Her lips trembled when she saw them. “I’m sorry, Mal, but you were right. Being an adult means taking responsibility for your actions. I couldn’t just plan my life while a person’s death hung over me.”
“What has she said?” John’s eyes narrowed on Sheriff McKenzie. “She is still considered a minor and should have a guardian present to be formally questioned.”
The sheriff arched a brow and leaned back in his seat. “Bianca, do you want to tell them what you just told me?”
She nodded and took a deep breath. “The night Mal and I left Hobson Hills, well earlier that evening, I got a call from Eugene.” She closed her eyes. “He was my boyfriend, but had broken up with me a few weeks earlier when I told him I was pregnant.”
Mal’s eye twitched, and Cain grabbed his hand. “Steady,” he whispered.
“That night, he said he was sorry and asked me to meet him in our spot. I went to the clearing behind Farm Fresh. He was there, but he was… he was covered in –” she stopped, face full of fright. “He was covered in blood. I asked him what happened, and he told me his wife died, so we could be together if we left right then.” She started shaking. “I knew that wasn’t his blood. I knew it, so I turned and ran, but he caught me.”
Mal and Van knelt on each side of her. Cain stood behind her, hand on her shoulder. He hated this. She never should have been in that kind of situation.
“He had a gun,” she said, starting to sob. “He hit me with it and told me to be still. He said that she was dead, so we were leaving town right then.” Bianca shook her head. “I didn’t want to go, but he didn’t care. I struggled and he wrapped his hands around my neck.” She opened her eyes and took two deep breaths. “I kneed him in the groin, and he let me go, but hepointed the gun at me. I ran.” She swallowed hard. “Two shots. He fired two shots at me, but it was getting dark. I got into his car and locked the doors. He shot at me, so I started the car. I thought it was in reverse, but it wasn’t.”
“It’s okay,” Mal whispered, patting her leg. “You’re alright now.”
“I drove into him,” she admitted softly. “He bounced off the car like in the movies. It was horrible. I looked in the mirror and he was on the ground. I drove off.” Her shoulders shook. “I just drove off and left him there. Dead.”
“This is a clear case of self-defense,” John said, crossing his arms over his chest. “The man had just murdered his own wife and threatened to kill Bianca.”
“I agree,” the sheriff nodded. “She was completely justified in her actions. However, she didn’t drive to the police station. She drove home and left town.”
“I didn’t want to have the baby in jail.” Bianca cried harder. “I murdered a person. Teddy shouldn’t have to be part of that.”
Sheriff McKenzie sighed. “You wouldn’t have gone to jail. Bianca, Eugene Scott didn’t die from being hit with a car.”
“Care to explain?” Cain asked, arching a brow.
“He wasn’t dead?” Bianca asked, voice small and hopeful.
Sheriff McKenzie shook his head. “I can’t tell you how he died, but it wasn’t by being hit by the car. He did have a couple of broken ribs and bruising, and his car also had damage, so we knew he had been hit, just not by who.”
Bianca melted into her chair, her relief palpable. “I didn’t kill him. Oh, God. I didn’t kill him.”
The door slammed open and Paula ran inside. “Wait! Bianca didn’t kill Eugene Scott. I did.”
Sherriff McKenzie sighed, and Roe stood up, waving Paula to his seat.
“Sit down and wait for your dad,” Cain said, patting Bianca’s shoulder to keep her in her seat. “Then you can tell us what happened.”
Chapter 16
Hours later, Mal slid into the booth at Zoe’s bakery, Honey Buns. “I want coffee and pastries right now.”
“You can have a sip of my coffee, weirdo.” Cain kissed the top of his head. “How about orange juice?”
“And herbal tea,” Mal negotiated. “Plus the pastries.”
“Done.”
John had stayed behind with Van, Mark, and the girls. Jasper would arrive in a few hours to help out. There would be no trials since the girls had confessed, only sentencings. The sheriff and, surprisingly, the county prosecutor had both promised to talk to the judge and put in a good word for the teens. They wanted it to done and over, for the girls and for the town. Eugene Scott had done some horrible things.
Paula had killed Eugene Scott. She had shot him with his own gun. After he assaulted Bianca, Paula comforted her, then agreed to go back to the clearing to find Bianca’s phone. According to Paula, Eugene was there, stumbling around and angry. He yelled at Paula and ran toward her. Paula had told them how she picked up his gun and closed her eyes before firingtoward him. She had hit him straight in the chest. After that, the teen had run away, dropping the gun in the process.
Sheriff McKenzie had told them Paula’s version of events matched up with the evidence. The county prosecutor had agreed that there was ample evidence of self-defense, so he had chosen not to pursue manslaughter charges. The only problem now was that both girls had not gone to the police.
“Those girls.” Mal groaned and rubbed his eyes. They should have gone straight to Sheriff McKenzie. If not that, then Van should have made Bianca go to the police when they found her beaten and bruised. Paula would have never gone back to the clearing, and fucking Eugene Scott would be rotting in a jail cell. Hell, if he was passing out blame, then he needed to acknowledge that he should have asked more questions.
