Page 120 of The Replacement Wife

Elisa noticed he changed how he talked about the pill bottle now. “And then Josh planted the bottle back in the house to incriminate me, or had Rachel sneak in and do it.”

Josh wore a pleading look. “Elisa—”

Her fingers clenched on that pole. “Where’s Abby?”

“I really don’t know. I never hurt her or Candace. I swear.” He held up his hands as he tried to convince them. “Lauren was an accident. I pushed her and—”

She was not going to let him squirm out of this. “When she survived that, you drowned her.”

Harris stared at his brother. “Son of a bitch.”

“I know you think you’re the victim here, that Rachel lied to you. She did, but you invited all of it.” Elisa took a deep breath. “You’re not a good man, Josh. You’ve convinced yourself you are, that you’ve had bad luck and deserve everyone’s trust, but you don’t. You’re weak and angry. You need to grow up and take responsibility.”

Panic thrummed off of Josh. “I didn’t mean—”

“Shut up.” Harris’s voice didn’t invite any argument.

Elisa had never been so happy to hear those words. Maybe she and Harris did have a shot after all. She’d have to figure that out later because right now she needed to sit down and not think. With so many unanswered questions and Abby still missing, she couldn’t rest easy but she hoped someone else—someone in law enforcement—would take over.

“I’m going back to my room and see what I need to do to get out of here. Talk with the police and give whatever statement they need.” She looked at Harris, the man she still believed was the love of her life. “If you’re thinking about helping Josh avoid responsibility don’t bother coming home.”

Chapter Fifty-Nine

The next day Elisa plunked down on the bottom of the staircase at her house. She thought about going up to her bedroom and delayed walking back into her kitchen. Not sure what to do and exhausted from the walk in from where the car service had dropped her in the driveway, she decided this seemed like a good place to stop and think. When the doorbell rang twenty minutes later she was able to reach over and open the door and sit right back down.

Shelby stepped inside. “You look good, especially compared to the last time I saw you.”

Elisa remembered Shelby visiting in the hospital. She also ran interference with the police and filled them in on what she knew. Basically, she made Elisa’s life easier and she appreciated that more than she could say. “Thanks for coming to the house.”

“Now or before?”

Shelby had saved her life. She’d probably broken rules and had to convince Harris, but she did it. One more thing Elisaowed her for. “Both. I haven’t found the right thank-you-for-rescuing-me flower or bagel arrangement to send to your office, but I will.”

“I love bagels.” Shelby’s smile faded a bit as she continued, “I made sure the police know what I know. I also told Harris, as you asked.”

Elisa tried to imagine that conversation. Harris had no idea she’d been working with an investigator. “How did he take it?”

“He was terrified for you.” Shelby shrugged. “He thanked me at the hospital.”

“I wonder what he’ll do now.” Elisa meant to think the words and not say them, but they came out.

“What do you want him to do?”

That depended on Harris, and Elisa couldn’t think about that right now. It was easier to concentrate on her anger and disappointment. “What will happen to Josh?”

“I’m not an expert on this, but he might get lucky. The detective I talked with, the new one and not Burroughs, talked about how much time has passed. He mentioned degraded evidence and questionable memories. He also thinks Josh will insist he made the confession under duress, and it’s not real.”

“Unbelievable.” Only it wasn’t. That’s how Josh’s life worked. Totally charmed so that he never paid the price.

“He told you Lauren woke up. It probably depends on how he spins the story when he tells it again.” Shelby whistled. “With the right defense lawyer, who knows?”

Once again, avoiding what he truly deserved. Elisa had to take a few breaths to keep from getting fired up and furious again. “His luck is amazing.”

Shelby sat down on the step next to Elisa. “I think he’ll pay in other ways. I found out the reason the real police avoided your calls lately, and mine, is that Abby’s case is open and active. They have that new task force on it and they’ve been digging. They’re even reopening Candace’s fall to give it a second look.”

“They think he did something to Abby?” Elisa felt a surge of relief. Abby was the reason she started all of this.

“The police are going back to the beginning but agree it’s likely that something bad happened to her.”

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