Page 108 of The Haunting of Paynes Hollow

No, it benefited his family and mine. I only say, “And Austin Vandergriff?”

Another sigh, deeper, pain written over his features. “I don’t know what happened there, Sam. I only found Austin’s body after your father…” He swallows. “After your dad took his own life. Austin had been trampled. That means it was the horseman, likely protecting you. Later, your mother told me that Austin had been tormenting you. That night he ran off, he was here after dusk and he must have hurt you then, when it was truly dangerous. I presume your father was hiding the body from the search when you found him and he panicked.”

“I’ve seen Austin. Among the dead. After he was allegedly buried.”

“He wasn’t buried. The horseman killed him, so his body had to be given to the lake. An empty casket went into that hole.”

“And the letter my father wrote, taking responsibility and ranting about inner demons?”

“I don’t know. I can only guess that was his way of explaining the inexplicable. In his own way, I suppose he did feel responsible.”

I fall silent.

“What happened to your aunt was horrible, Sam. A terrible accident. Your grandfather should have warned her, but you know how he was. All that mattered was his firstborn son. Your father knew the secret.Onlyyour father. But no one else needs to die. I can teach you how to control the nekkers and harness their power, just like your dad did.”

“And Sam’s mother?” The question comes from our right, and we both startle as Josie tramps from the forest.

“No, Dad,” she says. “I didn’t just get back. I wasnotleaving you alone with Sam.”

“I would never hurt—”

“You wouldn’t dare, apparently. Now, what about Sam’s mother?”

Smits’s brow creases. “Veronica? Are you asking whether she could benefit if Sam controls the nekkers? Yes. The fortune conferred from the nekkers could help Veronica’s health, especially if we brought her here—”

“I mean you said her dad could control them. And her mom?”

“Veronica didn’t know anything about—”

“Liar.”Josie spits the word with enough venom to make me jump. “I know about you and Veronica Payne, Dad. I found letters you wrote her.”

“What?” Smits says as I stand there, staring.

She pulls a page from her back pocket and shakes it. “Should I read it? I found these in the crawl space under Sam’s grandfather’s cottage. Tucked into a book. I—”

She stops short, turning to me with dawning horror. I barely see it. All I see is Josie in that crawl space, reading something, and when I notice, her light goes out for a moment. Then it comes on, and the page is gone.

She squeezes her eyes shut. “I’m so sorry, Sam. I didn’t mean to do it like this. I didn’t mean to do it at all. I was going to confront him on my own. That’s why I moved out last night. I was working it through, because a lot of it didn’t make sense, but now, with all this…”

“I don’t understand what you’re saying.” My words come slow, echoing in my ears.

“I…”

“Tell me.”

She holds the letter awkwardly. “My dad and your mom were having…”

“An affair.” My voice is hollow. I say that because it’s the obviousconclusion, but her relief says she mistook that to mean I already knew or suspected.

“Yes. I found the letters while we were searching. I don’t know why they’d be there. In your grandfather’s crawl space.”

I look at Smits. “He found them, didn’t he? My grandfather. You’re the one who broke into the cottage looking for them. Did my grandfather blackmail you with them? Or just use them to make sure my mom never dared ask him for a penny?”

His jaw sets, and he looks at Josie. “It was a very long time ago, hon. Your mom and I had some troubles, and I was young and stupid—”

Her bitter laugh cuts him off. “I don’t give a damn about the affair. Well, I do, for Mom’s sake, but you’ve always treated her like shit. Just never shitty enough to make her leave. A garden-variety lousy husband.”

“Now, Josie—”