Part 10 (1/2)

”He told me he did it, after that night, as if I didn't see him holding the knife. He told me time and again that he'd do the same thing to me if I dared leave. Those first few weeks, I felt like I was in a nightmare. I kept thinking that the police would find DNA evidence or fiber transfer or something and link Bradford to the murder. But they never did. Whatever they did find was explained away, just like he said it would be. And the more he got away with it, the more Bradford flaunted it in front of me. He bragged about getting away with murder and told me this was proof he could do it again if I didn't watch myself.”

So she stayed. But if she was so afraid of Father, and of his private investigators, I asked, why did she go to the s.e.x shops so frequently? Why would she go to a private gentleman's club to begin with?

”It's not what you think. I've been working there under the table. Since Ash was killed I've been trying to put together enough money to get away from him. They don't ask any questions at the club. I can come in a couple hours while Bradford thinks I'm shopping and make a couple hundred bucks while I wear a wig and a s.e.xy mask. I've got it all in a safe deposit box so he can't trace it. And I know what the PI looks like so I'm always careful to not be seen without disguise.”

Turns out even before our interaction, Tabitha was planning a getaway. But how could she let Ash's murder go unpunished?

”I hope he does get punishment, some how. I hope some day he's rotting in h.e.l.l. But he's Bradford Caulfield. He's a local golden boy-powerful, wealthy, connected. Even with the best of evidence, we both know that men like Bradford rarely get punished.”

True. But that wasn't enough for me.

”There's always karma,” Tabitha offered.

I had something a little different in mind. In the back of my mind, though, I couldn't stop thinking about one thing: Ash was dead and I was in love with the woman Father was willing to kill over once before. What was to stop him this time? How long before he came after me?

The next few days while Father was out of town were a whirlwind of activity as Tabitha and I hashed through our plans. We each had one last thing to do. I visited Father at his office.

”Megan, you should call first,” he chided me before I cut him off.

”Save it. This is the last time you'll see me. I know what you did.” Inside, I was quaking, though surely his office was the safest place for this confrontation. Father prided himself on being a captain of industry. There was no way he'd lose his cool in front of his staff.

”I'm sure I don't know what you're talking about.” He very clearly knew what I was talking about because his jaw suddenly looked wired shut and his eyes were darkened and his fists clenched.

”I know what you did to Ash. In life and in ending her life.”

”Well, little girl, if you know what's good for you, you'll stop this gibberish.” Father's defense mechanism was to pull out the paternalism. He wouldn't acquiesce easily. I cut him off abruptly. If I didn't play my hand now I might chicken out.

”Here's the rub, Daddy-O.” I pulled myself up as tall as I could, pus.h.i.+ng out my chest in hopes that it would give me confidence like one of those animals on Discovery who are puffed up with pride. It didn't work. I felt emboldened, but also frightened and small.

”In this envelope you'll find copies of Ash's diary, her secret diary in which she talks about you for pages on end. It's been authenticated already, so don't deny she wrote it. There is also Tabitha's signed affidavit as a witness to Ash's homicide and a release form giving Ash's psychiatrist permission to reveal her therapy sessions to the police investigator still in charge of her case. I'm sure she told him a great deal about her relations.h.i.+p with both of you.”

Father started grumbling, a sort of pa.s.sive protest. It was unlike him to not be fully c.o.c.ked in a fight, but perhaps he had been beaten down by this. After all, he killed the one person I think he truly loved, as sick as it was.

”Megan, you don't understand. I loved Ashley-”

”Save it.” I interrupted. I didn't care to hear any more of his sickening rationale for f.u.c.king and then killing his daughter. ”All of these items are on file with my attorney. Should anything happen to either Tabitha or me, they will be sent to the media. Because while you may be able to charm the DA and his cronies, I'm pretty sure the tabloids won't be so kind. And knowing you, losing face will be almost as bad as losing control of your wife.”

Father was silent, unmoving.

”Here's what you get in this bargain: we won't go to the police or file suit if you let Tabitha leave now, unenc.u.mbered. And as we speak, Tabitha is cas.h.i.+ng out the Fidelity International account. We'll be taking that as a sort of one-time-only, good faith alimony payment for her years of dutiful service.”

Father's eyes darted to the telephone and back at me. Was he wondering if he could stop the market transfer? Not likely, as Tabitha and I actually cashed it out this morning before he'd have a chance to discover the move. Father had plenty of money. Taking one of his pockets of cash wasn't going to hurt him a bit.

The more important thing here was keeping his attention while Gualterio and Maria helped Tabitha load all her stuff into a tiny U-Haul trailer. It turned out that during many years of faithful service, Maria and Gualterio both witnessed a lot of wrongdoings by my father, and they weren't so much loyal to Father as they were frightened by a possible report to and deportation by the INS. Given the opportunity to help me rescue Tabitha and put the screws to Father, they were both willing to oblige-as long as Father never knew of their involvement. So while I was distracting Father, the real move was happening at home. Or what used to be home.

Since Father was still unmoving, I decided to go in for the close. ”I'm offering you a Faustian bargain here, Bradford.” Father flinched when I called him by his name. It meant a world of disrespect to him, I was sure. Good.

”Leave us alone and we'll keep our mouths shut. Come near us, or send one of your goons after us, and we'll make sure the whole world knows what kind of monster you really are.”