the flashlight to take her own weapon in both hands. ‘‘Please, Jack, drop the gun.’’
He did, afraid she wouldn’t tell him otherwise. ‘‘What is it you think Frannie told me?’’ She swallowed, keeping the weapon aimed at his heart, searching his face as if she could read the truth there.
He wanted to take the weapon from her and shake the words from her. ‘‘For God’s sake, Tempest, tell me.’’
The rope creaked again. Another boiler cut on. ‘‘Frannie called me the day she...died,’’ Tempest said slowly, still watching him closely. ‘‘She remembered.’’
Jack felt his legs go weak beneath him. He realized he was shaking his head as he fought to stay on his feet. ‘‘No.’’
Tempest nodded.
He closed his eyes, swaying under the weight of it.
‘‘That’s why Frannie blocked it from her memory,’’ she said. ‘‘Because her attacker was Oliver.’’
He was still shaking his head, not wanting to believe it, his eyes squeezed shut. When the sheriff’s job had opened up, he’d jumped at it, believing it was fate. As sheriff he could look into Frannie’s case, maybe find some answers, but not really expecting much. He’d never dreamed—
‘‘It’s true, Jack,’’ Tempest said more softly. ‘‘I tried to help Frannie. I swear I did. I told her I’d kill the son of a bitch for her. When I hung up, I thought she was all right. I never dreamed she’d—’’ Tempest started crying. ‘‘If she’d have been here in River’s Edge, I could have gone to her. I could have done something—’’ She was crying hard, angry sounding sobs. ‘‘If only I’d been able to stop Oliver...before he hurt Frannie, too.’’
Jack opened his eyes. ‘‘He—’’
She nodded through her tears.
‘‘But you didn’t turn him in?’’
‘‘I went to the sheriff,’’ she said angrily. ‘‘You remember who was sheriff then, don’t you, Jack? A good friend of Otto Sanders. He called me a liar and a lot of other things and threw me out of his office. I didn’t know who else to turn to. There’d already been so much scandal in my family.... That’s when that rumor started going around school that I was a slut and did it with the entire football team.’’
Jack shook his head, too sick to speak for a moment. Now he understood why she’d gone into law enforcement. Why she’d come back here. Not just to torment Oliver with what she knew, but to make sure no other girl would have to go through what she did. It also explained what he’d seen between her and Oliver. Oliver’s fear. Tempest’s anger. And the meetings the P.I. had witnessed.
‘‘I’m sorry. You told Oliver you knew?’’
She nodded, getting control of herself again. ‘‘I wanted to make him suffer like Frannie had all these years, not knowing what I was going to do to him. Can you believe Frannie blamed herself? Oliver told her she’d made him rape her. At least I didn’t fall for that.’’
Jack saw now how easy it had been for Oliver to get to Frannie that night. Otto had sent Jack up to fix those broken pipes. Oliver had to have known Frannie would be alone. Oliver had gotten away with it once, he must have thought he could get away with it again. And he had.
He looked up at the body hanging from the beam, wondering what he’d have done if he’d known about this before and what he would have done if he’d found Oliver before someone else had.
‘‘Oliver hurt Frannie because of me,’’ he said, the words coming hard. This was about the competition between the two of them. Good God.
‘‘That’s exactly why Frannie didn’t want to tell you. She knew you’d blame yourself, just as she blamed herself,’’ Tempest said.
‘‘I’m so sorry,’’ he said to Tempest, to Frannie wherever she was.
Tempest shook her head. ‘‘Oliver is to blame, not us,’’ she said angrily. ‘‘That’s what I couldn’t get Frannie to understand. I hope you’re smarter than that.’’
He
He did, afraid she wouldn’t tell him otherwise. ‘‘What is it you think Frannie told me?’’ She swallowed, keeping the weapon aimed at his heart, searching his face as if she could read the truth there.
He wanted to take the weapon from her and shake the words from her. ‘‘For God’s sake, Tempest, tell me.’’
The rope creaked again. Another boiler cut on. ‘‘Frannie called me the day she...died,’’ Tempest said slowly, still watching him closely. ‘‘She remembered.’’
Jack felt his legs go weak beneath him. He realized he was shaking his head as he fought to stay on his feet. ‘‘No.’’
Tempest nodded.
He closed his eyes, swaying under the weight of it.
‘‘That’s why Frannie blocked it from her memory,’’ she said. ‘‘Because her attacker was Oliver.’’
He was still shaking his head, not wanting to believe it, his eyes squeezed shut. When the sheriff’s job had opened up, he’d jumped at it, believing it was fate. As sheriff he could look into Frannie’s case, maybe find some answers, but not really expecting much. He’d never dreamed—
‘‘It’s true, Jack,’’ Tempest said more softly. ‘‘I tried to help Frannie. I swear I did. I told her I’d kill the son of a bitch for her. When I hung up, I thought she was all right. I never dreamed she’d—’’ Tempest started crying. ‘‘If she’d have been here in River’s Edge, I could have gone to her. I could have done something—’’ She was crying hard, angry sounding sobs. ‘‘If only I’d been able to stop Oliver...before he hurt Frannie, too.’’
Jack opened his eyes. ‘‘He—’’
She nodded through her tears.
‘‘But you didn’t turn him in?’’
‘‘I went to the sheriff,’’ she said angrily. ‘‘You remember who was sheriff then, don’t you, Jack? A good friend of Otto Sanders. He called me a liar and a lot of other things and threw me out of his office. I didn’t know who else to turn to. There’d already been so much scandal in my family.... That’s when that rumor started going around school that I was a slut and did it with the entire football team.’’
Jack shook his head, too sick to speak for a moment. Now he understood why she’d gone into law enforcement. Why she’d come back here. Not just to torment Oliver with what she knew, but to make sure no other girl would have to go through what she did. It also explained what he’d seen between her and Oliver. Oliver’s fear. Tempest’s anger. And the meetings the P.I. had witnessed.
‘‘I’m sorry. You told Oliver you knew?’’
She nodded, getting control of herself again. ‘‘I wanted to make him suffer like Frannie had all these years, not knowing what I was going to do to him. Can you believe Frannie blamed herself? Oliver told her she’d made him rape her. At least I didn’t fall for that.’’
Jack saw now how easy it had been for Oliver to get to Frannie that night. Otto had sent Jack up to fix those broken pipes. Oliver had to have known Frannie would be alone. Oliver had gotten away with it once, he must have thought he could get away with it again. And he had.
He looked up at the body hanging from the beam, wondering what he’d have done if he’d known about this before and what he would have done if he’d found Oliver before someone else had.
‘‘Oliver hurt Frannie because of me,’’ he said, the words coming hard. This was about the competition between the two of them. Good God.
‘‘That’s exactly why Frannie didn’t want to tell you. She knew you’d blame yourself, just as she blamed herself,’’ Tempest said.
‘‘I’m so sorry,’’ he said to Tempest, to Frannie wherever she was.
Tempest shook her head. ‘‘Oliver is to blame, not us,’’ she said angrily. ‘‘That’s what I couldn’t get Frannie to understand. I hope you’re smarter than that.’’
He
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