Page 125 of Anonymous Acts


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“No, not yet. But a couple of my friends are on the way. One of them will give me a lift. But um… I have a question that may seem a little strange.”

Sam eyed me curiously, pushing his hands into his pockets. “I doubt you can surprise, but go for it. Do your worst.”

“Where is Amanda’s body?”

His eyebrows lifted. “Oh. Uh… it’s here. Down in the morgue.”

“Could I… could I see it.Her.Could I see her?”

Sam’s head bowed in a nod. “If that’s what you want… I can make it happen.”

“It’s what I want,” I said immediately, looking him right in the eyes. “I’m sure.”

“Then I’ll make it happen. It’s down in the basement, on the ground floor. If you want to go now, I’ll go ahead and make the call, to let them know to expect you.”

“Make the call.”

That was how I ended up in the morgue.

It was deathly quiet, once the attendant stepped out of the room, leaving me alone with the body, which hadn’t yet been placed in one of the refrigerated drawers. She’d already been undressed, I could tell by her bare shoulders, even though she was mostly covered by a sheet.

Her skin was pale, and… lifeless.

Looking at her now felt the same as when I’d looked at Ash across that interrogation table – I’d wanted to be so much angrier than I was, wanted to want to smash in his face, wanted tohatehim.

But just like with Kellen… I couldn’t make myself do it.

Just like I couldn’t force myself to hate Amanda.

Even though she’d pointed that gun, even though she’d pulled the trigger…I just wanted to knowwhy.

“Why, Amanda?” I whispered.

All through college, she and I had been thick as thieves, but now that felt like a lie. She’d as good as confirmed Asher’s revelation that she was sleeping with Kellen with that whole,took my men from mething. If anything,Iwas the one who should’ve been angry. I was the one who’d been betrayed.

All of this, when I’d never done anything except mine my damned business.

I just… didn’t get it.

All those stab wounds on Kellen… it had been personal. The roses smashed at my door, with the – albeit distant - possibility of causing an allergic reaction. Personal. I had a feeling that Amanda was the nurse I’d seen sneaking out of Kim’s room to finish the job… had she really given that severe beating that landed Kim there in the first place? And Sheila… the woman who’d raised her… if that wasn’t an accidental overdose, what could possibly make Amanda want her dead?

“You just can’t take a hint, can you?”

My eyes damn near bucked out of my head at myridiculousfirst thought, that those words had come from Amanda. But then common sense flared, and I turned to see a woman standing at the door, that I hadn’t even heard open.

“Miranda?”

The older woman stepped forward, still as beautiful as the first time I laid eyes on her, nearly twenty years ago. She still held every single note of grace, every bit of refinement, every molecule of… distaste, for me.

Maybe more.

“Hmph,” she sniffed, circling me as my thoughts ran together, trying to understand. “I see you at least have enough respect to remember my name. What a surprise. It seems you have the capacity for very little else.”

“Excuse me?”

“I most certainly willnot,” she practically growled, stepping right in front me. She was wearing heels too, putting us at practically the same height. “I have already excusedquiteenough from you.”

I frowned. “Miranda, I have no idea what you’re talking about. You wrote that check, and I left it at that. I did what you asked. I left you and…your husbandalone. I haven’t called. I haven’t hinted. I’ve said nothing, at all.”

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