There are tears in Mrs. Nelson’s eyes. Maybe there’s a way to persuade her to put the gun down. Maybe I can reason with her. She does love Josh, after all. Despite how crazy she is, she has a good side. She couldn’t fake the way she was with him.

“Mrs. Nelson,” I say slowly. “Josh adores you. And you’ve been like part of the family these last few months. Can’t we find a way to work it out? To be a family together?”

For a moment, she almost seems to be considering it. She lowers the gun ever so slightly, her features softening. I take a tentative step forward, but then the gun goes right back up. “We can’t work it out.”

“Margie, please…” I say, even though it’s not her real name.

“No.” Her voice is firm. “We can’t trust you. You’ll betray us, just like your father did. The only way Josh, Shane, and I can be a family is if you’re out of the picture.”

“Please…” My knees tremble beneath me. “Please. You don’t have to do this.”

“I didn’t do it.” A smile creeps across her lips. “A drifter driving by did it. While Shane and Josh were in the woods, he shot you in the head and stole all your money. Very sad. Lucky thing Josh’s father is around to step it up.”

“Please…”

She’s going to kill me. Shane and Josh are going to come back from their outing in the woods, and they’re going to find me lying dead in the snow. Josh has always wanted to meet his father, but he needs me—his mother. He can’t grow up without me. I can’t let this happen. I can’t let these two maniacs raise him.

But I don’t know how to stop it.

Then a resounding thump echoes through the wind, coming from somewhere out in the woods. Mrs. Nelson jerks her head to the side at the sound, and now I see my chance. My only chance.

So I lunge at her, grabbing for her right wrist with everything I’ve got.

Chapter 53

The gun went off, but it didn’t hit me. It must have fired off into the distance. I struggle against Mrs. Nelson. She’s a lot stronger than I would have thought for a woman her age, but I’m in good shape too. Of course, I’ve got that twisted ankle, but I don’t even notice it anymore. I’ve got to overpower Mrs. Nelson. It’s my only chance. I’ve got to do this for Josh.

And then the gun goes off again.

This time Mrs. Nelson goes limp against me. The gun clatters to the snow beneath me, which I now see has a spreading stain of red. She’s been shot.