‘Your brother was an evil man – a killer – but you’d rather destroy my family now? Why? Does it help clear your conscience?’ Barb glares at Patrick.

‘Nope. But everyone deserves to know the truth. Make their own minds up about Bern. It’s not up to you. And there’s more.’

‘A murderer has gone,’ Barb hisses. ‘One less evil in the world. Someone – maybe more than one person – has been prevented from being his victim. The world isn’t going to miss Bern Miller.’

‘That might be true. But you’re not God. You don’t get to decide. And justice should’ve been correctly served. If you’re telling the truth, you didn’t even know if Bern killed anyone; a box of jewellery doesn’t prove murder.’

‘You don’t understand,’ Tim says. ‘It all made sense when I found the box. You didn’t see what was in it; if you had, you’d have known. And trust me, justice was served.’ Tim’s words are squeezed through tight lips. ‘He didn’t deserve anything more than he got.’

Shit.

We all seem to add the pieces together at the same time: each face is plastered with sudden understanding – something obvious we’d missed. I didn’t think any more blows could come tonight, but this one hits home hard.

Tim killed his dad and Barb covered it up. Covered it all up. Everything.

It’s not Bern’s victims buried in the garden. It’s him.

In this moment, I don’t know how to feel.

I was in a relationship with a killer. Not only that, I was about to move me and my boys – Nick’s boys – in with him.

I bet Barb wishes she’d been wrong about him now.

Chapter Ninety-Seven

Barb

I need Patrick to leave.

There’s no telling precisely what he’s here for – he says it’s to find the truth – but what will he do with it? Go to the police? He could be here to put his own mind at rest before he dies, like he said he was. He admitted he had an inkling what Bern was up to; he felt guilty over the years for having upped and left. Is knowing Bern was dealt with, so he could no longer cause damage to others, enough? I stare at his face: weather-beaten and leathery. He doesn’t look as though he’s led a healthy lifestyle. Guilt has etched its mark on him.

As it has me.

Only, I have a family left to protect. He doesn’t. He has nothing to lose now.

Which makes him the most dangerous person in this room.

Chapter Ninety-Eight

Amber