“Sorry, Val, sometimes there’s nothing more you can do. Was she a horrible child that grew up to be a horrible adult? Yes. But there’s no evidence that she killed the twins, let alone on purpose. The only other two witnesses are dead. Jennifer Ballard is not credible because she had no direct close observation of what actually occurred. Plus, any competent lawyer would tear her apart on the stand for living right next door to Gabrielle. I can go on and on here. No, we just have to wait for Melinda to make a mistake.”

“Mitch, there is another direct witness still alive. And we just left her upstairs.”

“And that’s why I’m going to start setting up surveillance on this house. For her protection.”

Gavin went around to the driver’s side door of his car and Val walked to her own car. “Val,” he said.

“Yes?”

“There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

“What is it?”

Gavin locked his gaze on Val’s and it seemed like forever before he spoke. “I’m getting a divorce. Should be finalized sometime this week.”

Val swallowed hard. She was speechless.

“I was wondering if you were free on Saturday,” Gavin said.

It took a second for the words to register. “I think I just might be.” Val smiled.

Upstairs, I watched from my bedroom window. I pulled the curtains back slightly, and stood to the side, so no one could see me if they happened to look up. The detectives got in their car. Valentina Knight followed. I waited, hidden, until they turned on to the road. It was over. Finally over. What an odd feeling, the secrets I’ve buried for so long have been exposed. My family is dead. I haven’t felt this liberated my entire life.

I let the curtain fall back and walked to my nightstand table and grabbed several bottles of pills from the drawer. I took them to the bathroom and opened the containers, dropping the tablets into the toilet. No more of this. No more hiding the fact that I didn’t take the pills but learned to act as if I did. No more hiding in general. God, what a relief.

To keep me quiet about the day the twins drowned, Gabrielle threatened to tell Mother that I drowned the twins, and that I did it on purpose. No one will believe you and guess what Mother will do to you if I tell her otherwise?

Gabi could be so horrible. Then one day she did tell her lie—out of spite—or maybe to prove that she could, and Mother changed my usual punishment. That’s when the extra pills started and when she started locking me in the upstairs room for days on end with no food and the temperature always kept so cold.