Page 72 of Blood Moon

“I want to know why she’s dredging it all up again. You were a mess.”

“I’ll grant you that. I hate that it’s being dredged up, but, in all honesty, it needed to be.” She was about to say something more, but he held up his hand. “Listen a minute. I can’t go into the nitty-gritty, but the situation could become complicated.”

“For you?”

“Yes. Beth’s probing—”

“Her name is Beth?”

“Beth Collins. Her probing has yanked the tail of a tiger. Some people inside the PD aren’t too happy with me for talking to her.” He didn’t want to tell her yet that he’d been fired and add to her upset. Nor did he want to frighten her, but she needed to be cautioned.

“Till things settle down, stay aware of your surroundings. Tell me if you see anybody lurking around, or anything that’s out of the ordinary. Okay?”

“Okay,” she said with apprehension.

He reached over and patted her hand. “I’m on top of it, but just pay attention to what’s going on around you. If something feels off, heed that instinct. Got it?” She nodded. “Good. Now let’s talk about you. What’s going on?”

“Nothing. I’m okay.”

“That’s why you called me in the wee hours, bawling your eyes out? Because you’re okay? Because there’s nothing the matter?”

“Nothing new.” Tears filled her eyes, and she said in a stage whisper, “I hate her!”

“Molly—”

“Dad, you don’t know.”

“I do know.”

“Then why do I have to live with her?”

“Because the judge said so.”

“She is such a bitch. How did you stand to be married to her? She’s silly and selfish and shallow. She has this new boyfriend. He’s gross.” She shuddered.

John’s blood pressure spiked. “He doesn’t fool with you, does he?”

“No.”

“You swore you would tell me if any of her boyfriends ever—”

“None have and he doesn’t. If anything, he pretends I’m not there.”

He relaxed. “What’s gross about him?”

“He comes and goes. Moves in, moves out. When he’s not there, she whines. When he is there, they fight. She accuses him of having another woman, and he probably does. I have to listen to all of it.”

John rubbed the bridge of his nose. “I know, sweetheart. I hate it for you. I hate it for me. But you can’t change the situation, and neither can I. We just have to cope until you’re of age.”

“She doesn’t like me living with her any more than I like being there. Maybe if you asked her again to let me live with you, she—”

“She would never agree. You know that. It has nothing to do with you. She’s spiting me. And I can’t afford to fight her in court. Besides, by the time we filed all the paperwork and got a court date, you’ll be eighteen.”

“I don’t think I can wait that long, Dad. I really don’t.”

“We made a deal.”

“I know.”