“Hey, what’s going on here? Mom? Dad? Amie? What are you doing here? Is that you, Detective Marks?” A shocked Violet appears in the living room. Behind her, King mouths an apology. I give him a chin nod and beckon Violet to my side.
“I invited your family to share with them the good news of our wedding.” I give her forehead a kiss and tuck her close against me. “They are delighted for you.”
“Oh, really?” Violet beams. “I’m so glad. I was going to tell you but my cell phone was having trouble sending messages to the States.”
“My dear baby girl,” Mrs. Collins cries, “it’s been so long since I’ve laid eyes on you. Come give your mother a hug.” She holds out her arms.
Violet hesitates and that’s all I need to know how this sh
ould play out. I sit back down in my chair and pull Violet down on my lap, bracketing her in my embrace. The revelations that are about to happen might be shocking, but I think Violet must have known something was wrong. She sensed it and it hurt her. In order for her to move past this, she will have to hear the ugly details. It will be painful, but it will help her to move on.
“Kotyonok, do you trust me?” I murmur in her ear. She nods, wide eyed. “Your kidnapping has been solved and your mother is here to tell you the truth of it.”
“My mother?” Violet swings her head to face Mrs. Collins, whose face turns white and then red.
“What on earth are you talking about?” the older woman huffs.
“I am referring to the plan that you have to embezzle funds from the family company and run off with Detective Marks.”
This stuns everyone in the room.
“Victor,” Violet says slowly, “I don’t understand.”
“Your mother planned to have you kidnapped and then ransom you but that was foiled because your sister arrived early. Detective Marks appeared out of nowhere, claiming that he was engaged in undercover work and was able to save your sister, but an inspection of the police reports show no undercover operation being carried out at the time. Was there, Detective Marks?”
The man’s face remains impassive and the very lack of emotion—the way he’s trying to conceal all responses—confirms my every suspicion.
“Is that true, Daniel?” inquires the quiet voice of Amie. Her expression shows resignation and...is that a slight bit of relief?
“It’s a bunch of bullshit, babe,” Marks replies but his denial rings hollow.
“Is that why you’re standing so protectively next to Mrs. Collins while your fiancée is alone on the couch?”
Everyone’s eyes swing to inspect Marks and Mrs. Collins. She springs backward, putting her hands in front of her. “You tried to kidnap my Violet?” she screeches. “How could you? After all that my family has done for you!” She points an accusing finger in Marks’ direction. “I trusted him. I paid him so much money to find the wrongdoer.”
I turn to Marks. “Your move, Sherlock.”
He rolls his shoulders under the expensive wool suit that Mrs. Collins’ money paid for and pins the older woman with a hard stare. “Is this how you want to play it?” he growls low. “Because I kept records of everything.”
The older woman pales. “I-I don’t know what you’re talking about. Eugene, will you, for once in your life, find your backbone and defend me?”
Mr. Collins leans back in his chair. “I think you are doing quite well, if you don’t mind me saying so.”
“This is a serious matter,” Mrs. Collins proclaims in an outraged voice. “This man is basically stealing money from us under the guise of helpfulness. We hired him to find the man who threatened our daughters. Violet had to stay down here in this resort so far away from her family that it breaks my heart.” Mrs. Collins crosses the room, dramatically throwing her arms wide. “Baby girl, you don’t have to worry. Your mother is here now.”
Violet runs to Amie’s side, who places a protective arm around her sister.
“Cut the crap, Karen,” Marks breaks in. “Amie, I’m sorry. Your mom and I started knocking uglies two years ago. She had a lot of money and I had a lot of debt.” He taps his nose. “Got a little powder habit and I couldn’t keep stealing from the evidence locker because people were starting to notice. Anyway, the old broad hit me up when I was writing out a traffic ticket. If I looked the other way, she might have something for me. So I looked the other way and got a nice fat stack of cash in my squad car the next day. I called her the next week when the coke I bought ran out. She was always good for it.”
“Don’t listen to him,” Mrs. Collins shrilly interrupts. “He’s talking nonsense.”
“It’s not nonsense,” says Amie quietly.
“What do you mean, Amie?” Violet takes Amie’s hands into her own.
“Daniel and I have never slept together. He’s rarely affectionate with me. At first, I thought it was because he was just not the type and then I worried it was me.” A tear drips onto their joined fingers. “I thought he wasn’t attracted to me and that’s why he never touched me.” She swipes a hand across her face. “I’m almost relieved that it’s because he was in love with another woman. Almost.”
Violet jumps up, grabs the tea that was poured for Mrs. Collins and hurtles it at Marks’ head. He barely escapes the china from beaning him in the forehead, but the tea splashes on his clothes.