Page 106 of Everyone’s a Liar

Regret stabbed Livia in the heart. She would have treasured something as personal as her mother’s diary. But even that had been stolen from her.

She sent her uncle a look of pure loathing. “That’s why Larry Sutton was searching my house.”

“He convinced me that he could charm the information out of you. He had an inflated opinion that he was irresistible to women. When that didn’t work he decided to search your house for it.” Adrian made a sound of disgust. “He swore he couldn’t find anything.”

Livia suddenly felt like an idiot. When she’d been dating Jacob Pearson he had often discussed old books and diaries he’d bought in secondhand shops. He’d even asked her if she had any diaries that she’d collected from her family or old stories that had been passed down. At the time, she’d just thought that it was his hobby, and tried to act interested when he discussed his latest find. Now she realized he was waiting for her to pull out her mother’s diary to show him.

When that didn’t happen, he’d instead tricked her into giving him a key to search her house.

She’d been so stupidly naïve. She hadn’t had one suspicion. Not until she caught him pawing through her underwear drawer.

“There was nothing to find. I never got a package from Stella Gates. Or anyone else.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Adrian waved his gun, bringing an end to her questions. “I didn’t want it to be this way, but there’s no going back now.”

Livia pressed a hand against her chest, taking another step. She sensed it was getting to the point of do or die.

And for once that wasn’t just a cliché.

“What do you intend to do to me?”

“You have to disappear.”

“Like Manny and Larry Sutton?”

He scowled, as if caught off guard by the question, but before he could speak, a shadow fell across the doorway and a slender form stepped into the room.

Livia felt a surge of hope as she watched Delilah glance around the office, her brows pulling together at the sight of Helene crouched against the bookcase and Adrian pointing a gun at his niece. The older woman might be a selfish bitch, but she surely wouldn’t allow her husband to commit cold-blooded murder?

A second later, Livia’s hopes were crushed as Delilah stepped toward Adrian and handed him a key fob.

“The SUV is parked out front.”

“You too?” Livia breathed in shock. “Is there something in the air at the Willows that turns everyone into a homicidal maniac?”

The older couple ignored her as Adrian pocketed the key fob with a frown. “It’s about time. What took you so long?”

Livia belatedly understood why her uncle hadn’t shot her the minute he’d entered the office. Clearly he intended to do the deed somewhere else and had been waiting for his vehicle to be delivered to the front door.

Delilah clicked her tongue. She was wearing a silk caftan and matching slippers that made her look like she’d been enjoying a drink by the pool, not plotting murder.

“I not only had to get the SUV for you, but I had to turn off the security system and get rid of the earlier footage. You don’t think someone will want to review them when we report Livia missing?”

Adrian flinched, easily intimidated by his formidable wife. “Sorry, I didn’t think about that.”

“It’s good one of has the brains to take care of the little details.”

“Fine.” Struggling to regain command of the situation, Adrian pointed his hand toward the silently sobbing woman across the office. “Take Helene back to her room and make sure she’s sedated. Heavily sedated. I don’t want her blurting out anything that’s going to send us to the gas chamber.” He waved the gun toward Livia. “You, come with me.”

Livia tensed her muscles, preparing to leap toward the French doors. “And if I don’t?”

He shrugged. “I’ll shoot you here and dump your body with your friend in the swamp.”

“Helene?” Livia glanced toward her aunt, who was being hauled to her feet by an impatient Delilah.

She didn’t expect the older woman to help her, but it gave reason to turn away from Adrian.

“I’m sorry,” Helene whispered, not even glancing toward Livia.