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After shooting a wary glance at the front door, Butch moved closer to him.
Fear tempted Dean to back away. He’d witnessed how drastically his brother-in-law’s moods could shift. Today, he’d given Butch a reason to be upset. But he stood his ground. That stash of women’s underwear supplied him with leverage he’d never had before. That was why he’d wanted to find it so badly.
“I haven’t murdered anyone, Dean.” Butch towered over him like a giant redwood. “Francesca Moretti is wrong. You’re wrong.”
Pursing his lips, Dean studied his treasure as a way to avoid the malevolence in Butch’s eyes. “Good to hear. So…you can probably explain why Julia’s body is in the old freezer?” He finally looked up. “Had to get there somehow.”
The dark stubble on Butch’s chin contrasted sharply with the sudden white of his face. Putting his brother-in-law in such a compromising position made Dean feel powerful. He was glad he’d found those panties. Butch would never dare mistreat him again.
“Are these hers?” Dean asked. “Julia’s?” Bringing the panties to his nose, he sniffed. “Nope. Couldn’t be. They still have the distinctive scent of the wearer, which means they came into your possession too recently. Could it be that they’re April Bonner’s?”
Butch’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “You’re the one who put that other pair of panties in my jockey box.”
Widening his eyes, Dean played dumb. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“The underwear your sister came across. That’s what you hoped would happen. Are you the one who called her, too? The hang-up she thought was Kelly?”
“That must’ve been someone else,” he lied, but his chuckle gave him away, as he intended.
“What did you hope to accomplish, Dean? Did you think she’d leave me? That it would get me out of your life once and for all?”
Dean would’ve liked nothing more. He’d hated Butch since the day they’d met. Butch was every bully he’d ever known. But he had to be careful. At the moment, Butch was the only one capable of taking care of them all, and Dean would never do anything to harm his family, especially his mother.
“You’re jumping to some terrible conclusions, Butch.”
“Where are those panties? Did you pick them up after Paris dropped them? Are you hiding them somewhere, trying to scare me?”
“No.” This time Dean wasn’t lying. He had no idea where those panties had gone; neither had he realized, until now, that they were missing.
“Tell me the truth!” Butch lunged forward, and Dean screamed.
“Mom! Help! He’s going to hit me!”
Butch grabbed him as if he’d strike, but then the door opened and his mother came out.
Dean wondered if Paris had summoned her. His sister would’ve been much more likely to hear his cries, and although Paris generally sided with Butch, she understood how easily her husband’s temper could upset the delicate equilibrium that kept them all sheltered, fed and safe.
“What’s going on here? What’s the matter with you two?” Elaine asked.
Butch let him go. “Your son hasn’t taken his medication today, that’s all. He’s coming up with all kinds of ridiculous accusations against me.”
Elaine scratched under the wig she’d taken to wearing ever since her hair became thin enough to show her scalp. “Like what?”
“He claims I murdered Julia and put her in a freezer.”
Dean couldn’t believe Butch had just blurted it out. He’d thought he was the only one privy to that terrible secret. But his mother’s response surprised him even more. She grabbed his arm so fiercely it hurt, then jerked him toward her so she could put her mouth next to his ear. “What are you doing, Dean? Do you want to ruin the whole family?” Ruin the family? This had nothing to do with the family. Dean was trying to help them by curbing Butch’s power. “I can prove it,” he cried. “We—we thought she ran away, but she didn’t. I can show you where she is right now. She’s in back, in the freezer. I cut off the padlock, but I put on another one just like it, and I’ve got the key.”
“Where?”
“Here.” He retrieved it from his pocket.
“Give it to me. And don’t ever open it again. Forget what you’ve seen,” Mother hissed.
“But…I’m telling you.” He pointed at Butch. “He murdered Julia! He’s dangerous!”
She shook her head. “Butch didn’t kill Julia.”
Dean felt his mouth drop open. “Then…who did?”
