Page 91 of One Kind Soul

“How did you get out of jail?” The longer they talked, the longer Nicole stayed alive.

Lynda grinned. “You’d be surprised what some sweet talk and the promise of more will get you in prison.” She surveyed Nicole in a head-to-toe sweep. “Well, maybe it wouldn’t get you much, Princess Uggers.”

“Don’t call me that.”

Her sister’s head jolted back. “Wow. Listen to that spunk, Marty. You hear it?”

Marty rubbed his beard again. “I hear it. Lots of confidence for someone in her situation.”

“Not to worry,” Lynda said. “I’m an expert at breaking Nicki down. That confidence is about to take a hike.”

“You’re wrong,” Nicole said. “I wasn’t confident when we were kids or young adults because I’d been subjected to your bullshit around the clock.” She shook her head. “That hasn’t been the case for years now.”

Plus, a wonderful man showed me that I’m worth more than I ever dreamed.

“Oh, so you’re a new person now? Is that it?” Lynda scoffed. “From what I see, you’re still the same piece of ugly garbage you’ve always been. Nothing’s changed about you. You’re not suddenly the swan, Nicki.”

“Don’t call me that either.”

“You’re running out of things to call her, Lynda,” Marty said around a hoarse laugh that made Nicole certain the cigarette smell was due to him.

“No, I’m not,” Lynda said. “I’ve got an endless supply of vicious things to say about her.”

“Why?”

That question stilled Lynda’s pacing. She arched an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Yeah, what the hell made you hate me so much?” If this was her last night alive, Nicole wanted to know where this loathing had come from. “Why did you need to make my life so miserable?”

“Our parents never told you the truth, did they?”

“The truth about what?” About dropping you on your head as a baby?

“Of course they didn’t tell you.” Lynda put her hand to her mouth and stared at Nicole. “They wouldn’t want to hurt you.”

“What are you talking about? Mom and Dad didn’t hurt you either. You didn’t have it so bad with them. There’s never been any reason for you to act the way you have.”

Lynda raced over to her and Nicole backed up until she hit the wall by the door. Marty came up behind Lynda to nail home the idea that he was available for backup should Lynda require it.

“No reason?” Her face was red with anger. “How about the fact that you weren’t supposed to be a part of the Travers family?”

Nicole opened her mouth, but had no idea what to say next? What was her sister talking about?

“For eight precious years, I was the center of Mom and Dad’s universe,” Lynda said as she backed up a few steps. She was far too close still and Nicole started scanning the apartment for sharp implements that could be used to defend herself. “Just the three of us. A perfect family. They didn’t want any more kids. Mom told Aunt Carol she was done making babies. Fine by me. I loved being the only one asking for their attention, their love. Everything was wonderful.” Lynda blew out a breath. “Until that night when the doorbell rang late in the evening. Much too late for any respectable visitors or invited guests.”

Lynda walked a circle around Marty who stood there like a stone pillar. How many Martys worked for her sister? Where had she found people willing to team up with her? What had she promised them? All this spiraled around in Nicole’s head as she processed this rubbish tale Lynda was spinning.

“Dad went to the door,” Lynda continued, “though Mom told him not to. All three of us had been playing one more game of checkers. I always succeeded in getting them to play one more game before bedtime. They’d tell me how clever I was to have won another game. They were very proud of me.”

Nicole didn’t say anything. This entire vendetta couldn’t have been about Nicole being a better checker player.

Can it?

“Dad didn’t listen to Mom though and he answered that door.” Lynda paused in front of her. “Do you know what he found there?”

Obviously not people with a white coat for you. Nicole shook her head instead.

“You.” Lynda jabbed her index finger into Nicole’s chest. “They found you. In a cardboard box, all wrapped up in blankets. Someone had dropped you off. Abandoned you. I guess your real mother recognized how repulsive you were even as a baby and decided she couldn’t spend the next eighteen years or so raising such a hideous beast.” Her gaze softened for a moment, then her jaw tensed. “But Mom and Dad took pity on you. They brought you in. Tried to find your real parents with no success. So they kept you and ended our perfect trio.”