was all still circumstantial. It might be enough. There was the house, after all. Why had Carling held onto it for so long? Fear of Michelle being found?
“What were you looking for?” Al asked.
“Something I forgot before I left.”
Dean wished he had paid more attention when he took the boxes from the shelves. Hopefully, it had been so long since Haley had been in there she wouldn’t notice if something had been moved.
“So, I guess that’s it, huh? Now you’ll just go home.”
“Not yet.” He had other avenues still to explore.
There were two cars in the driveway when Haley got to her mother’s, both blocking her old rust bucket in the garage. She recognized Garret’s green SUV. The convertible Mustang could only be Paige’s.
With a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and went inside.
“I can’t believe you didn’t make dinner,” Garret was saying as Haley entered the house.
Paige leaned over the sink with a cigarette in her hand and blew smoke out the window. “I’m not her maid and cook.”
“If she’s drinking like that she needs to eat something.” Garret crossed the room and flung the fridge door open. It banged hard off the cupboard next to it.
Haley leaned against the doorframe between the kitchen and the hall. Both Garret and Paige were far too absorbed in their argument to notice her. There was something disconcerting about watching them fall back into the older brother and bratty sister roles after so many years. She half expected Michelle to bounce into the room.
“I asked her if she wanted something to eat, she said no.” Paige turned on the faucet and ran cold water over the cigarette’s glowing tip. It went out with a sharp hiss.
Garret cracked an egg into the glass bowl on the counter. “Well, of course she’ll say no. You have to fix something and then make sure she eats it. Haley knows this.”
“Good for Haley.” Paige closed the window. “When the hell does she get home anyway?”
“Right now,” Haley said. They both whirled to face her.
“I just saw your father-in-law at the store,” she told Garret. “He’s on his way to your house.”
“Oh, great. Nate’s back in town.” Paige rolled her eyes.
Haley ignored her. “Anyway, I’m not staying. I just came to get my things. I need you to move your cars so I can get mine out of the garage.”
“What do you mean you’re not staying?” Paige asked with something akin to panic in her voice. Dark pleasure welled inside Haley.
“I’m going home tonight.”
“Who’ll take care of Mom?”
“You’re here, you can do it.”
“Oh, I see.” Paige rested her hands on her hips. “You’re mad, and this is how you’re going to punish me.”
The hair on the back of Haley’s neck bristled as she clamped down on the urge to punch her sister in the mouth.
“If taking care of Mom is a punishment,” she said through gritted teeth, “I’ve been serving a life sentence. So, aside from being born last, what the hell did I do to deserve it?”
Haley didn’t wait for a reply. She turned on her heel and stormed up the stairs. Her mother was nowhere in sight.
Fury pounded at her temples as she went into her bedroom, slammed the door and fell back against it. Where had the anger come from? Her fingers trembled as she raked them through her hair. She breathed deeply in an effort to pull herself together before she dealt with her sister again.
“I suppose I walked right into that,” Paige said, shaking another cigarette from the package. After having quit nearly a year and a half ago, her lungs burned and her mouth tasted like day-old gym socks, but since her mother’s little explosion earlier, she needed something.
She slid the window over the sink open again, while Garret searched for something in the cupboard. He stopped long enough to give her a disapproving glare as she lit up.
“Where is the goddamned vanilla?” he muttered, resuming his search.
“Perhaps Mommy Dearest
“What were you looking for?” Al asked.
“Something I forgot before I left.”
Dean wished he had paid more attention when he took the boxes from the shelves. Hopefully, it had been so long since Haley had been in there she wouldn’t notice if something had been moved.
“So, I guess that’s it, huh? Now you’ll just go home.”
“Not yet.” He had other avenues still to explore.
There were two cars in the driveway when Haley got to her mother’s, both blocking her old rust bucket in the garage. She recognized Garret’s green SUV. The convertible Mustang could only be Paige’s.
With a deep breath, she squared her shoulders and went inside.
“I can’t believe you didn’t make dinner,” Garret was saying as Haley entered the house.
Paige leaned over the sink with a cigarette in her hand and blew smoke out the window. “I’m not her maid and cook.”
“If she’s drinking like that she needs to eat something.” Garret crossed the room and flung the fridge door open. It banged hard off the cupboard next to it.
Haley leaned against the doorframe between the kitchen and the hall. Both Garret and Paige were far too absorbed in their argument to notice her. There was something disconcerting about watching them fall back into the older brother and bratty sister roles after so many years. She half expected Michelle to bounce into the room.
“I asked her if she wanted something to eat, she said no.” Paige turned on the faucet and ran cold water over the cigarette’s glowing tip. It went out with a sharp hiss.
Garret cracked an egg into the glass bowl on the counter. “Well, of course she’ll say no. You have to fix something and then make sure she eats it. Haley knows this.”
“Good for Haley.” Paige closed the window. “When the hell does she get home anyway?”
“Right now,” Haley said. They both whirled to face her.
“I just saw your father-in-law at the store,” she told Garret. “He’s on his way to your house.”
“Oh, great. Nate’s back in town.” Paige rolled her eyes.
Haley ignored her. “Anyway, I’m not staying. I just came to get my things. I need you to move your cars so I can get mine out of the garage.”
“What do you mean you’re not staying?” Paige asked with something akin to panic in her voice. Dark pleasure welled inside Haley.
“I’m going home tonight.”
“Who’ll take care of Mom?”
“You’re here, you can do it.”
“Oh, I see.” Paige rested her hands on her hips. “You’re mad, and this is how you’re going to punish me.”
The hair on the back of Haley’s neck bristled as she clamped down on the urge to punch her sister in the mouth.
“If taking care of Mom is a punishment,” she said through gritted teeth, “I’ve been serving a life sentence. So, aside from being born last, what the hell did I do to deserve it?”
Haley didn’t wait for a reply. She turned on her heel and stormed up the stairs. Her mother was nowhere in sight.
Fury pounded at her temples as she went into her bedroom, slammed the door and fell back against it. Where had the anger come from? Her fingers trembled as she raked them through her hair. She breathed deeply in an effort to pull herself together before she dealt with her sister again.
“I suppose I walked right into that,” Paige said, shaking another cigarette from the package. After having quit nearly a year and a half ago, her lungs burned and her mouth tasted like day-old gym socks, but since her mother’s little explosion earlier, she needed something.
She slid the window over the sink open again, while Garret searched for something in the cupboard. He stopped long enough to give her a disapproving glare as she lit up.
“Where is the goddamned vanilla?” he muttered, resuming his search.
“Perhaps Mommy Dearest
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