Marty nodded, her chin trembling.
"We've been together for twenty-five years. Unfortunately, it's turned into twenty-three years of deceit."
Daubing her eyes with a tissue, Marty whispered. "I know."
"However, you've been by my side through thick and thin. I can't write that off and just forget it."
"Thank you, Mrs. Nevers." Her voice shook. "But, I'll never forget Mr. Nevers telling me after Melinda came to the party, that once he told you who she was, that you'd probably fire me."
Angie's eyes widened. "Bud told you that?"
"Yes ma'am."
Angie walked slowly to the window and remained silent for several long moments before she turned around and looked at Marty. "I guess Bud and I didn't know each other as well as I thought."
Marty frowned. "I don't understand."
"Never mind. It's not important." She came back to the couch. "What is important, is this thing with Melinda. This girl is headed for big trouble. We both have a lot invested in her. You gave birth and Bud used our money to make sure she had a good upbringing. However, the DNA results have come in."
Marty stiffened and stared at her. "And what did they say?"
Angie met her stare. "Melinda is not Bud's daughter. So, I'm going to turn her over to Detective Tom Hoffman."
Marty almost dropped her glass, her eyes wide with astonishment. "Mrs. Nevers, I don't understand. Those tests have to be wrong. There's no one else who could be her daddy."
"Yes, there's another possibility. Ken Weber." Then Angie explained how she figured the conception had taken place.
Marty clutched her bodice and her face turned ashen.
"Think about it, Marty. Imagine your daughter's eyes. I've thought about it a lot waiting for the test results. And as Melinda grew older, I suspect Bud noticed her resemblance to Ken."
Marty covered her face with her hands and sobbed profusely. "Dear God! Ken must have raped me after I passed out. I always wondered why Bud was fully dressed, lying on the end of my bed. All those years Mr. Nevers had been paying for Ken's daughter."
Angie put her glass down on the table. "We can't worry about that now. We need to concentrate on your future. Right?"
She nodded her head fiercely.
"I want you to listen to me carefully."
Marty wiped her face and looked into Angie's eyes. "I'm listening, Mrs. Nevers. I'll do anything you say."
"I don't want Melinda on this property again. If I find out you've opened the gates to her without my permission, then you and she may leave together. That girl is going to cause nothing but heartache and pain wherever she goes. I want no part of her."
After Angie left the cottage, Marty sat in the chair with tears streaking down her cheeks. How could she have not noticed Melinda's resemblance to Ken Weber? Had she blocked the possibility from her mind, feeling secure about Bud taking care of Melinda and seeing to it that she had the best of everything? Even Melinda had been concerned that Bud might not be her daddy.
Marty finally collected herself and carried the two tea glasses to the kitchen. Her hand trembled as she reached into the cabinet and brought out the bottle of vodka.
Chapter Twenty-one
Tom pulled the small tattered black book that Angie had found in Bud's desk from his pocket. She had given it to him to examine, as she couldn't make any sense out of it. He thumbed through it and noticed the figures appeared in an elementary code that he could probably break within a few hours. He assumed the unmarked dollar amounts and dates he'd spotted throughout were the record of payments Bud had made for Melinda's support.
Also, one of the officers had found a photo album in Bud's office during the search and had inadvertently placed it in the evidence box. He brought it back to his office and studied the pictures.
Now that he knew the history of Bud's supposedly illegitimate daughter, and had seen her, he realized that several of the pictures were Melinda at different ages. Bud had probably kept the album squirreled away at the office so Angie wouldn't get curious. But who would question the child in the pictures? She could have been anyone's. The photos didn't indicate a relationship between the child and Bud. Even if Angie had looked through the album, he could have easily lied, because she believed anything Bud told her. Tom let out a long sigh, removed a few of the pictures and slipped them into his pocket. He placed the album and the black book into his desk drawer.
*****
Tom stopped at the gate of the Nevers' property and chatted with the officer. No one had been in or out so far today. The officer announced Detective Hoffman over the call box, then waved him through.
When Angie opened the door, Tom swallowed hard. He'd never seen her look so beautiful. Her royal-blue outfit looked new and made her blue eyes glisten and dance. She had her hair pulled back and twisted into a French braid, laced with a small silver rope. Small diamond earrings set in silver hearts dangled from her ears.
"Tom, it's so good to see you. Please come in."
"You certainly look nice," he stammered. "Are you going out?"
She smiled. "No. I just felt like I needed a little perking up, hoping someone would come by and appreciate it."
He spread out his arms and said. "Well, I'm here and I appreciate it."
Laughing, she took his hand and led him into the study where Sandy Weber sat on the couch reading a magazine. Angie reached over and touched her shoulder. "We've got company."
Sandy glanced up and gave him a faint smile. "Good evening, Tom."
He surveyed her face for some hint of how she was feeling, but saw nothing. Her eyes looked glazed and her face reminded him of a glass-faced doll with a frozen expression. She appeared on the verge of collapse. He wondered if Angie had noticed and decided he'd mention it to her later. He clapped his hands together. "Have you ladies had dinner?"
Angie shook her head. "No. Marty is preparing it now."
"Damn." He snapped his fingers. "I should have called. I'm sure you'd have enjoyed getting out of the confines of your luxurious prison for awhile."
Sandy shot him a look of fear. "No, we're fine. It's wonderful here."
Tom shrugged and glanced at Angie. She patted him on the back. "We'll get together another evening. You join us tonight."
He grinned, thinking of Marty's delicious cooking. "I'd love to, but are you sure Marty's prepared for a guest?"
"I'll check." She quickly excused herself and headed for the kitchen, then returned within a few seconds. "No problem, she said. Especially since it's that nice Mr. Hoffman."
Tom rubbed his hands together in anticipation and went to the bar. "Okay, ladies. What can I fix you?"
Angie worked a loose wisp of hair back into her braid. "Before we indulge, I need to speak with you privately for a few minutes. Let's go into the living room."
Tom followed her, and when she spilled the story of the report from Dr. Parker about Melinda not being Bud's daughter, he understood the tension he felt in the household. She also related how she'd told Sandy that Melinda could well be Ken Weber's daughter.
"How'd she take it?"
She shook her head slowly. "Not well. I debated about telling her, but couldn't stand the thought of her hearing it from some stranger."