things. Important things she had to share. I wouldn’t make that mistake again. I would look over the papers she wanted me to see.
She slid a folder to me. “That’s what I printed. The ones I think she is connected to.”
“Because of Richie?” I asked.
“Yes. All these people died and I think she had something to do with it. Hell, maybe even Richie did too. That would explain why he lied about seeing me kill Mandy.”
“It could.” I opened up the folder. Oddly enough, one of the first news stories w as about an eighty - year - old woman who had fallen down the stairs and died. The story was more about how she had hundreds of thousands of dollars and donated it to the animal shelter. “What does an elderly woman’s death have to do with it?”
“I think Sharon pushed her down the stairs.”
“Why?”
“Because she was Richie’s aunt. Sh aron wanted Richie to have her money. She had been threatening to cut Richie out of her will and life because of his wayward ways . Sharon told me she was going to see the aunt. To explain that Richie needed her. And was going to emphasize it wasn’t about money.”
“Why …” I questioned , “ w ould Sharon go over there? A total stranger. Richie was your husband, not hers. Makes no sense. This is …. A year before you lost your family.”
“Back then I thought it was because she was protecting me. She wasn’t a stranger to the aunt. She wasn’t. They went to the same hairdresser, they talked.”
As much as I listened to her theory, it just didn’t ring a bell of tru th to me. I looked at the story ; it was clearly an accident. But I w asn’t going to push the issue. “Do you think she acted alone?”
“ It was one old woman down a flight of steps. How hard was it? However, I wouldn’t doubt , knowing know that they had an affair, that Richie knew. Him and Sharon.” She sighed out . “I just wish there was a way to prove it. Maybe if I could get her to confess.”
“Sharon is hidden. A confession would be good. But impossible.”
“She isn’t hidden. She called my son. She wants to get my son away from me,” Pam rebutted.
“But she didn’t leave a contact number. Which tells me …”
“I saw her.”
Pam’s words shocked me. They sent a shudder of terror through me. “You saw Sharon.”
“And spoke to her.” Pam shrugged. “ She provoke d me. Tested me. Argued with me. It was when I was in Willow Brook that I ran into her.”
“My God,” I whispered. “She’s back? D o you think this is a chance meeting?”
“I don’t know. But I’m keeping an eye out. I’ll be diligent.”
I would be , too. I left my information at the television station . If Sharon wanted to be back in the picture, I hoped she contacted me as well.
A knock at the door caused Pam to spin nervously in her chair and grab her stomach. “That’s him.”
“It is.” I looked at the door and aimed my voice, lifting the volume. “Come in.”
The door opened slowly.
Justin stepped inside.
Pam gasped, her hand shot to her mouth . S lowly she stood. Her eyes and focus never left the young man.
“Pam , this is Justin. Justin … your mother.”
They stepped to each other, staring. I suppose they wondered if they should shake hands or embrace , and they did both.
The handshake appeared awkward and so did the embrace at first, then it was natural and the moment of first introduction and reunion became emotional.
“ I’ll give you two a moment . ” F eeling they needed a moment alone , I stepped away from my desk and out of my office.
I walked through the office manger ’s area, to the front reception desk. I hadn’t updated my appointments for the next day and I thought I’d take a look.
There were pink messages on the desk. Usually she stacked them there when they were urgent. Typically sales people calling. I lifted the stack and shuffled through. There were about ten . W hen I got to the last one, the stack slipped from my hand.
I looked back
She slid a folder to me. “That’s what I printed. The ones I think she is connected to.”
“Because of Richie?” I asked.
“Yes. All these people died and I think she had something to do with it. Hell, maybe even Richie did too. That would explain why he lied about seeing me kill Mandy.”
“It could.” I opened up the folder. Oddly enough, one of the first news stories w as about an eighty - year - old woman who had fallen down the stairs and died. The story was more about how she had hundreds of thousands of dollars and donated it to the animal shelter. “What does an elderly woman’s death have to do with it?”
“I think Sharon pushed her down the stairs.”
“Why?”
“Because she was Richie’s aunt. Sh aron wanted Richie to have her money. She had been threatening to cut Richie out of her will and life because of his wayward ways . Sharon told me she was going to see the aunt. To explain that Richie needed her. And was going to emphasize it wasn’t about money.”
“Why …” I questioned , “ w ould Sharon go over there? A total stranger. Richie was your husband, not hers. Makes no sense. This is …. A year before you lost your family.”
“Back then I thought it was because she was protecting me. She wasn’t a stranger to the aunt. She wasn’t. They went to the same hairdresser, they talked.”
As much as I listened to her theory, it just didn’t ring a bell of tru th to me. I looked at the story ; it was clearly an accident. But I w asn’t going to push the issue. “Do you think she acted alone?”
“ It was one old woman down a flight of steps. How hard was it? However, I wouldn’t doubt , knowing know that they had an affair, that Richie knew. Him and Sharon.” She sighed out . “I just wish there was a way to prove it. Maybe if I could get her to confess.”
“Sharon is hidden. A confession would be good. But impossible.”
“She isn’t hidden. She called my son. She wants to get my son away from me,” Pam rebutted.
“But she didn’t leave a contact number. Which tells me …”
“I saw her.”
Pam’s words shocked me. They sent a shudder of terror through me. “You saw Sharon.”
“And spoke to her.” Pam shrugged. “ She provoke d me. Tested me. Argued with me. It was when I was in Willow Brook that I ran into her.”
“My God,” I whispered. “She’s back? D o you think this is a chance meeting?”
“I don’t know. But I’m keeping an eye out. I’ll be diligent.”
I would be , too. I left my information at the television station . If Sharon wanted to be back in the picture, I hoped she contacted me as well.
A knock at the door caused Pam to spin nervously in her chair and grab her stomach. “That’s him.”
“It is.” I looked at the door and aimed my voice, lifting the volume. “Come in.”
The door opened slowly.
Justin stepped inside.
Pam gasped, her hand shot to her mouth . S lowly she stood. Her eyes and focus never left the young man.
“Pam , this is Justin. Justin … your mother.”
They stepped to each other, staring. I suppose they wondered if they should shake hands or embrace , and they did both.
The handshake appeared awkward and so did the embrace at first, then it was natural and the moment of first introduction and reunion became emotional.
“ I’ll give you two a moment . ” F eeling they needed a moment alone , I stepped away from my desk and out of my office.
I walked through the office manger ’s area, to the front reception desk. I hadn’t updated my appointments for the next day and I thought I’d take a look.
There were pink messages on the desk. Usually she stacked them there when they were urgent. Typically sales people calling. I lifted the stack and shuffled through. There were about ten . W hen I got to the last one, the stack slipped from my hand.
I looked back
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