Page 56 of The Fragile Truth
The night before, Sadie had hardly slept a wink, tossing and turning as she fretted over what would happen with Banks Chasing. She kept having nightmares where she was running through a dark hall, searching for Brent. Someone was closing in behind her. At first, the assailant was Banks, but then he transformed to Josette, who pummeled Sadie with her cane and hurled threats in her raspy voice that was worse than a fingernail scraping down a chalkboard.
This morning, with sunlight streaming in through the windows, Sadie was filled with a new hope. She found herself humming as she applied her makeup. She was looking forward to attending church with Ian today. Not only was she excited about spending time with him, but she welcomed the spiritual recharge which was sure to come. With all the uncertainty in her life, her anchor was the knowledge that God was in control. In his epistle to the Romans, the apostle Paul wrote, “Nor height, not depth, or any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
How true that scripture was! Sadie had been in the pit of despair, and yet, God had found her in a prison cell. He’d led her here, where she’d met Ian. If God could do all of those things, then He could help Ian and her discover the truth surrounding Brent’s death. A calm certainty overtook her, filling her with the knowledge that the truth would soon be revealed. Her eyes grew moist as she looked toward the ceiling with gratitude. Another of her favorite scriptures, also found in Romans, flitted through her mind. “… All things work together for good to them that love God.”
The next thought that circled through her mind startled her.But it won’t be easy.She blinked, wondering where that thought had come from. She swallowed, the doubts of the night before crowding in. It took all the effort she could muster to channel her thoughts into something more positive. She had to have faith. She had to keep moving forward. She had to trust those peaceful impressions she’d experienced. Nothing about this journey had been easy. She wished she could see the end from the beginning to know how it would all play out.
She was spreading butter over a piece of toast when she heard a knock at the front door. She glanced at the clock—eight-fifteen. Was Ian already here? If so, he was early. Wiping her hands on a paper towel, she went to answer the door.
When she saw the streak of red hair, she was confused for a moment. Then, Lizette’s face came into view. Why would Lizette be visiting her? She opened the door.
“Hello,” she began.
Lizette’s expression was polite. “I’m so sorry to bother you. Would you mind if I come in and talk to you for a few minutes?”
Sadie couldn’t imagine what this was about. “Sure.” She took a step back as Lizette came inside. Lizette was wearing jeans and a t-shirt. She had on very little makeup, and there were shadows beneath her eyes.
As they went into the living room, Sadie motioned, “Have a seat.” There was a flutter of movement from behind. Before Sadie could whirl around, she felt the hard press of metal against her spine. A startled chortle rose in her throat. “What’re you doing?”
“No sudden moves,” Lizette hissed in her ear. “Turn around slowly and keep your hands up.”
Sadie did as instructed. She was almost as shocked by the transformation in Lizette’s expression as she was by the gun. A hard mask of rage twisted over Lizette’s face, her nostrils flaring.
“What’s this about?” Sadie looked at the gun. It seemed awkward in Lizette’s hand. The years peeled back as Sadie’s instincts kicked in, heightening the awareness of the situation. Her muscles pulled taut as she prepared herself to pounce. “What is this about?” she repeated.
“Shut up!” Lizette screamed in a shrill tone. “I’ll ask the questions here. Where is your cell phone?”
She jutted her thumb directly behind her. “On the counter in the kitchen.” Her brain worked, trying to figure out Lizette’s motivation. “Is this about what happened last night?” she asked carefully. Why would Lizette want her phone? None of this was making any sense.
Lizette clenched her teeth. “I said shut up!” The wild look that streaked through her bulging, bloodshot eyes sent a chill of alarm through Sadie. She got the distinct impression that it would be a big mistake to underestimate Lizette.
“Do you have some sort of connection to the ring that I found in Banks’s desk?” That had to be it. But what sort of connection could Lizette have? She obviously wasn’tThe Shadow. Lizette wasn’t capable of scaling penthouses or masterminding heists. Was she protecting Wesley? Or Carter?
“Move!” Lizette ordered.
Keeping her hands up, Sadie went to the kitchen. While she was tempted to put an end to this by charging at Lizette and grabbing the gun, she wanted to figure out Lizette’s motivation before she took her down. Her phone was connected to a charger that was plugged into the wall. She unplugged it.
“Hand it over,” Lizette barked. “Slowly.” She held it out as Lizette wrenched it from her hand and shoved it into her pocket.
Strange behavior. What could she possibly want with Sadie’s phone? Sadie kept her voice conversational, speaking slowly. “Let’s talk about this.”
“Not here.”
So they were going somewhere? “Okay, what now?” Ian would arrive at her house in a little over an hour. He would wonder where she was. He would see her car under the carport. Sadie wished she could figure out a way to alert him about what was happening, but she couldn’t do that without attacking Lizette and struggling for the gun.
“We’re going back out the front door and getting into my car.”
Sadie was morbidly curious to find out the reasons behind Lizette’s actions. At the same time, she was also freaked out by Lizzette. She looked Lizette in the eye. “Do you know how Brent died?”
Something shifted in Lizette’s eyes. She did know!
Sadie’s breath came faster, burning her throat. “Did you kill him?” she growled.
“No, but I know who did. If you come with me and don’t make trouble, then you’ll have all of your questions answered.”
Sadie considered the offer. “Okay,” she said, a hard resolve overtaking her. Even though she felt sure that she could overpower Lizette and get the gun, she was willing to let Lizette think she was in control. If it got Sadie answers, then it was worth the risk to let this thing play out.
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