Page 30 of Secrets

“But you did kill them?” asked Katrina.

“Yes, ma’am. I did.”

“How is your mother still alive? Why is she still alive?” asked Nathan.

“She and Dad were going to get a divorce because Mom fell for one of the Dyatlovs. Dad didn’t give a shit as long as he got custody of us. She was more than happy to let that happen. Mom was running the whole fucking show. Her and the feds. She got the business. Tick, Dad, and me did the dirty work.”

“So, your mother is still alive, and she’s after Millicent?” asked Kari.

“Yes, ma’am. She is very much alive and calling all the shots, including whether I live or die inside this hellhole. The beatings? That’s because she wants to know where the account numbers are located. No one has been smart enough to realize they’re on our bodies.”

“What about your dad and brother? Were they buried with the account numbers?” asked Miller.

“They were cremated, but not before I made sure I had copies of the account numbers.”

“They were the numbers we found in the box in the attic,” said Nathan.

“You found it? That’s great! Then you’ll be able to get to the money before they do.”

“We can’t access that money, legally,” smirked Miller.

“Yes, you can. When all this shit went down, the last good thing I did for my kid sister was to put all that damn money in her name. Every fucking account that you found is hers. All of it. It all belongs to Millicent.”

“Jesus, no wonder she’s a target,” said Nathan. “She said you beat her, hit her. Why?”

“Because if I didn’t, my father would, and it would have been far worse. The last beating when we tossed her in the shed, that was him, and he damn sure enjoyed it. Too much. I hit her a time or two. I won’t lie about that. But whether she knows it or not, I held back a helluva lot. I had to or I would have hurt her bad.”

“She’s going to struggle to believe this,” said Kari. “You’re the one she’s terrified of.”

“I understand that. Listen, I don’t expect to get out of here alive. I’m okay with that. I know what I’ve done, but I won’t let my mother and that fucking traitor, Fowler, get to her. The bureau used my mother and our family to rid themselves of organized crime. My father didn’t care because we were paid extremely well. My mother didn’t give a shit because she was now part of the Dyatlov family and protected by the feds. Wherever Millicent is, keep her hidden.”

“If she’s subpoenaed to appear at the trial, we may be forced to bring her,” said Katrina.

“Don’t. I only asked for that because I wanted to warn her. That was before I knew the lawyers were fucking with me. There’s no reason for her to come now, and if the prosecutor requests it, it’s because my mother has gotten to them.

“Send her as far away as you can, but don’t bring her here. They’ll take her, attack her, and beat her to death for what they want. There will be nothing left of her recognizable.”

Kari stared at the young man, and everything in her body was telling her that he was speaking the truth.

“Jay, you should know that your sister has found happiness. She recently got married to a man who can definitely protect her. We all can,” said Kari.

Jay softly cried, nodding his head and smiling. His hands were clasped in prayer, and he lowered his head to the table, then looked up at the group of strangers.

“That makes me so happy,” he said. “I know she won’t believe it but tell her I’m happy for her. I want her to live a wonderful life, have lots of babies, and just live. I know she’ll never understand all the reasons I did what I did, how I tried to protect her, but it was the only way. She has no idea what was happening behind the scenes. I just want her to be happy. She deserves normal.”

“Jay, we need you to tell us about your mother,” said Miller. He nodded, wiping his eyes.

“How much time do you have?”

CHAPTER NINETEEN

It was three hours later when they left the prison, each one of them exhausted and completely shocked by their conversation with Jay. None of them said a word as they drove to their hotel. There were a few more things they needed to check out before they left Indiana. But the first thing they would do is place themselves as Jay’s attorneys of record tomorrow morning.

As they walked into the lobby, a group of men in suits were seated to the right, a beautiful woman in a smart summer dress in their center. She was average height, painfully thin, silver hair cut short around her ears, and flawless skin.

“Did you enjoy your visit with my son?” she asked the foursome.

“Excuse me?” said Kari, tilting her head at the woman.

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