“For the love of God. Mom had to die to know the truth, and one of you better start talking. You’ve had fifteen years of grace with no recourse. I’m the one who got hurt. Isn’t that enough? I’m not going to do anything to anyone…but I deserve the truth.”

“I’ll tell,” Junior said.

Emma looked at Ava, and then stood.

“No. It began with me. It’s my story to tell.”

Hunt turned to face her. “Then start talking, sister.”

She lifted her chin in defiance, but her voice was trembling.

“I got pregnant, but I was scared and didn’t tell anyone—not even my boyfriend. I threw up almost every morning after Mom left to take Birdie to school. But then Dad hurt his hand and was off a whole week. He figured it out and had a fit. I begged him not to tell Mama. He asked me who the father was, and when I told him, I thought he was going to kill me. He told me to call him right then and there and get him over to the house. I called him, but I didn’t tell him why.”

Birdie sighed. “Oh, Emma.”

Emma shrugged. “I had just turned sixteen. I thought I was a big deal. My boyfriend showed up, and Dad told him what I’d revealed, grabbed him by the arm, and said he was going to have him arrested for rape. My boyfriend looked at me, and then laughed and said rape had nothing to do with it, that I did what I did with a smile on my face.”

Hunt shuddered, remembering his father’s trigger-quick temper.

“What happened?” Birdie asked.

Emma looked at Junior, and then back at Hunt. “Dad doubled up his fist and hit him so hard he flew backward, hitting the back of his head on the corner of the kitchen table. It split like a ripe melon, and blood went everywhere. He dropped and didn’t get up.”

Hunt’s heart was pounding now. He knew before she said it what was coming, and it was still a shock to hear the words.

“Daddy killed him. Junior saw it happen. I saw it happen. Daddy made Junior help carry the body to the truck bed. They covered it with a tarp just as Ray came into the kitchen. He saw all the blood and freaked. Dad came in, told me and him to clean it up before Mama got home and then get ourselves to school. He’d drop Junior off later.”

“Lord have mercy,” Hunt whispered, and turned and looked at Junior. “What did you two do with the body?”

Junior wiped his hands across his face, as if trying to wipe away the memories.