Page 79 of Sinful Promises

Flanagan shifted in her seat. “Robert confessed to hitting the store owner with the paperweight. So, he’s now been charged with murder.”

“Oh my god. So, I spent my childhood living with a murderer.” My gut dropped. “Did Mother know?”

She clicked her tongue. “She said she didn’t.”

“Of course she did.”

“She knew he’d robbed the store. It was why you all moved frequently.”

“I thought as much.” Frowning, and not really sure if I wanted an answer, I asked, “And the good news?”

“The good news is that there’s no way he’s your father.”

I sat up. “What? How can you be so sure?”

“Because he’d only been out of jail for six months when he did the jewelry store robbery. Prior to that, he was serving a seven-year jail term for a bank robbery. So that means he was halfway through his sentence when you were conceived.”

Anger rose in me like a demon. “That fucking bitch.” Clenching my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms, I glanced at Flanagan. “Sorry.”

She shook her head. “No need to be.”

“All that time.” I wanted to scream. “So, there’s absolutely no chance he could have been at the orgy?”

“Correct.”

“Arghh, her lies.” I wanted to pick up my glass and smash it against the wall.

Flanagan shook her head, eyeing me with sympathy.

“Shit!” If Mother was within reach right now, I would’ve slapped her face so hard her rotting teeth would have fallen out.

But most of all, I wanted to get out of there.

I wanted to get out of that hospital. Out of this city. Out of this country.

“You okay?” Flanagan’s hand draped over my wrist, clawing me back from my emotional landslide.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I nodded. “Are you going to arrest her?”

“She’s been charged with obstruction of justice for giving a false alibi. But . . .” She let the sentence hang.

“But she’s going to die soon anyway.”

Flanagan nodded.

Typical. Mother always managed to weasel out of things. “I hope there really is a hell.”

“I think dying alone is her hell.”

“Good. I have no intention of ever seeing her again. My visit today was just to give her funeral information to the nurse. I’m not staying.”

“On that note. We’ve gotta go catch some bad guys. Do you need a lift anywhere?”

I sat up. My hopes soaring. “Does that mean I’m okay to leave the country?”

“Sure does.”

“Excellent. I’m going to get my stuff and go straight to the airport.”

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