Page 99 of His Property

It strikes me that, despite the bindings and being drugged and kidnapped, I’m not afraid. I’m calm. A little sad that TJ would do this. Even more sad that Cora tricked him into it.

But I know TJ would never hurt me… Well, in any serious way. And I also know, without a shadow of a doubt, Victor wouldn’t let him. Or Cora. Any minute, I expect him to come bursting through the door, and if I’m afraid for anyone, it’s TJ.

I force my eyes to stay open, despite the weight of my eyelids. I can’t pass out again. I need to be awake to call Victor off if he decides to hurt TJ.

“Why are you doing this?” I ask, tears stinging my eyes. “This isn’t you.”

TJ recoils like I’ve slapped him. “I’m sorry. I know this is fucked up, but there was no other way to make him give back Cora’s things.”

“Whatthings?” My brows pinch. “What could possibly be worth this?”

“Evidence,” Cora says, stepping closer.

TJ looks over his shoulder, then stands, turning to face her. “What?” he asks, clearly confused. “You said they were family heirlooms.”

Her lips pout, and she gives him an apologetic look. “I know I did, baby. I’m sorry I lied to you, but I was too afraid you’d believe my son’s lies if you knew what he had.”

TJ’s silent for a few moments.

“What evidence?” he asks at last. “What did you do?”

She rears back like she’s offended. “Nothing.” She pauses a moment and sighs. “A year before I went to prison, I had a student who went missing. I had a close relationship with this boy because his father was a drunk, just like my husband, and I felt for him. My son was jealous of that relationship because he was…” Cora frowns and stares off for a moment like she’s remembering something. “He wasn’t right. They never found the boy, but I always had a nasty feeling in the pit of my stomach about it. A few days before I was arrested, I found my student’s baseball cap in my basement.”

TJ visibly stiffens. “You think Victor killed your student?”

She nods. “And kept something of the boy’s like it was some sort of trophy. But he wasmystudent, and I’m a convicted felon. If Victor was to claim he found that hat among my things… You know what that would look like.”

A chill runs over my spine, and I think about what TJ told me earlier about the gravesite he went to. It seemed so strange that he would take a bone, but now it’s clicking. Her old student was in that grave. And his bone is her new trophy.

The grogginess starts to lift, and I pinch my lips together while the two of them talk. I want to tell TJ what I know, click the puzzle pieces into place for him and make him finally see who this woman really is.

But it wouldn’t work. It could piss her off. And if it did work, she’d kill him.

She might do it anyway.

My heart rate picks up at that thought, and fear starts to slip in. Maybe it isn’t Victor I need to worry about.

“Jesus,” TJ says, running his hand through his hair. His shoulders pull up, and he goes still. “Why didn’t you tell the police what you found?”

“They wouldn’t have believed me,” she says, automatically. “Victor had everyone fooled. He even burned himself with cigarettes to add evidence against me.”

“That’s bullshit,” I growl.

They both turn to me, and Cora’s lips tug like she’s amused. “You don’t believe me?”

“Mae, come on,” TJ says, exasperated. “You of all people should know what Victor is capable—”

“How big was the skeleton you dug up?” I ask. I flick my gaze at Cora and watch the smirk vanish.

“What?” TJ squints.

“You told me she showed you her husband’s grave, and you dug up a skeleton. How big was it? Were the bones long, like a grown man’s or like a fifth-grade boy’s?”

TJ doesn’t respond for a moment, and I can see he’s questioning it. He knows something isn’t right with Cora’s story.

Cora’s shoulders slump, and she pouts while looking at TJ. Everything about her posture right now is fake. It shows in her eyes. “Are you doubting me?”

TJ hesitates, but then, “Of course not.”

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