“Her medical records are clean. She has no known health issues.”

He gasped. “But she has rheumatoid arthritis.”

“No, Clay. It’s a fabrication.”

He swallowed hard. “Before the FBI picked us up, I searched every inch of Marissa’s room and the bakery for information about her RA. Nothing. I’ve been a fool. Tell me how to make this right. I’ll do anything.”

“Shelby is risking her life to usher in truth, and she’ll protect Aria. The—”

“They’ll both be killed! I have to do something. You can’t expect me to sit here while my daughters wage war against each other. I’ve been blinded by lies. When and how did Marissa become the epitome of evil?” He rubbed his hand over his face. “You should be asking me that.”

Motive came in different layers, and the origin of Marissa’s ambition mixed a deadly brew of when and why. “I drove here for another reason—to talk through what led up to Travis’s shooting. Think back to when your daughters were small. How was their relationship?” I eased onto a chair and stretched out my injured leg.

“The wife and I thought we’d never have another child after Marissa, but five years later, Shelby arrived. We were happy with another little girl, healthy and so good.”

“And Marissa?”

“She seemed excited until she realized Mom and Dad’s attention were on two girls instead of one, and she was miserable. She stopped eating and acted out. The typical jealousy of an only child when another child enters the home. It got so bad, we took her to the doctor. Although we divided our time and included Marissa in Shelby’s care and added dance lessons to her schedule, it took a long time for her to adjust. We had to keep an eye on our girls because Marissa’s jealousy had a violent streak.”

“How?”

He sighed. “She lifted Shelby from the crib and attempted to toss her across the room. My wife discovered it before it was too late. Another time, when Shelby was crying, Marissa placed a pillow on Shelby’s face.”

“Marissa grew out of the jealousy?”

“We thought so. She changed almost overnight. One morning when Marissa was eight, she apologized for not believing we loved her as much as Shelby. My wife claimed God had answered our prayers. Marissa showed interest in her little sister and wanted Shelby to be a part of her life.”

“The new relationship must have been a huge relief.”

“For sure. Marissa showed patience and played with her little sister. As they grew older, they became very close.”

“In what way?”

“In the beginning, Marissa played teacher and showed Shelby how to dress herself, brush her teeth, comb her hair, and tie her shoes. As they grew older, Marissa taught Shelby how to dance and bought her gifts for no special reason. We were very pleased. Later on when Shelby went through her acting-out stage, Marissa took up for her. Made excuses and begged us not to be too hard on her.”