Brenda’s frown deepened as if Kate twisted a knife in her side. “All she did for him and still he was a faithless man. He had his whores and he refused to come see Momma.”
“He couldn’t help himself,” Kate hissed. “He couldn’t help himself.”
“Brenda, you did the killing this time,” Rachel said.
A wide proud grin spread across her face. “I did.”
“You knew KC worked Annie’s case?”
“I did. He likes to talk. Sweet man. All I had to do was ask a question here or there and then listen.”
A sigh shuddered through Kate. “I thought if she took care of Dixie, Pastor Gary would understand that he was on a dangerous path. When it comes to the flesh, he is weak and he never understands how much he can lose if the world figures out his weakness. The public forgives much but not a beloved pastor cheating in such a depraved way.”
“But he didn’t learn, did he?” Rachel asked.
Kate shook her head. “I love him. I wanted to teach him a lesson for his own sake.”
In the distance by the church, Rachel saw the lights of the cop cars flashing. They were so close, but time was draining away. “You framed Jeb.”
Kate glanced past Rachel to the lights of the cop cars. She could end this all now but as if giving her last confession said, “It was easy to do. I saw him staring at Annie. He was the perfect criminal.”
“And you took her body to the woods?”
Kate stared at Rachel a long moment. “No, I did not. I didn’t take her body away.”
“What do you mean? If you didn’t take the body, then who?”
Kate shook her head. “I don’t know. I always thought it might have been Gary. He’d been obsessed with seeing the baby. After I killed her, I ran. Later when my thoughts cooled I came back to make sure she was dead and the baby was all right. Lord, I couldn’t believe I’d left that baby alone. The cops were there but there was no body.”
Rachel studied Kate’s face closely. “Did you ask Gary about Annie’s body?”
“No. No. I thought about it a million times but I came to see he must have hid her to protect me. He never said the words but I could see it in his eyes.”
Rachel’s heart ached for Annie who’d gotten caught up in a hell greater than she’d ever imagined. “You must have loved Gary very much.”
“I still love him,” Kate said. “I will love him until I draw my last breath.”
Rachel sensed Brenda’s growing tension. Kate did not know Gary was dead. “So you didn’t kill him?”
Brenda hissed in a breath. “Shut up!”
Kate’s head tilted. “Why would I kill him?”
“He’s dead,” Georgia said. “Shot in the chest. He’s lying in the chapel.”
Kate’s gaze shifted to Brenda. Hurt, betrayal, and anger combined. “You killed Gary?”
For the first time, Brenda’s confidence wavered. “I didn’t want to kill him. I wanted to talk to him. I wanted to know that he loved me, too.”
Kate looked at her daughter as if seeing her for the first time. “Of course he loved you.”
“Not like I needed him to. Not like a father loves a child.” Brenda pointed her gun at Georgia. “Not like he would have loved her.”
“He’s her own flesh and blood!” Kate shouted.
“But I loved and served him all my life. I’d have done anything for him.”
“Blood is thicker than water!” Kate wailed, tears glistening in her eyes. “She’d never have killed Gary!”
“No!”
Kate swiped away a tear. “God, how could you?”
Tears welled in Brenda’s eyes. She shook her head as if she fought back all the anger and hurt surging in her. She jabbed the gun into Georgia’s back, her gaze carrying the pain of a life lived in the shadows. “It’s her turn to die.”
Nikki had followed the sounds in the woods, the sound of women fighting. One step at a time, she’d cut through the woods. Closer. Closer. The sounds grew louder until she reached the edge of a clearing where she saw the four women. Her head pounded with a fierce pain. She pressed her hands to her ears and prayed for the pain to leave. She breathed deeply to calm her racing heart.
All this talk, talk, talk. She didn’t understand what they were saying but the words made her head hurt. She didn’t like them. She didn’t like any of them. And she wanted them to shut up so she could get back to Rudy.
The cops were searching the church but there was no sign of Rachel and Georgia. Deke’s impatience grew and he found his gaze drawn to the woods behind the chapel. The church owned an enormous amount of land and it would take hours to search. He stepped outside. “Where the hell are you, Rachel?”
He dug his phone from his pocket and dialed dispatch. Once he identified himself he said, “I have a cell number I want you to locate. Owner is Rachel Wainwright.” He rattled off the number and prayed she was close.
“You’re not going to kill her!” Kate said. “I want more time with her.”
“Why do you want more time with her?” Brenda shouted. “I’m your daughter. She is that whore’s daughter.”
“She’s Gary’s flesh and blood!” Kate shouted.
Through the thicket of the woods, Rachel saw the flash of lights. The cops had made it to the edge of the woods. Closer and closer.
“You killed my mother!” Georgia shouted.
Kate looked at Georgia. “I didn’t want to. I wanted her to listen and to leave town. And I told you when I calmed, I came back to the house to get you. I knew you were in your crib alone and I came back to rescue you. I’d have raised you like my own. I’d have been a good mother to you.”
Georgia stood silent, stunned.
It was Brenda that wailed, “I’m your daughter. Why not love me! I’ve done everything that you’ve ever asked. I can’t help the fact that I’m not Gary’s flesh and blood.”
Kate shook her head. “I thought Brenda was Gary’s when I carried her. We were kids ourselves when we were together. I was married, but Gary was the most beautiful boy in town. We had one night, but I hoped. But after she was born, I saw that she wasn’t his, but my husband’s. It broke my heart to know I didn’t have Gary’s child to suckle. That’s why I wanted you, Georgia. I thought you’d fill the hole in my heart.”
Rachel listened to it all, twisting her wrist while the women were distracted. The cuff was loose enough to work her hand free but tight enough that it tore her flesh as she did. Georgia, realizing what she was doing, shifted to hide Rachel’s hand.
Cringing, Rachel jerked her hand free.
“I should have been enough!” Brenda shouted.
Brenda glared at Georgia. She raised the gun. “I hate you!”
Kate leaned forward in her chair. “Brenda, no!”
“Why should I listen to you? You don’t love me. You are like Gary. I’m nothing but a convenient servant.”
A woman’s howl shot out from the woods distracting Brenda who had leveled her gun on Georgia. Rachel threw her body toward Brenda throwing the brunt of her weight into the woman. The shot fired wild. Brenda punched Rachel’s gut and broke free long enough to right herself.
Brenda stood over Rachel, her gun trained and ready to fire. “I’m going to enjoy this.”
A ghostly wail echoed again from the woods. They all froze seconds later when a tall thin woman emerged from the edge of the woods. Gray hair framed a narrow face, badly contorted. Hatred burned in the gaze now nailed to Brenda.
The woman screamed and ran toward Brenda. She threw her body into Brenda and the two fell hard against the earth. Brenda dropped her gun. The banshee woman balled up her fist and struck Brenda hard in the face. Brenda coughed, spit blood, and crawled toward the gun.
Rachel cradled her broken arm and crawled toward the gun, but a winded Brenda rose and scooped it up. Brenda leveled the gun on Georgia.
“Don’t!” Rachel shouted, dread and loss washing over her as Brenda pulled back the trigger.
Th
e ghostly woman rose and lunged toward the gun. The gun went off and the woman clutched her chest. Blood bloomed. She fell to her knees and then facedown into the dirt.
Kate’s pale face dimmed as she stared at the woman. “Annie?”
Rachel stopped, her gaze narrowing on the figure who looked more specter than human.
Georgia, in shock, stared at the woman, this last bit of news overwhelming her.
Brenda stared at Annie. “I thought you killed her.”