Page 59 of One of Us Is Guilty

And I wasn’t doing her any favors by holding back.

‘Vanessa, if the DA presents this evidence in court, and you say that you’ve never seen that jewelry box before, you will be convicted.’

‘I can’t help that. I’m telling you the truth.’

‘I don’t believe you,’ I said.

‘Maybe, in time, you will.’

‘The security footage of you leaving Molly’s home shows you carrying a gym bag. Where is that bag now?’

‘I left it at home. It had Patrick’s things in it. I checked for it the other day, searched the house, he must’ve thrown it out.’

‘He must’ve seen you’d brought the gym bag home from Molly’s apartment. Did he mention it to you?’ I asked.

‘He didn’t need to. He must’ve known I was there at the apartment. What’s he going to say? Thanks for bringing my things home from my mistress’s apartment?’

Harry and I looked at each other.

‘Why are you still with Patrick?’ asked Harry. ‘You could’ve left him. I know it’s not easy, but lots of women find the courage to walk away.’

‘I stayed because there’s nowhere else on this planet I could go to be free of him. He has power like you wouldn’t believe. My life would be hell wherever I went. I know I can never be free of him. Not unless he decides to divorce me. Maybe then he might let me go. Or maybe my head just ends up missing.’

‘You think Patrick had Molly killed?’ I asked.

‘I don’t think so – I know.’

‘How do you know?’ asked Harry.

‘Because the night you came to my house, the night I left, before you got there, I was about to go upstairs to get away from him and he stopped me, told me he had something to tell me. He said we shouldn’t have secrets. He told me he loved Molly. And he loved me, but there had been an accident. He hit her, and killed her. He didn’t mean to do it. He said he came back later and tried to hide the evidence by . . . you know . . . Jesus, I need your help. I didn’t do this. You have to believe me.’

23

Vanessa

For Vanessa, hiding her emotions and true feelings was as easy as riding a bicycle.

She’d been doing it all her life.

But sometimes, very rarely, people fall off their bikes. They hit a rock they didn’t see coming on the trail, the front wheel buckles and twists, the bike lurches and the rider is thrown into the dirt.

Flynn gazed back at Vanessa as the door to her hotel suite closed. He didn’t hide his heart. This guy wore it around his neck. Sure, she had read about him. Knew he was cunning and incredibly smart. That he could manipulate judges, juries and witnesses, and outsmart prosecutors, but those things were performative. She could look into Flynn’s eyes at any time and see exactly what he was feeling. He was a good man.

She wondered if he could see into her heart. She had to be careful with this one.

A tear formed and she felt its warmth as it snaked over her cheek.

The door closed.

Vanessa walked to the peep hole, and peered out.

The hallway was clear. Flynn and Ford were gone.

She put the security bolt across the door.

Wiping her face, she took a moment to breathe. Closing her eyes,she relaxed her shoulders, rolled her neck. Exhaled. Her heartbeat was still high. But she was gaining control.

Hiding her emotions.