Page 129 of Deception

“Even if she doesn’t make it, Hugh needs to close the case.”

Madison agreed. He opened the door and Madison hopped in the front seat, then he helped Dani into the back seat.

He got in and started the SUV. “How about Terri? Do you want to go see her?”

“I do.” Madison took a deep breath and released it. “But how much do we tell her? She may not know who we are—we didn’t know she was our mother until an hour ago.”

Dani shook her head. “I don’t think we need to bring up what we know. Let her bring it up if she’s aware we’re her daughters. If she doesn’t, we can tell her after she’s released from the hospital.” Then she frowned. “But how will we tell her about Judith? She needs to know how serious it is with her mother.”

Clayton looked over his shoulder. “Why don’t I tell her? I can talk to Terri while you two check on Judith.”

“I like it. How about you, Madison?”

“It’s a good idea.” She chewed her bottom lip and turned to face Dani. “Do you think Terri knows who we are?”

“I don’t know. She did submit her DNA to Ancestry.com. If she checked her account, she should’ve seen our names.”

“Then why didn’t she tell us who she is?”

Clayton stopped for a traffic light. “Maybe because she doesn’tknow how you’d react, and she’s afraid. Don’t forget there hasn’t been a good time to bring it up.” He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “She, ah, met with the judge last Wednesday a little earlier than Judith did.”

“What?” Madison jerked straight up. “Why haven’t you told me before?”

“I didn’t know she was your mother or Judith Winslow’s daughter until you did.” The light changed and he accelerated. “After she explained why she met the judge at the coffee shop, she wasn’t on my radar as a possible suspect in his shooting.”

“Why did she meet with him?”

“To offer her condolences in the death of his daughter. Turns out your adoptive mother was Terri’s fifth-grade teacher, and she made a real difference in Terri’s life.”

“I wonder if that was the only reason?” Madison turned and stared out the window. Was it possible she’d been trying to get information on her twin daughters?

69

Hugh believed that with Judith’s confession and Steven’s death, all the shootings were wrapped up, but Clayton still pulled under the pull-thru to let the two sisters out. Dani was too weak to walk from the parking lot to the hospital entrance anyway, and he hurried around to help her out.

“Do you want me to get a wheelchair?” Madison asked.

Dani shook her head. “I need to walk—it’s the only way I’ll get my strength back.”

Both women amazed him with their inner strength and determination. “I’ll text you after I talk to Terri.”

They inquired at the front desk about Judith and learned she’d been rushed to the cath lab and would be returning to ICU unless she went straight into surgery. He left them in the waiting room and walked up to the third floor to Terri’s room. Clayton stopped outside her room and gathered his thoughts, then he took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

“Come in.” The voice was weak.

He pushed the door open and entered the room. Terri was sitting on the bed, fully dressed with her arm in a sling.

“Are you going somewhere?” he asked.

“The doctors are releasing me.”

“Voluntarily or did you threaten to walk out?”

She grinned. “The bullet went through without hitting anything major. There was no need for me to stay.”

He knew at least one of her daughters was just like her. “Where are you going?”

“Back to the hotel for tonight, then I guess I’ll return to Ocean Springs.” She looked at him curiously. “I’m surprised to see you here by yourself.”

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