Page 71 of The Followers

“Yeah, last night I kept thinking about Ella, and Scott’s story about the adoption. Maybe Scott lied and told me Kristina had died so he didn’t have to deal with questions. So he could raise Ella on his own.”

“You think Scott took her from her mother?” Liv said the words carefully, trying to feel out what Molly knew.

“Yes! But that’s not the worst part.” Molly stifled a sob. “Ella’s mother was murdered.”

Liv knew she should come clean, right then. The words rose in her throat, nearly choking her. But she couldn’t explain what had happened with Scott and Kristina without explaining how she knew, and she couldn’t explain that without revealing why she had come to Durango.

She suddenly saw herself as Molly would—a pathetic girl weaseling her way into Molly’s life under false pretenses—and she was ashamed of herself. Dishonesty is a relationship killer, Molly had said on the video.

“Liv!” Molly said, staring at her. “I said Ella’s mother was murdered!”

Liv realized she ought to be showing more emotion—Molly didn’t know she already knew. She forced herself to look shocked. “Oh my god,” she said. “Are you sure?”

Molly brushed an errant tear out of her eye and took a shuddering breath. She continued to ramble through the details, most of which Liv already knew. Liv tried to act like she was listening, when what she was really doing was thinking. If she was too much of a coward to tell Molly the truth, she still needed to do something. She couldn’t let Molly continue to think her husband was a murderer.

“Liv?” Molly said. “Are you listening to me? Scott murdered his ex-girlfriend.”

Liv snapped back to attention. “Not necessarily.”

Molly threw her hands in the air. “What do you mean? His name is all over the internet in connection with this crime. It makes me sick—”

“Just because he was a suspect doesn’t mean he did it,” Liv said carefully.

“But he ran off and changed his name! And why did he lie and say Kristina died of an overdose?”

“Maybe he didn’t want to tell you she was murdered. Maybe he knew it would look bad for him. Or maybe he doesn’t want Ella to know.”

Molly bit her lip, as if considering Liv’s statement. “Maybe.”

Liv hesitated, not ignorant of the fact that she was trying to talk Molly out of the exact thing she herself had believed for years. “I understand why you’re upset. Forgery and lying are a big deal, but,” she paused, “they’re not the same as murder.”

She wanted to tell Molly about talking to Detective Rasband and what she’d read in Kristina’s case file, but the words were jammed in her throat, and she hated herself for it. What kind of friend was she, if she couldn’t tell Molly the truth when it mattered?

Molly seemed to relax, the stress on her face dissipating. “You don’t think Scott did it? You don’t think he murdered Kristina Casillas and kidnapped Ella?”

Liv swallowed against the shame burning her throat. “Didn’t you say that Ella’s mother was an addict? Maybe she got mixed up with the wrong crowd. Maybe that’s who killed her. Scott probably took Ella to keep her safe. Maybe that’s why he changed their identities, too.”

That was all she could think to say, but it seemed to be enough. Molly was nodding now, her face less pale, her tense shoulders dropping in relief.

“Yeah,” she said. “That’s probably what happened, right? I mean, I’m still furious at him for lying to me—”

“I can understand that.”

“But he’s not a murderer.” Her face relaxed, her eyes still bright with tears. “Thanks for talking me off the ledge. Now I need to figure out how to approach Scott about this when he gets home this evening.”

“Let me watch the girls,” Liv said, wanting to do something—anything—to make this easier on Molly. To make up for her own cowardice. “I’ll keep them at my place as long as you need.”

“That would be wonderful. I’ll bring them over this afternoon before Scott gets home.”

Molly’s entire face brightened with gratitude, and Liv felt a rush of happiness, then told herself to stop being ridiculous. One small good deed couldn’t cancel out the lies she was telling.

Molly walked Liv to the front door, and as Liv turned to say goodbye Molly reached out and yanked her into a hug so sudden Liv almost lost her breath.

“I’m glad I have a friend here,” Molly whispered. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Guilt settled on Liv’s shoulders like a shroud.

McSnark’s STOP RUINING MY INTERNET

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