a sadist professor in law school and I still remember him and how awful I felt every time I was anywhere near him. I learned a lot, sure, but my passing the bar didn’t make him less of a son-ofa-bitch.” He shrugged.