Page 12 of Justice II
“You what?”
“Your daughter is a psychopath. She’s probably not even yours! I found a letter in her room from Monica that was written to you before she was killed.”
“My wife died of cancer. Stop makin’ shit up. I’m gonna make this easy on you. Pack your shit right now and leave my house. Don’t ever contact me again, and I will let this shit go.”
“Storie is CRAZY! She suffocated Monica. She told me. She killed Midnite too. She poisoned her. She was blackmailing me. I lied because I needed a job. Roman has my son, and he’s dangerous. He’s the reason my daughter was killed. He ruined my life.”
Justice stared at me, his expression hardening with every word that left my mouth. I could tell he didn’t believe me and I wasn’t making much sense.
“That’s the story you’re going with?”
“It’s the truth.”
“You lied about your name. You lied about your record and why you came into my house. Now that I caught you, my daughter suddenly murdered her mother and poisoned Midnite?”
“I didn’t suddenly come up with anything. Storie told me herself.”
“And why didn’t you come right to me, huh?”
“Because she blackmailed me! She found out about my past. And it was her word against mine.”
“You’re right. It’s a teenager’s word over a liar’s. You’ve been to prison. And then your ex-husband is my contractor. You saw that construction sign and you said nothing! What is wrong with you?”
“Roman is dangerous. I am afraid of him. I just wanted to rescue Keenan. I didn’t expect to fall in love with you and your family.”
“Ha! Love! You are so full of it. You got your daughter killed.”
“You don’t know what happened in that house.” I was seething at him bringing it up so flippantly. The guilt I felt about my daughter will never go away but that was Roman. I wanted to slap him that instant but I knew that wouldn’t have ended well.
“You made sure I didn’t know.”
“I was going to tell you.”
“When, Melody? After our weekend? You sat outside with me while I talked about making you my woman, and you didn’t say shit.”
“I was scared.”
“Of me?”
“Yes! I knew you wouldn’t understand. I knew you would look at that report and decide I was some terrible mother who got her child killed.”
“You came into my house under a fake name. Every day, you had another chance to tell me the truth.”
“I needed that job. Roman took everything from me. I was trying to make enough money to fight for my son.”
“So you used my family to do it.”
“I never used any of you. I love Rita. I love Dream.”
“And Storie?”
I hesitated, which answered the question for me.
Justice released a humorless laugh and shook his head.
“You claim my daughter confessed to killing Monica. Then you stayed here while she slept under the same roof as Dream and Rita.”
“She was blackmailing me.”
