Page 59 of The Fragile Truth
Sadie followed her orders. As soon as they were outside, Lizette motioned with the gun. “Move!”
They walked up the pebbled sidewalk. The wooden steps creaked beneath their steps as they went up to the porch. Holding the gun on Sadie with one hand, Lizette pulled a set of keys from her purse with the other hand. Briefly, Sadie wondered if now would be the best time to make her move. Lizette seemed to read her thoughts, her jaw tightening. “Don’t do it. I’ll shoot you right now.” Her voice had the shrill peal of one coming unhinged.
Cold shivers trickled down Sadie’s spine. Earlier in her house, when Lizette first pulled the gun, Sadie had felt like she wasn’t a serious threat. However, after spending more time with the woman, Sadie was rethinking her assessment. Lizette was unbalanced. There was no telling what she would do.
After unlocking the door, she pushed it open and ushered Sadie inside. The scent of wood, leather, and woodsy cinnamon invaded her senses as she took in her surroundings. The blinds were closed. Coming out of the brightness from the light outside, it took Sadie’s eyes a few seconds to adjust to the dimmer lighting. As impressive as the outside of the cabin was, it didn’t hold a candle to the inside. It looked like a magazine with the monstrous stacked-stone fireplace, the open beamed ceiling, and rustic décor. A grunt caught her attention. She looked over to one corner. She sucked in a sharp breath when she realized a woman was tied to a chair. No, not tied but duct taped. A strip of tape was pressed over her mouth. When she saw Sadie, her eyes popped, and she began squirming like she was trying to break free.
A jolt of recognition shot through Sadie. It was Lina! Ever since Sadie had gotten Brent’s notes and started investigating his death, Lina had been the focal point. Seeing her in the flesh was surreal. The fact that she was taped to a chair made the situation seem even more incredulous.
Lizette pointed to the massive leather sectional. “Sit down,” she growled. The next instant, a girlish smile filled her face, softening her features. “I promised you a story,” she said pleasantly. “Move!” she screamed when Sadie hesitated.
Sadie went to the sectional and sat down. It was so cushy that she felt like she was sinking into quicksand. She scooted forward so that she could perch on the edge. She would have to do something soon, or else Lizette would kill her. It was eerie watching how fast various emotions overtook Lizette.
Lizette sat down in an overstuffed chair and placed her purse on a side table. Her voice took on a dreamy quality as she began. “There once was a girl who fell in love with a prince. They got married and moved to a beautiful castle on a remote island.” Her voice quivered with emotion, eyes glistening with remembrance. “They were happy together. The two of them were the envy of the island. Eventually, the prince and princess grew older and had children.” Tears of rage pooled in her eyes. “But then a witch moved to the island.” She glanced at Lina, giving her a look filled with such utter hatred that it soured Sadie’s stomach. “She seduced my son, but that wasn’t enough for her. She also stole my prince.”
Sadie’s brain worked to fill in the gaps and piece together the sequence of events. “Lina had an affair with Wesley. Josette sent the incriminating pictures to the Chasings. Lina’s marriage to Talon fell apart.” She cocked her head. “Is Carter the one who gave Lina the coin necklace?”
Lizette’s eyes flashed. “No, Wesley gave it to her.” She leveled another bitter glare at Lina. “Evidently, Wesley lavishing her with expensive gifts wasn’t enough to suffice her. She wanted something original that only Wesley could give. He took a coin from Carter’s collection and had it made into a necklace.”
“So Carter isThe Shadow,” Sadie mused. “Did you know?”
Lizzette’s expression was shadowed with pain. She spoke in a low, flat tone. “No, not until last night.” She took in a quick breath, her eyes glittering with tears. Her jaw worked as she tried to regain control of her emotions. The sorrow gave way to a hard mask that twisted her features. “I should have realized. Carter has never been content to just grow old like normal people. He’s obsessed with holding onto his youth. He became fascinated with the story of that pirate who was supposedly so noble.” She rolled her eyes in disgust. “That’s why he stole the pieces from those private collections.”
“You mentioned that you learned the truth about Carter last night. How did that come about?”
“Banks came over to speak to Carter.” She smirked. “They didn’t know I was standing just outside the door, listening to their conversation. Carter had given Banks the ring as a gesture of friendship. Banks had no idea what the ring was worth and didn’t realize it was a part of The Gorham Gally Treasure. Banks had bought time with the sheriff out of loyalty to Carter. He tried to persuade Carter to turn himself in.”
“Did Banks know that Carter wasThe Shadow?”
“He had no idea.” She shook her head. “At least I wasn’t the only one kept in the dark,” she sniffed. “Banks and Carter got into a big argument. It came out that Carter was the one who asked Lina to meet him at the lighthouse.” Her gaze locked with Sadie’s, but there wasn’t the slightest trace of compassion in her jade eyes when she announced. “He was the one who killed your brother.”
Sadie heard the sharp intake of her own breath. Hearing Lizette speak the words aloud made the situation all the more real and painful.
“Carter paid Lina’s bail and helped her escape house arrest.”
“Who tried to run Effie over with the car?”
“Carter,” Lizette growled. “Trying to prove his loyalty to Lina. He brought her here … to our cabin,” she hissed. A second later, a sob wrenched her throat. When she spoke, her expression was childlike, wounded. “He intended to run away with her.” A crazed look blitzed through her eyes. “H—how?” Her words got choked as she tried again. “How could he do this to me?” It was almost as if she expected Sadie to have an answer. Lizette’s lower lip trembled, tears rolling down her cheeks. She took in several halting breaths, a dangerous edge slipping into her tone. “That’s when I realized I had to take matters into my own hands. I left this morning while Carter was still asleep. I came here to see for myself if Lina was here. After I taped her to the chair, I came for you.”
“Why?” That was the one piece of the puzzle Sadie couldn’t figure out.
Lizette looked at Sadie like she was an idiot. “To silence you, of course. And the Sheriff.” She threw Sadie a heated glare. “Who else knows about the ring?”
“No one,” Sadie answered. “The sheriff and I have been working alone.” She maintained eye contact with Lizette as she spoke. It was with a sliver of relief that she could tell that Lizette was appeased. Callie knew the truth, but thankfully Lizette had no way of knowing that.
Lizette pulled Sadie’s phone from her pocket. “Call the Sheriff,” she demanded. “Tell him that you found a lead and that he needs to come here … alone.”
Sadie could hardly believe her ears. Startled laughter circled her throat. “Do you actually think you can get away with killing three people?”
“Shut up!” Lizette screamed. “I won’t have you or anyone else telling me what I can or can’t do. Call him,” she roared, “or I’ll shoot you right now.” She held out the gun. This time, her hand was perfectly steady. The ruthless rage in Lizette’s eyes let Sadie know that Lizette had every intention of carrying out her threat.
Ice flowed through Sadie’s veins as she held up her hands. “Okay,” she said, keeping her voice neutral. “I’ll call.” Lizette’s plan made no sense, but there was no reasoning with a crazy woman. She pressed the button to call Ian.
He answered with a breathless, “Sadie, are you okay?”
Tears sprang to her eyes. “I’m fine.” Hearing his voice was a reminder of how much she cared about him. No, her feelings ran much, much deeper than that. Sadie loved him. Would this be her last opportunity to tell him? Everything in her wanted to shout it from the rooftop, but she couldn’t right now. She glanced at Lizette, who was watching her carefully. It took all the effort she could muster to keep her voice neutral. “Hey, I’m sorry to bother you on a Sunday, but I found a lead in the investigation.” She forced a chuckle. “Would you believe that I’m at the Laramie’s cabin, of all places? I know this is inconvenient, but can you meet me here? It’s in Boyd Springs.”
“Is Lizette there with you?” Ian pressed.