“Calm down, honey,” I said.
“It’s him, Joe. And Bryce lives there…with that little baby.”
“He’s looking for his own place. He told me. He won’t live there much longer, not if I have anything to say about it.”
“Are you going to tell him?”
I cleared my throat. “I haven’t told any of you this, but I’ve suspected the mayor for a while.”
“Oh my God! Why didn’t you tell Talon? And why didn’t you tell Bryce? He’s living there with his child!”
“Relax. Henry’s fine. I didn’t have any real evidence until now. I knew Tom had a birthmark like that, but I didn’t know where. You’ve filled in the blank for me.”
“But even to be suspicious… We have to get that baby out of there.”
“Bryce grew up there, and nothing happened to him. And his mother’s there. But don’t worry. I’m going to tell Bryce.”
“And we have to tell Talon.”
I nodded. “Marj, I have to tell Bryce first.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s my best friend, and he’s living there with his infant son. And this is his father.”
“But Talon is your brother!”
“I know. But Talon is fine and needs a br
eak. First I have to get Bryce and Henry out of there.” I sighed. “Don’t worry. I’m telling him tonight.”
“Oh my God. You’re not going there, are you?”
I shook my head. “No, I’ll call him and tell him to come over here, that I have something important we need to talk about.”
Marj shivered. “Make sure he brings the baby with him.”
“I will.”
I just hoped my friendship with Bryce was strong enough to withstand the accusation I was about to lodge against his father.
Chapter Six
Melanie
The car.
I had a car at my disposal.
My head was clouded and pounding, but how had this not occurred to me before now? As much as I didn’t want to even think about turning that ignition back on and flooding the garage with more carbon monoxide, the automobile was the best weapon I had.
I opened the driver’s side door, again ignoring the pain in my ankle, and pushed the jagged glass from the broken window onto the floor. I winced as several shards cut into my right hand. I sat down in the driver’s seat and turned the car back on. Would I have a better chance of backing through the garage door? Or pummeling forward, attempting to knock the wooden back door off its hinges?
I could no doubt get better speed going forward than in reverse, and I needed everything on my side. All I needed to do was dislodge the back door so I could escape.
Then again…I had no idea what was back there. I could see out the front. It was a driveway, and surely I could get through an old wooden garage door.
I just hoped I could do more damage to the door than I would undoubtedly do the back end of the car at the same time.