Page 128 of Hell Hath No Fury

Emma pictured it all. Ashley’s story explained the spotless area on an otherwise dirty and stained carpet. She’d had to scrub away Sonny’s blood, as well as some of her own. Emma fought the urge to glance at her phone. “How did Sonny’s body end up buried at the construction site?” she asked softly.

“I didn’t know what to do. I checked on Daphne, told her I’d be in to kiss her boo-boo in a little bit, and sent her to bed. Then, I called the only person I could think of to help. Patrick.”

ChapterThirty-Eight

Matthias was only mildly concerned about Emma’s and Nell’s safety when Eric first told him where they’d gone. That ended when Emma failed to answer her phone.

Eric’s face blanched around his bruises. “She should’ve answered. Why wouldn’t she answer? What do we do?” His voice climbed in pitch with each additional question.

“Wedon’t do anything,” Matthias said more to himself than to Eric, as he found Fergusson’s number.

“What now, Honeywell?” the trooper demanded.

“Emma and her sister went over to the Jones residence and now she’s not answering her phone.”

“Why would they go there? Your girlfriend claimed she wasn’t friends with Jones’s widow.”

“She’s not, but we’ve been thinking that Ashley’s under the influence. Nell wanted to talk to her about going into rehab.”

“Isn’t that the pot calling the kettle black?”

“Maybe, but the point is that Emma could be with a killer and is not answering her phone.”

Fergusson fell silent for a few moments. When he again spoke, his tone was more serious. “I suppose you’re heading to the Jones house?”

“I am.”

“Okay. I’ll meet you there in about a half hour.”

Matthias ended the call. It wouldn’t take him nearly that long. He strode to the front door.

“I’m coming with you,” Eric insisted.

“No. You’re not.”

“Yes, I am.”

Matthias spun to face him. “I need you to stay here in case they come back. You never know. Maybe they were in a dead zone for cell service. If they do show up, have Emma call me so I don’t go crashing in on Ashley and her daughter for no reason.”

Eric glowered. “Fine.”

Matthias’s phone buzzed, and Emma’s face lit the screen. He exhaled in relief. “That’s her now.” He swiped the green button and put the call on speaker. “Where are you? Are you okay?”

But instead of Emma, all he heard was Ashley’s distant voice. “You try anything else, and your sister is dead. Understand?”

As Ashley continued talking, Matthias realized that Emma had covertly called him.

And that she and Nell were in deep trouble.

“Now, where were we?” Ashley’s voice grew louder. Matthias surmised she was getting closer to the phone. And to Emma.

As Ashley poured out blame at Emma, he met Eric’s terrified gaze. “Come on,” Matthias said and led the way out the door. “You’re navigating.”

* * *

Emma’s mind spun. Ashley had killed Sonny. Had she also killed Patrick Winslow?

“He came right over,” Ashley continued. “He was so calm and steady. The exact opposite of Sonny. We made a plan. He would get rid of the body while I stayed here and cleaned up the mess. Patrick had some painter’s drop cloth in his truck, and he wrapped Sonny in it and lugged the body out to his truck. After he drove off, I spent the next few hours bagging glass and shampooing the hell out of the rug. When Patrick got back, he put the garbage bags in his truck. I was still a total wreck, but he assured me everything would be fine. He said he’d taken care of the body. He smashed Sonny’s phone and would add it and the glass to the other construction junk going to the dump. All I had to do was stay home. When I felt it’d been a reasonable length of time, I would call the police to report Sonny as missing and then sit back and play the part of the concerned wife.”