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That’s it. His dad was one stone cold son of a bitch. Even now he didn’t give a shit.
“Where did you get this?”
“Does it matter? This is Winslow Heights. Everyone in town is going to know by breakfast tomorrow morning.”
Cooper had a friend - a former lady friend - in the sheriff’s office. It was from that person that he’d received this lovely bit of news.
And everyone would know. This wasn’t going to be swept under the rug, although Joel probably wished it would. It was such juicy gossip even Joel Winslow couldn’t pay for it to be kept under wraps.
Joel levered up from his chair and walked over to the window that looked over the backyard, seeming to think of something to say. Maybe he was thinking of a lie to make himself look better.
“Son, every marriage has its issues—”
“Stop,” Cooper commanded. “Just cut the bullshit. Sarah Adams was your daughter. Our half-sister. They found Lloyd Daniels, and he made a statement to the police. He said that you’re the father of Sarah Adams. You fucked Sarah’s mom and got her pregnant. Then spent the last thirty-six years hiding it. You can’t hide it now.”
For a moment, Cooper thought that his father was going to deny it, saying that Lloyd Daniels was a liar. But apparently he’d remembered that DNA testing was a thing and that science existed. It could be proven.
“As I said, I’ve made some mistakes. I have regrets.”
“Regrets,” Cooper echoed. The audacity of his father never ceased to amaze him. “Regrets? That’s a piss-poor word for what any actual human being would be feeling. Your daughter disappeared and has now been found. Possibly foul play was involved, but clearly you don’t give a shit. I guess she was just practice for Mom, right? You’d already been through it once, so when it happened again it was no big deal? Just another day at the office for the great Joel Winslow. Did you pay her mom off? That sounds like something you’d do.”
“You don’t understand at all.” Joel turned back toward the window. “Does Zack know?”
“Christ, I don’t know. Probably. Is that all you care about? Whether your perfect firstborn son knows you’re an asshole? Newsflash, he already knows.”
“I’ve made some decisions that may not have been right when I look back on it. But I did the best I could at the time.”
“You don’t even know what that means. Two females in your life have seemingly disappeared. Wow, that’s some terrible luck for you. What are the odds of it happening to a single person, I wonder? It has to be astronomical. I mean, do coincidences happen like that? Two women who were in your way are gone. How…convenient for you.”
Cooper had hit a mark. His father’s eyes narrowed and that stony expression grew even colder, his face a granite mask of disdain.
“Just what are you insinuating?”
“I’m not insinuating anything. I’m saying it out loud. Dad, where were you on the day that Sarah Adams disappeared? Do you have an alibi for your whereabouts? And don’t be mad at me for asking that question. I’m betting Finn’s going to ask you the very same quite soon. You’re the link between the two women, Dad. You.”
“So are you, son. Lily was your mother, and Sarah your half-sister. Will Finn be questioning you?”
“Maybe, but the difference is that I didn’t know Sarah was my sister. I wasn’t hiding a big secret. Did Sarah know? I bet she didn’t from your reaction when she came to the house to study with Zack. You went out of your way to discourage any relationship between the two of them. It would have been messy if their kids had been born with webbed toes, I guess. Is that why you kept pushing him toward that bitch Angel? Is her mom the one woman in town that you haven’t fucked?”
Joel didn’t get a chance to respond. Kim walked into the study, a frown on her expertly made-up face.
“What’s going on in here?” she demanded. “Why am I hearing the f-word? We don’t talk that way in this house, Cooper. If you’re going to be here—”
“I’m leaving,” Cooper announced loudly. “You don’t need to worry about any more profanity. As if that’s the biggest problem this family has. Christ, you don’t have a clue. Or maybe you do. Have you known all this time? Did you keep his secrets?”
“Secrets?” Kim repeated. “What are you talking about?”
“Ask him,” Cooper said, turning on his heel. “If he won’t tell you, I’m sure you’ll hear it at the hairdresser or the coffee shop tomorrow. Or from the sheriff. He’s going to want some answers. Better think of some lies quick before he gets here. You know, in a lot of ways, I feel sorry for you, Kim.”
“What are you talking about?”
Kim’s voice was shrill and a bit panicked. Her gaze was darting between Joel and himself, trying to figure out what was happening. Cooper didn’t care to stick around to explain it all. He’d let Daddy try to do that.
His boots stomping on the front porch steps, he hightailed it out of the house. The whole place made his skin crawl even being in the vicinity. As he climbed into his car, he glanced one more time at the house.
Emma was standing on the steps, the porch light illuminating her features. Had she heard his argument with his dad? Emma always seemed to know what was going on in that house at all times.
She sure as hell didn’t look surprised.
