Chapter 13 - BACK TO THE RAVINE
Rebecca understood Arthur’s plan when she saw the road sign.
MOUNT HARLOW - 6 MILES.
“No.”
Arthur looked at her.
“Drive.”
“You said the airfield.”
“We can’t take the child through an airport.”
Rebecca stared at him.
“You want to kill her.”
Lily stopped crying.
Arthur’s voice remained calm.
“She heard us.”
Rebecca looked into the mirror.
Lily was pale.
Terrified.
But she was still a six-year-old child.
A child Rebecca had terrorized.
A child she had tried to replace.
A child she had convinced herself was an obstacle.
Yet hearing Arthur speak about killing her forced Rebecca to see what she had become.
“No.”
Arthur turned.
“What?”
“I said no.”
“You’re developing a conscience now?”
Rebecca pulled the vehicle to the side.
Arthur grabbed the wheel.
The SUV swerved.
Lily screamed.
Rebecca fought him.
“You’re insane!”
Arthur struck her hand away.
The SUV crossed the center line before Rebecca regained control.
She slammed the brakes.
The vehicle stopped inches from the guardrail.
The same mountain.
The same ravine.
The same place Claire’s life had been destroyed.
Arthur turned toward Rebecca.
“You had one job.”
Rebecca stared at him.
“My job was Claire.”
“Not Lily.”
Arthur laughed.
“You were willing to threaten her five hours ago.”
“I wasn’t going to kill her.”
“Do you think that makes you innocent?”
Rebecca flinched.
He was right.
There was no innocence left to protect.
Only degrees of guilt.
Lily quietly unlocked her seat belt.
Rebecca noticed.
Arthur did not.
“Run,” Rebecca whispered.
Lily stared at her.
“Run!”
Lily pushed open the door.
She could not run.
Her legs were weak from the crash two years earlier.
But she could crawl.
She pulled herself onto the roadside gravel.
Arthur spun around.
“You idiot!”
He opened his door.
Rebecca grabbed his coat.
Arthur shoved her backward.
Lily dragged herself toward the trees.
Every movement hurt.
Her palms scraped against the road.
Behind her, Arthur approached.
Then headlights appeared around the curve.
Grant’s SUV.
Claire saw Lily on the ground.
“STOP!”
The vehicle had barely stopped before Claire jumped out.
“Lily!”
Arthur grabbed the child first.
He lifted her from the ground.
Claire froze.
Grant emerged behind her.
“Put her down.”
Arthur backed toward the guardrail.
“You should have stopped asking questions.”
Grant’s voice became deadly quiet.
“This is over.”
“No.”
Arthur looked at Claire.
“It should have been over two years ago.”
Claire’s memories collided with the present.
The rain.
The cliff.
Her daughter screaming.
But this time she was not trapped inside a car.
This time she could fight.
“Arthur.”
He looked at her.
Claire took one slow step.
“You wanted me dead because I found the money.”
“You were always too curious.”
“And Rebecca?”
Arthur smiled.
“She wanted your husband.”
Rebecca climbed from the SUV behind him.
Her lip was bleeding.
“Don’t.”
Arthur glanced back.
That second of distraction was enough.
Lily bit his hand.
Arthur shouted.
Grant lunged.
Claire caught Lily as Arthur lost his grip.
Grant tackled Arthur away from the guardrail.
Rebecca stood frozen.
Sirens echoed in the distance.
Lucas had called state police.
Arthur looked toward the trees.
Then toward Rebecca.
“Help me.”
Rebecca stared at her father.
For the first time in her life, she did not obey him.
She stepped away.
Police vehicles surrounded the road.
Arthur raised his hands.
Claire held Lily against her chest.
The child buried her face against the unfamiliar face of the mother she somehow still knew.
“Mommy.”
Claire closed her eyes.
May you like
“I’ve got you.”
This time, she did.
