Total pages in book: 75
Estimated words: 77170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 77170 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 386(@200wpm)___ 309(@250wpm)___ 257(@300wpm)
“I’m not sure what you’re trying to say,” I say. “Is she insane or not?”
“My point is, Ava, that you may never get the answers you’re looking for. Yes, she is insane, but so was Daphne Steel, in a completely different way. Wendy is not insane the way Daphne was. She’s mentally competent, although deranged, and you can’t trust anything she says.”
“But you and Dad both say how brilliant she is. An evil mastermind. Which means logically she has a reason for everything she does.”
“Yes, but remember that logic to her may not be logic to us. Psychopaths don’t see things the same way we do. To her, it was logical to punish your grandfather by abusing his son. How is that even remotely logical to a normal person?”
I look down, fiddle with my fingers. My mother is right, of course.
“Take my father, for example. To him, it was perfectly logical to try to rape me. That’s what he knew. How he lived his life. But normal fathers don’t try to rape their daughters, Ava.”
I wipe a tear from my eye before it falls. “For God’s sake, Mom. I know that.”
Mom pulls me into a hug. “Exactly. But my father would never have been able to use a plea of insanity in a trial for his crimes.”
“So there’s insanity…and there’s insanity,” I say.
“I suppose so.” Mom sighs and lets me go. “I just don’t want you looking for something in your grandmother that isn’t there. She’s not a good woman. She never was and never will be. The doctor says she’s in perfect health, but she’s nearing ninety. She will not live forever. Especially not without sunshine and exercise.”
“I’m not asking her to live forever.”
“I know you’re not, Ava, but you are asking for her to tell you something. To tell you why she reached out to you. I just wouldn’t hold your breath, sweetheart. The answers may not come.”
“But Mom…”
She grabs my hand. “I’m thinking only of you, Ava. I don’t want to see you doing this to yourself. This could take you to a dark place, and I’ve been to those dark places. I don’t want that for you.”
“I’ll be careful, Mom.”
“I know you will. That’s not what I’m concerned about.”
“It might help if…”
“If what?”
“If Dad lets me talk to her alone.”
Mom shakes her head. “That will never happen.”
“Why not? She’s no threat to me. She’s an old woman.”
“Don’t ask your father to leave you alone with her. He won’t do it. Your father hates saying no to you, but he will.”
I sigh. “All right.”
“Now, before you go back in there—because I know I can’t talk you out of not going back—tell me what’s going on with you and Brendan.”
“He’s angry.”
“Why?”
“Because he found out that Dale, Donny, and Brock arranged for him to be paid for the vandalism of his place.”
“I see.” Mom looks to the floor.
“You knew?”
She frowns. “I did. Joe finally leveled with Ryan and me about what’s going on. They tried to keep it from Ryan because of his mother. He’s not happy about that, of course.”
“I can see why he wouldn’t be. It’s like they’re treating him differently because he’s only their half brother.”
“That’s exactly how he sees it. But I see it from both sides. They didn’t want him to feel bad.”
“But here she is anyway. His mother has come back from the dead.”
“So it would seem.” Mom’s forehead wrinkles. “The timing is interesting, don’t you think?”
“I suppose so.”
Mom squeezes my hand. “Ava, this is why you need to be very cautious. Wendy is back now for a reason. She reached out to you for a reason.”
“That’s my point, Mom. I want to know why.”
“Even if she does level with you, the reason may not be good. Like I said, you could end up in a dark place.”
“That’s not me, Mom. I’m not a dark person.”
“I know you’re not. Stay as you are. Stay my sweet and talented Ava. My Ava who has always marched to the beat of her own drummer.”
I force a smile as I sniffle. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I leave the kitchen then. I’ve had about as much of this conversation as I can take.
I miss Brendan. I love him so much, but he’s right about one thing. I need to put this thing with my grandmother to bed before I can give my all to our relationship.
I walk back to the room where my grandmother is staying. I open the door. My father sits in a chair next to her. Neither Jemima nor Dr. Parks is in the room.
“She’s asleep,” Dad says.
I draw in a breath, gather strength. “All right. Then I’m waking her up.”
Chapter Nineteen
Brendan
Ten minutes later, I set up a meeting at Lauren’s house with Dad, Ruby, and me.
After calling to tell Ruby what time to meet us there, I take a look at the documents I found in the floorboards by opening my copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.