Page 129 of To Die For

“They did? Wait, did your parents have gloves on? Did the two men?”

She closed her eyes again, apparently trying to get a firmer mental image of that moment in time.

Odom opened her eyes. “My parents never wore gloves. But the two men had gloves on. Thick ones, I think.”

Devine sat back.That must have been it.

“You said your dad put the duffel bag in the trunk? He didn’t show you what was in there?”

“No. They got back in the car and my dad drove off and that’s when he started getting sick. And then my mom.”

“They couldn’t breathe, you said. Were they also convulsing? Jerking around?”

She looked at him, her lips quivering. “Yes, they were. Do you… do you think the duffel was poisoned or something? Or maybe when they shook hands? The gloves the guys wore?”

“Yes, I think those two men poisoned your parents that way. Do you remember anything about them?”

“They were both tall, about your height. They had on big overcoats. One had dark hair, and the other one was blond.”

“Age?”

“About your age.”

“Had you ever seen them before?”

She nodded.

Devine’s features tightened. “I asked you that before and you said no.”

“No, you asked me if they looked like any of my uncle’s guys and they didn’t.”

A frustrated Devine rubbed at his face. “Okay,wherehad you seen them before?”

“They were the same two guys who showed up at where we lived before. They were meeting with my dad when we went out for ice cream.”

Damn, thought Devine. Contrary to what Ellen Saxby had said, CIA possiblyhadmurdered two American citizens.

“Does that help you?”

He looked up at her. She appeared fragile and on edge.

“Yes, Betsy, it was a huge help. Thank you.”

She said nervously, “Travis, what’s going to happen to me? I mean, you’ve got a job and stuff, and I can’t live with Kor and Nate in that trailer till I’m grown.”

“I wish I had all the answers, but I do know that when someone is going through a tough time, like you are right now, it’s better to take small steps. If you try to think everything through, you’ll become paralyzed. But what I can promise you is that I’m going to do everything I can to help you all the way through this, okay?”

“Why? I mean, you don’t even really know me.”

“I know you’re a good person who got dealt a crappy hand in life. No adult I know would be handling this situation as well as you are. And I like to help people who are fighters, who get back up when they get knocked down. And you are a fighter, Betsy Odom, never doubt that.”

What she did next surprised Devine. She sat next to him and hugged him. And the tears finally came from the girl, until Odom was shaking with the force of her sobs.

Devine didn’t really know what to do, so he just held her as tightly as he could.

CHAPTER

60

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