Page 72 of Only Girl Alive

“How dare you?” he demanded, his face reddening even further.

The look in his eyes was wild and for the very first time, Eve knew she’d hit a major button. She stood and took a step around the desk so they were almost toe-to-toe. His blue eyes glared but Eve gave as good as she got. It was time a woman stood up to him.

“I’ll tell you how I dare.” She held up her hand between them, ready to shove him backwards if she needed to. “I was raised with those disgusting rules where young girls are prepared on the altar of sexual gratification for men such as yourself. Don’t you dare lecture me on the sick ideology of your church. I will fight with everything I have to make sure your control is cut short and you and the men of the church are punished. The Tanner family is only one of many such tragedies. Their deaths are on your head and that of every man who belongs to your cult. Those children were abused to the point a young girl took the law into her own hands because no adults would help her.”

His rage high, he inched closer.

“I,” he spat, “have never abused a child.”

She took a step back and tipped her head. Her next words were crystal-clear. “You abused me.” She let that sink in before continuing. “If I had stayed in the family, you know exactly what you would have done.”

The fact she said it out loud startled him. It had always been the elephant in the room.

“You would think of it that way,” he said through gritted teeth. “I had a crush on you and it was like a little boy pulling a girl’s hair.” Shame showed in his expression and he didn’t meet her eyes.

It was such a giveaway and Eve wasn’t backing down.

“I can’t even count the number of dresses you ruined, the bruises from each time you kicked me, or the bloody knees I suffered at your hands. You knew your feelings were sinful and you took that sin out on me. You had every intention of carrying out your threats and making me pay for your wickedness. You’re a grown man now and still you harbor lust for someone who isn’t your wife.”

There. She’d said it.

“Get out,” he shouted, and pointed to the door, his breathing the loudest sound in the room.

“I know who pelted me with rocks and caused a concussion. Do not insult me by playing dumb. They would have killed me.”

Her stepbrother glared.

His silence said everything.

“Hannah needs help,” she told him, standing her ground. She would make sure Aaron understood his role in this and she would push it down his throat if need be. “This isn’t a case of find killer, put killer behind bars. This is a young girl who had no recourse and used the teachings of the prophet to condone her actions. The sin belongs to you and the members of your brotherhood. She needs mental help, not prosecution. If you go after her to save your high and mighty male society, I won’t keep quiet and will scream from the highest mountaintop to every media outlet in this country.”

He lifted his hand and pointed at the door, again.

“Go after Hannah and I’m coming after your job. I won’t stop until you lose it. You will be disbarred and once you can’t give all your money to the church, we’ll see how soon they reassign your wives and throw you out.” She scooped up the recorder. “That, dear brother, was also not a threat. It was a promise.”

She walked out. She’d said what she needed to.

Denise was standing ten feet from Aaron’s door.

She smiled.

Thirty-Two

“I don’t know what will happen but Judge Remki won’t be happy,” she said. She would play her audio recording for them later. “We need to interview Kathryn Wilson and find out why she wasn’t home the night of the murders. Bina, I want you with me. We’ll pick up the SUV and go straight there.”

“I can do that,” said Bina.

“Clyde, Collin, Ray, pack. I want out of here. Bina and I will throw our clothes in a suitcase as soon as the interview is finished. We’ll meet you at the hotel after we speak with Kathryn.”

They headed straight to the Wilson home after grabbing the SUV. Kathryn answered their knock.

“We need to interview you again,” Eve told her without smiling.

Kathryn looked down and took a deep breath. When she lifted her head, Eve saw guilt. “We can do it here or in the SUV.”

“The car would be best.”

Bina sat in the back seat.

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