Page 58 of A Hidden Past

Oh God, please let me be imagining things.

Clara gasped again and said, “Oh God. Julian, he’s here.”

“I see him, Clara,” Julian snapped.

God damn it. Nate, you fucking idiot.

“Go ahead, Julian,” Nate the world's dumbest superhero said. "Tell me that Lila was wrong about everything. Tell me your wife isn't a coke-sniffing junkie, and you're not killing people for getting in the way of your illegal business dealings.

“Nathan, shut up!” Lena snapped.

Might as well look at the schmuck now. He’s not going to go away just because you really wish he would. She turned toward him to see him standing in the close-fisted defiance of the righteously angry young. She wished with every fiber of her being that she could go back in time ten minutes and find a reason to arrest him and lock him in the back of her car.

“You’re deluded,” Julian said, “All of you. I presume you don’t have an arrest warrant, so you can leave my house. My lawyer will be contacting your department. As for you, Nathan, you’ve just made the worst enemy you could possibly have.”

“What? You’re going to kill me too?”

“Damien, get him out of here!” Lena snapped. “Mr. and Mrs. Kensington, I apologize.” She glared at Nate. “Mr. Harlow is clearly extraordinarily stupid. This conversation has nothing to do with him, and he’ll be arrested for obstruction of justice.”

Nathan stared at her in shock. Then his face flamed in anger. “I knew it. I was right all along. I should never have listened to Marco.”

Lena frowned. “Who’s Marco?”

“You don’t care! You’re not here to find justice for Lila! These assholes killed her!” He jabbed his finger at the Kensington. “Her own parents! Her own mother and father who are supposed to love her and take care of her, and they fucking killed her, but you don’t care because they’re rich, and—”

“Damien, get him out of here!”

Just then, Clara burst into sobs and collapsed to the floor. Julian's trembling worsened, and he said in a strained voice. "You've made my wife cry. Leave my house now."

“No,” Clara said.

“Clara—”

“I killed her. Nate’s right. I’m supposed to be her mommy and love her, and I killed her!”

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

I stare at Clara in shock. Julian stares at Clara in shock. Detective Ramirez stares at Clara in shock. I can’t see the other cop’s face, but I think it’s a good bet that he’s staring at her in shock too.

Julian is the first to recover. “This confession is under duress! I demand that you leave my house!”

Detective Ramirez is the next person to recover. “Harris, search the house for the diary.”

“You have no right—” Julian starts.

“Your wife just confessed to a murder, and both of you corroborated the existence of a diary possessed by the victim that could provide material evidence to a motive for such a murder.”

Julian blinks. “You said you…” Then he reddened. “We’re not speaking without a lawyer present.”

“Feel free to call one. Your wife can make her own decisions. Mrs. Kensington? Would you like to talk to us?”

Clara nods, and Julian says, “Clara! Don’t talk to them without—”

“You speak again, and I’ll arrest you for obstruction of justice.”

Julian’s shade deepens until it matches the color of a ripe tomato. Then he laughs and looks around, his eyes wild. He can’t accept that he’s not in control.

I’m not surprised to see his eyes settle on me. I’m the least powerful person here. He must be able to find a way out through me.

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