Page 74 of Dead Love

“The county will be happy to hear about this,” Andrew said. “The Echo Killer finally in jail, and our good ol’ Sheriff saved the day once again.”

My face turned pale. “You don’t really believe that Vincent killed those people, do you?”

Andrew smiled, proud of himself. “I believe that there are some suspicious circumstances with Erickson. And when it comes time to put him under the court of law, he will pay with a swift hand for the crimes he has committed.” My limbs were weak. I understood that Vincent had done something wrong, but the murders too? That wasn’t fair. “It sounds like you don’t believe that to be the case, Miss Kora.”

“I don’t know what to believe.” The words were dry on my tongue; it took everything in my power to admit that. Had I put an innocent man in jail?

Was he ever innocent?

Andrew tilted his head, studying me. “He kidnapped you, Miss Kora.”

I narrowed my eyes. “I’m not a kid.”

“Well,” he nodded, “You’ve always been in your mother and father’s care, up until this point. Am I correct?”

I seethed at him. For one thing, my father had almost nothing to do with my upbringing, and why would he rub my mother’s helicopter spirit in my face like that? I had thought he understood me. That we were friends.

“What are you saying?” I asked.

He lifted his hands, holding back a laugh. “Nothing, Miss Kora. Nothing at all. There you go, worrying your little heart.” He winked at me.

I turned away. My father slammed the back door of the squad car. I bit my tongue. Andrew squeezed my shoulder. “I’ll take you to the flower shop.”

“I can walk,” I said quickly. I didn’t want his help.

“Your mother would have my corpse for supper if I let you walk there all by yourself,” he said. My body flushed with heat, my fingers wrapped tight, but I swallowed it down. None of this mattered; I had to remember that. I had to be strong. Had to think straight. Couldn’t let these emotions get the best of me. Not when I needed to focus on what was coming.

At Poppies & Wheat, Andrew escorted me to the front door, then knocked on the glass so hard that it rattled the windows. I steadied myself; I couldn’t let myself throw up again.

“What’s wrong, Miss Kora?” he asked quietly.

I wanted to answer, but he would never understand. To Andrew, justice had been served, and now it was time to deliver the princess back to the queen.

But to me, it was another cage.

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” I admitted.

“None of us do,” he said. “But think of your mother.” He rubbed a thumb over my cheek, and my skin prickled with knives. “She’s been lost without you. All of us have.” He pressed his lips together. “I’ve missed you.”

Saliva gathered in my mouth. He had known exactly where I was for a long time. He had even told me to stay there, that it was my duty to find evidence against Vincent. How could he claim that he missed me?

Catie’s familiar poofy mohawk filled the glass walls.

“Andrew,” she said curtly. She turned to me, giving me the same cold stare. “Kora.” She forced a smile. “So good to see that you’re finally back.”

She gave me a sharp hug, one that was stiff and uninviting. My body ached all over. “I’ll take it from here, Officer,” Catie said, then pulled me inside. She closed the door behind us. The sweet stench of decay and rot filled the air. Fruit flies darted around my head; I swatted them away. Petals and leaves littered the ground, the limp remains of bouquets dangling out of stale buckets. I wrapped my hands around my stomach. This was worse that it had been.

“I tried to clean,” Catie whispered. “But your mother wouldn’t let me. She said I was going to jinx your return.”

“Andrew?” a hoarse voice called through the shop. “Andrew? Is that you?”

“Mom!”

A sudden warmth surged through me, tears welling in my eyes, but I held them back. Even with how much I didn’t understand why Shea raised me the way she did, there was still so much comfort in seeing her. She might have had her reasons mixed up, but she had always wanted me. She swiveled around, knocking an elbow into a vase, the shards crashing around her. Her jaw dropped, her eyes wide and fatigued.

I stepped over the glass and hugged her.

“You’re here,” she said, her voice lost and confused. I squeezed my arms around her, but she didn’t move.