Kelly shook her head.“No wonder that detective had already made his mind up.He had been placed there by Olivia to make sure I got charged with murder and go to prison.I may have used a bat on Ty Regis but I didn’t even try to kill him.”
Rosie nodded.“And he deserved every hit you gave him, believe me.He was a monster behind closed doors.No woman was safe from him.”
They all went quiet as poor Rosie shuddered and looked away from everyone.
Chapter Six
After giving Rosiea couple of minutes to get herself together, Pappy asked her, “Do you know the names of his staff?”
Rosie nodded.“There were only two.Mrs.Bell, she’s the cook and housekeeper.She never spoke to me really.Just to tell me mundane things.Like there’s milk in the fridge.Then there’s Lillian, she’s the maid.Ty even made her dress like one.Little black frilly skirt and a white apron.She always looked like she wanted to talk to me, but she was just too frightened to do it, I think?He used to drag her into his study and when she came out again she was very shaken and she had to leave the house for the day.But she was truly afraid of him so she came back every day.He wasn’t very nice to her at all.”
“Your sister told us the servants left the house every day at the end of the day.Is that true?”Pappy wanted to know.
Rosie nodded then swallowed hard.“Yeah, he made them leave at 5.Then ordered me to serve him supper.According to him, I never did it right and he often hit me.I was just clumsy in his eyes.I think he made the help leave so he could abuse me in private.It was always a game to him.One I didn’t know how to play.Not that I wanted to.”She shrugged.“And if there were no witnesses, then nothing happened.”
Trudy shook her head.“How sick is that?It’s just wrong on so many levels.”
Rosie nodded.“That’s why I said he deserved every hit Kelly gave him.I only wish I’d...”She shook her head and went on, “I have to just say it out loud.I wished I could have done it.Beat him like that.”
Char reached over and took her hand.“He’ll never touch you again, Rosie.”
Rosie hung her head.“I know but I don’t want to go back to Olivia’s house either.I hate the fact she threatened Kelly.She only came along to help and now she’s in trouble.Olivia would be happy to send her to prison.If she succeeds in putting her away, we would still end up being carted away by Victor, all over again.”
“Well, that isn’t going to happen.”Shay growled.“I won’t let it happen.”
Char looked up and asked, “How can you stop them?They think they are golden and nothing can stop them.They have police and judges on their payroll and no one knows who those people are.”
Trudy smiled.“That’s what I do, girl.I find secrets and expose them.”
Pappy grinned.“This is true.Baby Girl here is our secret weapon.One we protect like she’s made of gold.If your grandmother has any secrets, Trudy will find them.”
Char shuddered.“Please don’t call that monster ourgrandmother.She doesn’t have a kind bone in her body nor does she feel anything but greed when she looks at us.She was going to sell our mother into sexual slavery and when mom ran away from her she came back for us...her children.She had to house us and feed us but she never treated us right.She and Victor abused us every single day we were there.And even with that slob she auctioned me to, leaving was my only hope of surviving them.I got away from him, but I had to go back for Rosie.Then I wasn’t there the day she was sold to Ty.I had to find her and the first time I saw what that fucker did to her I knew I had to get her free.”Char paused to look over at Kelly.“I had one chance, I called in my best friend and she answered big time.”
“And I would do it again if I had the chance.”Kelly nodded.
“But right now, we have to find a way inside Olivia’s empire,” Pappy interjected.“And this...”He held up the papers Char had given them.“Might be a way in.”
