Dustin was flabbergasted by the deranged confession.
“I saw her pulling into her sister’s apartment building and tried to talk to her, but she wouldn’t hear me out. I hit her, and she told me she was going to call the sheriff on me. That slut was going to call the police on me! I couldn’t let her jeopardize everything I worked and saved my whole life for because she had an attack of conscience. Where was her conscience before she lied to Jackson?
“When I tried to calm her down, she took off running. I caught up to her in the laundry room. I knew she would tell Jessie that I hit her, so I lost it. I don’t even remember hitting them. I was just so mad that she wouldn’t listen to me.”
Dustin wanted to pull the gun from behind his back and pull the damn trigger instead of listening to the lunatic for another minute. He needed to hear the whole story for Jessie to have the closure she would need.
“You couldn’t have lost it too bad to be smart enough to dump Miranda and Jessie around the county to throw everyone off track.”
“I didn’t know what I was doing.”
Dustin believed it where that was concerned. The man was as fucking crazy as a loony bird.
“Why did you rape Jessie?”
“To throw everyone off my track! Who would believe I raped her? I didn’t want to involve her, but I had no choice, did I? It was Miranda’s fault. If she had just kept her mouth shut, none of this would have happened. I asked God to forgive my sins, and He has.”
“I wouldn’t be expecting any forgiveness from Jackson or Jessie anytime soon.”
“I can pay you anything you want. You need a new driveway, you’ll have one by tomorrow evening. Here’re my keys. You can have my car. You want clients? You’ll have to get a new office because of all the business I’ll send your way.”
Dustin didn’t make a move to take the car keys from him. “I don’t need a driveway, I have more clients than I can handle now, and you can take those keys and shove them up your ass. Because, you sorry sack of shit, I’m going to buy a bullhorn and drive up and down the streets, telling everyone in Treepoint you killed Miranda and raped Jessie. You won’t have a business to worry about, because there won’t be a person who will walk in there after they find out what you did. Even Charles will disown you, and the church will take down that expensive sign you paid to put up when the thrift store opened.”
The man didn’t lose it until he mentioned the church. Then he went berserk.
Dustin was no fool. He knew if Dixon had gone over the rails to try to kill one woman and rape another to protect his reputation, the thought of him being faced with humiliation would send him over another one.
He tried to slam Dustin’s head back into the roof of the car, but Dustin was another eruption of rage. The difference this time was, Dixon wasn’t dealing with two women who were afraid for their lives.
Dustin brought his knee up, hitting Dixon in the groin. The crazed man didn’t sink to his knees the way any other would have done. No, he was too far gone.
Dustin felt for Miranda and Jessie for having to witness the maniacal rage that was confronting him now.
Dixon staggered back a step. Then, regaining his balance, he sprang at him. Dustin was waiting. Raising his arm, he punched Dixon in the face. Again, Dixon fell back a step then came back at him.
The madder he became, the less pain he felt. Dustin had fought enough in his lifetime to know the rush adrenaline could give during a fight.
When he sprang at him again, Dustin threw him back enough so he could move away from the car and had enough time to slam the car door. He had just shut it when Dixon lunged. Dustin grabbed him, throwing him over the car’s hood, watching in satisfaction as the son of a bitch slid down the hood to lie on the gravel.
Walking to the front of the car, Dustin saw him using the bumper to help himself up. Before he could stand, though, Dustin moved behind him and used the front of his expensive car to lift him to his feet, only to pound him into the hood over and over until he saw Dixon go limp. Then, using all of his strength, Dustin threw him over the hood again, and watched him fly over the side.
Dustin moved to the side, seeing him lying by the wheel. “You crazy bastard, you’re not even any fun to beat the hell out of.”
Dixon crawled backward on his elbows, blood coming out of the corner of his mouth and his nose.