Chapter 50

Chapter Fifty

ERIKA

M y phone hasn't stopped ringing all day. I wish I could turn it off entirely, but I'm too scared of missing an important call. That said, I don't answer any numbers I don't recognize. At least eighty percent of the phone calls are threatening. People likely in my own town—my neighbors—telling me my son should be locked up, that my family should be murdered.

Even the nicer calls leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. A mother I used to be friendly with, Nancy Jeffers, called me an hour ago. She told me she didn't think Liam was guilty and that I had her "full support," but I imagined after the call, she went back to her friends to report how tired and stressed out I sounded. Erika sounds like she's falling apart. I wouldn't want to be in her shoes.

As I'm settling into bed for the night, my phone rings again. I pick it up and see Jessica Martinson's name on the screen.

I shouldn't answer. Nothing good can come of this call.

Then again, if anyone knows the gossip, it's Jessica.

Before I can stop myself, I press the green button to take the call. "Hello?"

"Erika!" Jessica's voice is syrupy sweet. "It's Jessica. Jessica Martinson."

As if I might not know who she was. As if I haven't had her number programmed into my phone for the last decade.

"Hi." I swallow hard. "What is it, Jessica?"

"I just wanted to see how you're doing."

"Fine." I'm not even remotely fine, but she's the last person I want to unburden myself to. "Thank you for asking."

"Of course."

I wait for her to say some pleasantry and end the call. If you need anything, let me know . But she doesn't say it. She just waits on the other line, as if she's got something to say but isn't sure how to say it.

"Is there anything I can help you with, Jessica?" I finally say.

She's quiet for a moment. "I wasn't going to say anything, but I feel like I need to. Erika, I think you did the wrong thing by bailing Liam out of jail. "

I suck in a breath, my head spinning. "Jessica…"

"I know you're going to say it's none of my business," she says, "but we used to be friends and I need to say my piece. We all know Liam did this. He deserves to be in jail."

"We don't know that…"

"Come on!" she bursts out. "Don't insult my intelligence. I know Liam very well. He murdered a cat in my home, Erika. I know you took him to see that psychologist. Clearly, it didn't work."

My throat feels so dry, when I open my mouth, nothing comes out.

"Erika, you need to let the police lock him away, and then you should walk away . If you support that monster, then you—"

I press the red button to end the phone call. I can't listen to another word of this. Especially because I know she's right. My son is a monster, but how can I walk away?

I sink onto the bed and bury my face in my hands. I don't know what to do anymore. My instinct is to protect Liam, but I'm not sure if it's the right thing to do. I don't know what's right anymore.

The phone rings again, and I want to throw it across the room. I crack my eyes open to look at the screen. Frank Marino. He's calling me back. This is a call I need to take. But my hands are shaking so much, I have trouble hitting the green button .

"Hello? Frank?"

He chuckles darkly. "Having yourself an interesting day, aren't you, Erika?"

He knows. Of course he knows. He's a detective. "Yes. I have."

"Well, I finally understand why you were trying to scare off all those girls."

My jaw twitches. This is not a time for jokes. "Did you get that address for me on Marvin Holick?"

"Yeah. I got it. Nice guy." There's an edge of sarcasm in his voice. "Like grandfather, like grandson."

I want to slam the phone down and never call Frank Marino ever again. But more than that, I want to find my father. He could be the answer to everything. "What's the address?"

He recites it for me and I scribble it down on a piece of paper on my nightstand. He lives in Queens, probably less than an hour's drive from here. Really, right around the corner. I could pop over to see him tonight, if I wanted.

Maybe I should.

I wonder what Marvin Holick will say when I show up at his door.