Page 118 of Just Like That

I read over the rambling words again, landing on anything that could give me a clue as to how she could be capable of something so deceitful.

I’ve done things I’m not proud of. I’ve been hurt and angered by men who thought I would stay quiet and fade into the background. I know who I am, but please let Teddy believe his mother was a good person.

I sank to the floor.

The truth had been in her rambling, emotion-fueled letter all along, and I didn’t need a séance to prove it.

She wanted Teddy to believe that his mother was good. She was so desperate that she was willing to lie.

I hated to think such thoughts about my own sister, but given the recent revelations, it was entirely possible. Olive had done things she wasn’t proud of ... like having a one-night stand with JP—a rich, handsome man—and lying about an accidental pregnancy to get some money out of him.

My stomach rolled and I swallowed back the nausea.

Trouble was, Olive hadn’t counted on JP’s dad. Russell King was a master manipulator. I could easily understand how a man like him would prey on a young, vulnerable woman and use her to his sick advantage.

Russell had conned her into bed and gotten her pregnant. She continued to see him in secret and accept his money. How Olive truly felt about being his mistress was a secret she had taken with her.

He’d given her money, jewelry, and promises.

My sister had lied to me—that much was clear. Olive had molded the narrative so that everyone would believe it was JP who had gotten her pregnant.

She was a dying mother who was searching for a way to paint herself in the best light possible.

I didn’t agree with her choices, but a tiny part of me could understand them.

My chest ached and my mind was racing with how I was ever going to explain this to a seven-year-old.

THIRTY-NINE

HAZEL

The soundof JP’s car turning down the driveway drew my attention. I wiped my palms down the front of my pants and waited for him. When he opened the door, a defeated man stood in front of me.

I rushed to him, putting my hands on his arms. “Are you okay? What happened?”

His jaw flexed but his eyes were tired. “I had a conversation with my father. It didn’t go well.”

I swallowed hard, not sure what that meant, as I searched for the words to explain what I had uncovered in his absence.

“Is ...” He gently sniffed the air. “Is something burning?”

I shook my head and waved my hand. I did not have time to explain that I’d just invited his sisters and the Sullivan women to a séance to contact my dead sister. “It’s sage.”

He shrugged, and my heart melted a little with how he’d come to simply accept I did weird shit while he was gone.

I had opened my mouth to speak when he pulled me into an embrace. “Did you tell him?” JP’s voice was hollow and near breaking.

I looked up at him. “No. Of course not—not without you. JP, look at me.” My hand moved to his face, forcing him to look at me. “We’ll figure this out, okay?”

His blue-green eyes were distant and somber. “I’m not sure what there is to figure out. It’s all right there in the results.”

I stammered, unsure how to respond. Surely he didn’t intend forRussellto have any involvement with Teddy. The man was a liar, a cheat, and a murderer.

I went to voice my concerns when JP cut in. “I should have seen the signs. Olive was even listed as a beneficiary to an investment account. I didn’t think much of it, but given the information we have now ... it’s clear they were more involved with each other than we thought. In a way, he cared or felt guilty enough to take care of her financially.” JP’s shoulders lifted in a weak shrug. “It seems that was the only way he knew how to show he wasn’t completely heartless.”

I nodded. “I think I figured it out.”

A chill caused goose bumps to pinch my arms and I stepped back to rub them. I didn’t want JP to hate Olive, but he deserved to know the truth. “I think ...”