Page 97 of Pretty Poison

Helen shook her head. “Tess moved heaven and earth to protect them. She’d sense a dark spell coming and make sure they weren’t home. Bob was smart enough not to hit her where people could see it.”

“If they were masters at hiding the violence from their children who’d lived in the same house, is it fair to blame the friend who hadn’t?”

Helen’s nostrils flared, and she clenched her jaw. She took a deep breath and released it slowly. Rocky sensed she was trying to get ahold of her emotions. “They knew.”

“How? You should’ve heard these people yammer on about their famous parties. I heard a dozen accounts of the New Year’s Eve party where Tess went into labor. They all talked about Bob’s—”

Helen slammed her fist down on the desk, startling him. “Do you know why she went into labor four weeks early?” Rocky started to speak, but she cut him off. “Bob knocked her down the stairs during an altercation, even though their house was filled with their friends.”

“Christ,” Rocky said with a wince.

“Bob had followed her up to their bedroom and confronted her about flirting with his friend, Dave. Tess tried to get away and return to the party, but Bob followed, and the argument became physical. Her water broke during the fall.” Helen paused to pull herself together. “He told everyone she’d tripped down the steps, but they had to have overheard their argument. It’s a miracle Grant wasn’t seriously hurt. Then again, she wouldn’t have been pregnant in the first place if he hadn’t forced himself on her after losing badly at poker. I hated that fucker. Still do.”

“My God.”

“Tess didn’t trust any of them to help her, so she drove herself to the hospital, which was forty minutes away. Once she got there, she called me collect. It took me four hours to reach her side, and I’ve never left since.” Helen took a deep breath. “I told him he better never lay another motherfucking finger on her again. I warned Bob that I’d kill him. I meant it too.”

“Your threat worked?”

Helen nodded. “Or so I believed. He switched to verbal abuse, which was just as damaging. He had one affair after the other to demoralize her spirit. I didn’t find out about these things until his health took a hard turn. You can believe that he spent every remaining minute of his life wondering when I was going to strike.”

“But you didn’t.”

“No. Tess and I argued about it a lot toward the end of his life. I asked how she could defend a man who’d beaten and raped her. I begged her. Just a few extra pills. He wouldn’t suffer.”

“Sounds easier than he deserved.”

Helen snorted. “Probably.”

“Did Tess love him that much?” Rocky asked.

“She wasn’t trying to save Bob,” Helen said softly.

Then he understood. “She didn’t want his death on your conscience.”

“Yes. Tess can’t love me the way I want her to, and it’s not her fault. She still loves me more than anyone else has. I’d do anything for her, but I didn’t kill Bob, and I didn’t forge the life insurance documents.” She tipped her head. “I wish I’d thought of it because I probably would’ve done a better job.”

“So, why’d you part ways with Whispering Willows, and why the secrecy?”

“Arnie’s shitty kids lodged a complaint after he died,” Helen replied.

“The facility told you that?”

“No, but they didn’t have to. The kids claimed I used my position to introduce Tess to wealthy men.”

“Didn’t you?” Rocky asked.

“Yes, but not due to a nefarious plan. I wasn’t choosing the one most likely to die quickest so Tess could make bank.”

Rocky chuckled. “Fair enough.”

“Whispering Willows wasn’t willing to listen to my side, so they offered me a severance package and made me sign an NDA. It’s a good thing I did too because Tess needed the money to pay for a good attorney.”

The man Tess took on a cruise instead of Helen. Tess was starting to slip in Rocky’s estimation, although he tried his best not to judge. Besides, Helen wouldn’t want to hear his thoughts on Tess’s shoddy treatment of her. “About this cruise,” he said. “Are you aware Mr. Hamilton’s children paid for the trip?”

Helen sniffed. “It’s the least the little ungrateful assholes could do for her. Where the hell were they when their father needed care around the clock toward the end? Tess and I took care of Arnie. They just wanted to collect the money after he died.”

“If they’re so awful, why would they pay for the cruise?”