“Ben was the one who tried to kill me,” I said, feeling a tidal wave of anger rising inside me. It had been weirdly absent in Ben’s apartment after he confessed, but it was back. “I’d love to know where he is.”

“That’s the thing,” Jude said. “I knew he was conspiring with Caroline. She’d come to me first, asking me to help her get money out of her in-laws. She wanted to leave, and I wanted to support her, but I simply couldn’t bring myself to do it. I know she approached Ben after that. She didn’t give me many details, but I knew he did what she wanted.” She wiped her eyes. “After she died, Ben started calling me. He told me Caroline wanted to save her son from Theo. Then, in the next breath, he’d say Theo had to be punished for what he did to Caroline.”

“You didn’t tell the police?”

“I thought he was venting. And I didn’t want to tell the police what Caroline had been up to,” she said. “But he called me twenty minutes ago. He swore that if I told the police about him, people he knew would kill me. I asked him if he’d hurt Theo, and he said . . .” She put her hand to her lips. “He said it was more important to save Teddy, and that’s what he was going to do.”

CHAPTER 44 DEIRDRE

CHAPTER 44

DEIRDRE

“I need to call the police,” Theo said.

“Do you really think Ben took Teddy?” I asked Jude, not wanting to believe her. “What’s he going to do with a kid?”

“Caroline thought her in-laws were an awful influence. She said they would twist Teddy up like they had done to Theo.” She glanced at my brother-in-law. “Sorry, Theo.”

“Caroline had a point,” he answered.

“My sister sent me a message. She sent one to my father, but he misplaced it.” I glared at him. “There was a third message.” I found it on my phone and read it aloud. “‘If I fail, you have to do it. I am putting all of my faith and trust in you. My son’s future depends on it.’ I showed it to Ben, and his reaction was weird, but he claimed she sent it to him. Maybe he really is doing what Caro wanted him to do.”

“Everything depends on it,” Theo repeated. “When I came home this afternoon, Ursula was sitting in Caroline’s room and saying those words.”

My phone started to slide out of my hand. Had my sister put her faith and trust in Ursula? Drunk Ursula? That seemed crazy. On the other hand, Caro had written the message just after five in the morning, right after she wrote mine. By all accounts, she was in a panic and not thinking straight.

“Ursula really did like Ben,” Gloria said. “You don’t think she would . . .”