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“He killed Brandy’s mother.” Lia’s eyes blazed with fire. “You don’t kill people you love.”
Exactly, I thought, coming back to reality.
Dottie shook her head. “Eddie didn’t kill Cheryl.”
“He’s in jail. For murder,” Lia said.
“I know.” Dottie pushed out a deep breath and brought her focus back to me. “When I found out he’d been charged with your mother’s death, I couldn’t remain silent knowing he was innocent.”
“You think he’s innocent?” I asked.
“I know he’s innocent.”
“So you just moved in?” Lia said, an edge in her voice. “You thought you’d just comfort the grieving widow by taking over his house?”
Dottie blinked. “Eddie needed money to pay for his defense, so yes, I moved in and convinced him to rent the house to me. His bail was set so high he stayed in prison during the trial. After he was convicted, I continued living here, paying rent and taking care of the house. I’m still paying rent, and I’m trying to prove his innocence. That’s what the DNA is for. To show that someone else committed the crime, not Eddie.”
Shocked, I stared at Dottie. I didn’t want to believe her, but there was this little spark of something inside me. Was it true? Was my father actually innocent? Until this moment, I hadn’t even known that his innocence was a possibility. I’d always believed his guilt was a fact, set in stone.
“I know it’s a lot to absorb,” Dottie said. “I know that. A lot of people think I’m crazy to have spent most of my life trying to prove he didn’t do it. But I know with every fiber in my being that he’s innocent.”
I swallowed the sudden lump in my throat. “You really believe that?”
“Absolutely. What happened to your mother was a horrible, horrible tragedy. Someone came into this house and took her life. But blaming her death on your father isn’t justice. He adored her, and he had no motive.”
“He had a motive,” Lia said. “He was angry over Cheryl’s boyfriend.”
I’d always been the queen of denial, and the fact that my mother had been unfaithful to my father was one of those things I didn’t think about. Personally, I adored my husband and could never imagine cheating on him no matter how bad things got.
Dottie set her iced tea on the counter. “Finding out about Cheryl’s infidelity crushed Eddie, but he didn’t murder his wife. He just didn’t.”
Lia lifted her chin. “At the trial, my mom testified against Eddie. She was here at the house when Cheryl died. Did you know that?”
“Of course.”
“Did you know that she talked to Eddie that night? Did you know that he hit her in the face with the gun?”
I shuddered at the image of Aunt Ruthie being attacked like that. I’d seen the scar along her jaw my whole life, of course, but I’d assumed she got it... Actually, I never asked how she got it. Why hadn’t I asked? Had I known all along and chosen to ignore it?
Dottie softened her voice. “Can I show you something? Will you both come upstairs with me for a minute? There’s something I want you to see.”
“No, we can’t.” Lia set her glass on the counter.
“Please,” Dottie said, begging me. “Let me just show you something, then you can go. I promise it will help you make sense of everything. It will help explain why I feel the way I do.”
“Okay.” For some inexplicable reason, I wanted to hear what Dottie had to say. “We can’t stay long, but if you show us quickly—”
“Brandy, no.” Lia grabbed my arm. “We have to go. My mom is waiting for us.”
Dottie kept her gaze on mine. “Did you know that your aunt had never seen your father until the police lineup?”
“What do you mean?”
“Your mom and Ruth Anne had a falling out. They hadn’t talked for several years. Ruth Anne didn’t know your dad. She’d only seen an outdated photo of him. That’s why she made a mistake in identifying him. It wasn’t your father who killed your mother. It was someone else. If you’ll just let me show you.”
Compelled to see what she wanted to show me, I nodded. “Okay, but we have to make it quick. My aunt should be finishing soon, and I don’t want her to worry about us.”
Beside me, Lia tensed. Once again, she reached for my arm. “Brandy.”
Pulling free, I followed Dottie up the stairs.
