Page 47 of One Last Goodbye

I snap out of my shock and rush up the stairs. "Come, children," I say firmly. "Back to bed."

“But what’s going on?” Olivia asks.

“Is everyone all right?” Ethan adds.

I place my hands on their shoulders and begin to lead them away, but I stop when there’s a knock on the front door. I’m confused by that. There are no neighbors within a quarter mile of the house, so I doubt anyone has been attracted by the noise. If it was another servant, then they would not be coming from outside.

My confusion ends when I hear a loud and authoritative voice call, “Veronica Baines? This is Inspector Moreau. We know you’re in there. Come out quietly, or we’re coming in.”

CHAPTER TWENTY TWO

The people gathered around—myself included—stand in stunned silence. When Moreau knocks on the door again, Veronica starts. She tears herself from Thomas’s grasp and runs toward the hallway.

Sophie moves swiftly, catching Veronica and tripping her. Veronica shrieks and tries to get to her feet again, but Sophie falls on top of her and places her in some sort of wrestling hold. I’ll admit I’m so shocked by the scene that I forget entirely about the children. They shake free of my grasp and run down the stairs toward their mother.

Hugo realizes he’s still holding Catherine and releases her. The children rush into their mother’s arms, and Moreau pounds on the door again. “Veronica! Last warning!”

“Relax, inspector!” Thomas calls. “Veronica is… restrained.” He seems as shocked by Sophie’s sudden display of wrestling prowess as I am. “I’ll open the door!”

He pulls open the door and flinches backwards when men in body armor carrying rifles rush past him. “Jesus!”

“Is this really necessary?” Catherine calls, keeping protective arms around Olivia and Ethan.

“It’s for your protection, ma’am,” Moreau replies, walking in behind her officers. “We didn’t know if she was armed. We had a feeling she wasn’t coming here to make friends.”

“You can say that again,” Sophie interjects, getting off of Veronica now that the SWAT team is present to take her. “She attacked the missus and tried to attack me. Didn’t go so well for her either time.”

“Fuck you, you fat bitch!” Veronica shrieks. “And you too, you old whore!”

“Kinda looks like you’re the one who’s fucked,” Catherine sneers at her as the agents lead her to the door.

“Yeah, by your husband. Every night!”

Once again, I remember the children. I head swiftly down the stairs. “Ma’am, please let me take the children back to bed.”

Catherine pulls them away from me, her eyes flashing dangerously. I recognize the feral expression of a mother protecting her children and lift my hands placatingly. “They don’t need to see this.”

Catherine blinks and regains control of her senses. “You’re right. Yes. Children, off to bed.”

I lead them upstairs. When we’re out of earshot, Ethan asks, “What was that about, Mary?”

“Didn’t you hear?” Olivia says bitterly. “That was dad’s whore. She’s upset she wasn’t allowed at the funeral.”

“It’s nothing for you two to be concerned with,” I say firmly.

My own curiosity burns, of course. Has the murder been solved? Has Interpol determined that Veronica Baines is responsible? It would certainly make my job easier, assuming they got it right.

My first responsibility is to the children, however. I guess that Ethan will be more likely to keep a promise to remain in his room, so we go to his first. He is rather disappointed at being whisked away from the drama, but he acquiesces after securing a promise from me to tell him everything I can once the drama dies down.

I expect a fight from Olivia, but I’m surprised when she heads to her room willingly. “Tell Mom I said good job for smacking that bitch down,” she throws over her shoulder.

“You can tell her yourself in the morning,” I reply wryly.

She grins and pauses by her door. “What happened? Did mom really beat her up?”

“That’s as good a way to describe it as any,” I agree.

Her grin widens. “Damn. I wish I could have seen that.”

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