Page 105 of Death on Riddle Road

“I needed to talk to her about her husband.That he was cheating on her and I wanted to help her, but I was afraid of him, so I had to talk to her right then and someplace we wouldn’t be seen.”

“You shot Jaylynn in front of her son and—”

“Myson.”

“—left him there with her body for hours.”I heard the horror in Clara’s voice, but I doubted Dova did.

“He’d eaten and had a clean diaper — I saw to that — and I put a blanket over his head.”

“You let Derrick take the blame,” Clara protested.

“And had Robbie all to yourself,” I murmured.“Was that part planned, too?”

“Not originally.We could have been happy the way things were.Derrick could have had a share of Robbie.He never tried to push in and take more.Even after law enforcement zeroed in on him, I did try.”

“Started the rumor about Jaylynn and Evan.”

She lifted one modest shoulder.“That was easy.I’d told Derrick to spend the night with his cousin.It was his own fault for not listening.I adapted.”

“You said he was a good father,” Clara said.“How could you—?”

“I put my son first.I knew what was best for him.And it was not being tied to a father in prison for murder.The important thing was raising Robbie.He needed me.”

I remembered thinking Robbie having Dova as his mom could only be seen as an extremely fortunate circumstance.

Boy, was I off about that one.

I said, “You told everyone Derrick decided Robbie shouldn’t visit him in prison as he got older.But Emil said you made that decision.He must have overheard you...”

“He didn’t overhear me.I was never that careless.Never.”

And there it was...the same ego that persuaded her that she was the one, the only best thing for Robbie.

“With Derrick, it was a battle to keep him under control after he went to prison.He would not accept his fate.The time I spent...and then an idiot ran into my car.With the injuries, I couldn’t get to the prison to keep Derrick in hand.That do-gooder preacher weaseled his way into Derrick’s confidences and there was no turning him from the idea of medical parole.

“Maybe I wasn’t as on point as I should have been after the accident, letting myself snarl at the girl when I’d already seen that Dorrio expression on my boy’s face.”

“Derrick wanted to see his son, didn’t he?”

“Became completely unreasonable,orderedme to drag Robbie to that horrible place.As if I’d do that to my son.When he got here, it was worse.The outrageous things he said to me the night before...Thank heavens, Robbie didn’t hear them.”

I wasn’t so sure.That was the night Sally had been surprised to see Robbie here.He could have overlapped with Dova.Heard enough to plant seeds of doubt.

Because without such seeds, why would he have jumped to the conclusion — at least the fear — that Dova poisoned Derrick with her leftover pills?

Clara summed up, “Derrick finally suspected you’d killed Jaylynn, so he had to go.”

“All I wanted — all I’ve ever wanted — is what’s best for Robbie.If it hadn’t been for that wretched little witch.”

“Mamie?Because she asked us to investigate,” Clara said.

“I could have handled you two.The deputies, too.But she was always around, watching Robbie, distracting him.”She shook her head.“I should have dealt with it at the beginning, kept it Robbie and me.

“I was born to be a mother.I knew from a young age that I could do it better than those extolled for their mothering.Not like those demented people who steal a fetus from the womb of a pregnant woman.It’s absurd.They don’t even know if the child will survive and be healthy.”

Great.She saw her method as quality control.

“That’s enough.Do you think I don’t know you’re trying to stall?I’m leaving now.I’ll find Robbie.He’ll understand.We’ll go away.Don’t try to stop me.”