Page 101 of Behind the Shadows

KIP

Groggy, I rubbed the back of my head and winced. Slowly, I peered through the haze and tried to figure out where the hell I was. I sat in the middle of a room in an uncomfortable chair. I rubbed my arms, attempting to help the blood flow through my body again.

The cabin seemed small with a kitchen, living room, and fireplace. The worn couch and two chairs were the only furniture other than four kitchen table chairs that looked like they belonged in my grandmother’s house.

Footsteps approached, and I turned my attention in that direction.

“Good, you’re awake.”

I blinked several times and hoped I would snap out of my dream, but I remembered that voice, and with the pain in my skull, I knew I wasn’t fucking dreaming either.

My gaze landed on his black dress shoes and slowly traveled up his black slacks and white dress shirt. His short dark hair was peppered with gray, and it matched his well-trimmed beard. He rolled up his sleeves, smiling.

“What am I doing here?”

“You’re fucking my daughter. I thought it was time we had a chat—caught up on life.”

I should have known the Pied Piper was behind this.

“Also, I’m sorry to hear of your mother’s passing.” He crossed his legs, placing his ankle on the opposite knee, calm, composed.

“I’m not,” I growled. How did he know? She just fucking died … unless he stopped by, and I wasn’t watching the cameras.Shit.I would have to unravel that if I survived our meeting.

“But it doesn’t explain why you ran me off the road and knocked me out. What do you want? I have shit I need to do.” I hesitated, then grinned. “Like bury your ex-girlfriend. How long did that last, anyway?”

“A few years. We were off and on. She found out about Samantha and Ally’s mother, Julianne, and broke things off with me.” He shrugged. “I never did well with commitment.”

Mentally, I sifted through the images Dope had dug up. “How do my uncle and Pastor Pendleton fit into your group?”

The Pied Piper smiled. “I know you’ve been looking for answers, and it’s best that you get them from me.”

“Because you’ll be honest with me?” I snorted. “You’re as bad as my mother. A nugget of truth and a hell of a lot of lies.”

“You can believe me or not, but I think most of it will make sense to you.” He smoothed his white dress shirt. “There is a group of us. We met in college. I’m not sure what you already know, so be patient with me as I explain.”

“Sure, because I have nowhere else to be right now.” I stared out the window at the thick line of trees in front of the cabin. I assumed we were in the middle of nowhere, and even if I ran, I wouldn’t get far.

He continued as if I hadn’t smarted off to him. “We were a close group, and small at first. As time went by, we picked up a few additional people. Pastor Pendleton and a man named Jameson Stanford to name a few.”

I wanted to tell him to hurry up and get to the point of why I was really here, but I kept my mouth shut.

“Lily met the good pastor right as he was starting his first church. She was interested in a relationship with him, but he didn’t return her feelings. Honestly, I don’t think she actually cared about him at all. It was a stab at me, to get me back for cheating on her.” He chuckled. “I didn’t give a shit who she fucked, but she was angry at me, especially when she found out about Samantha. What I didn’t expect was what Lily did after that.”

“And that was?” I pretended to be bored, but I wanted answers. Lily was gone, and it dawned on me this might be my only chance to learn what had happened, and who I’d really killed that night.

“When Pendleton rejected her, she went after Julianne. Simply put, Lily killed Samantha’s mother.”

My stomach dropped to my toes. Lily was a lot of things, but a cold-blooded murderer?

“How?”

“Poisoned her over a few weeks. Invited her for dinner and drinks almost every night, then she administered the final dose in Julianne’s drink one evening.”

“Did she just want her out of the way, or did she want your undivided attention? What was her endgame? She had a reason for every fucking thing she did. Every lie that left her mouth.” I folded my hands in my lap, pretending to be calm.

“Both. She thought it would hurt me. It did, but I never gave her the reaction she wanted. Eventually, she gave up and used her time and energy to do what she did best.”

“Use people?”