Chapter 101

101

Brianna left her sister just as Nelson was wrapping his arms around Bethany and hugging her close.

Brianna had questions.

Steve was in a coma. Nothing would come out of turning him in to the police for what he had done to her sister except make her sister's private pain public.

But Trey was still out there. He could have helped Bethany and he hadn't. He wasn't going to be Brianna's brother any longer. He just wasn't. He was as much a monster as Steve Wilson.

Maybe even worse because he had seen evil happening and done nothing to stop it.

She had definite questions.

And something bad was happening. She just knew it.

Those men with Trey—they hadn't belonged in Hughes Heights. She should have realized it before.

And they were right next to Powell's parents' house. That made her really nervous. Like really nervous.

She had the radio on in her car. She was halfway to her house, trying to decide who she was going to ask those questions —Jack was too busy tonight. And he'd been angry when she'd called him last time.

Powell was probably off with Gunnar somewhere. Gunnar was a cop. She could find Powell. That would be the best answer.She would tell Gunnar everything she knew about Trey. About what Steve had done to her sister. About those men she'd seen with Trey right next door.

And she would let Gunnar decide what to do next.

The radio broke in. It was a news break.

Brianna pulled over into the driveway of that house that was just put on the market last week. Powell would probably buy it eventually. It was right at the entrance to the cul-de-sac that ended at the park. She could almost see Melissa and Mason's house, even in the dark. But their house was dark, she thought. She dialed Melissa's number. She just needed help figuring out what to do next.

No one answered.

Maybe Melissa and Mason had gone on a date. They probably did that. Everyone knew they were still in love after thirty-something years of marriage. It was very romantic, very beautiful. Bethany wanted that someday.

That was what she wanted for Bethany too. That kind of love. Even if it was with a poor man. Although Nelson really wasn't poor. He was just not as rich as Bethany. And he had to work to get his money like he did. Still, he worked hard. That was important, right?

He worked hard, he was kind, and he was honest. He'd probably be a good father too. She'd like nieces and nephews, Brianna decided. It would be fun to buy them presents. Nelson would be a much better father than Brianna's stepfather had been or Timothy was now.

Brianna pulled out onto the road, and drove down through the cul-de-sac. The Barratts' house just had one light on. Which was weird. Melissa had a weird obsession about the dark. Because of something bad when she'd been younger. She always had lots of light on. It had always made her house look very welcoming.

It didn't look like they were home at all. There was a car there, with the light on. Across the road. At that empty house Powell had brought last time. There were people standing there, talking. But she couldn't really see who they were. She didn't want to talk to new people in Hughes Heights tonight. Brianna just didn't care about their neighborhood right now.

Brianna just kept driving.

She'd just wait. Or she'd text Powell while she waited. It had been a week since Powell had escaped her abductors. Brianna needed to check on her. Make sure her best friend was okay. And she'd see if Powell could meet her somewhere tomorrow. Answer her questions confidentially. Powell was always going on about client privilege and confidentiality laws and everything. And Powell had Gunnar now.

Brianna would just hire Powell as a consultant. Powell would know what to do. To help Bethany get their brother's companies back. Steve Wilson hadn't had the right to take them away to begin with. Brianna was going to make things right for Bethany. And she was going to find a way to get Leena back too.

And then? She was going to keep Leena forever. Keep her away from Timothy. So he didn't mess Leena up like he had Trey.

She had to protect Leena. She had to.

Maybe she wasn't that great at doing the mom thing, but she had done just fine with Leena. She could afford to put her sister in Finley Creek Prep easily. Her house was big enough for a child too. She'd hire a better nanny for when Brianna couldn't be with her. But she'd still spend as much time with Leena as she could. They would be a family.

She could take care of Leena appropriately. They'd figure out how to do this whole raising the kid thing together. And Timothy wouldn't get to screw Leena up like he had Trey.

That was her baby sister. Sisters mattered. All Brianna wanted was for Leena and Bethany to be okay too. To be happy and safe. She pulled over at the park again. And listened. She just wasn't ready to go home yet. Her brother had been murdered. Her sister had been raped and extorted. Her best friend in the world had been abducted and hurt.

The world just didn't make sense tonight. Not to her. Bad things...bad things weren't supposed to happen to people she knew. Cared about. They just weren't.

So why did they keep happening now ?

The news was still playing. Brianna paused when she heard Hughes Heights. "Authorities are searching for two men linked to a drug trafficking operation in the Hughes Heights neighborhood and to the abduction of local realtor Powell Barratt and Lieutenant Heather Coleson of the Texas State Police Cold Case division. The two persons of interest are Dr. Timothy Grundenman II, a local anesthesiologist, and his son, Timothy Grundenman III, also known as Trey. Both are believed to be in the Finley Creek area. The Texas State Police are asking anyone with information on their whereabouts to come forward."

Brianna barely heard the rest of the newscast.

They wanted Trey because of what happened to Powell. To Heather Coleson.

Of course they did. Trey and Steve and Kyle and Banks and Jody and Joey and Luke had been best friends since they were little kids. Like barely older than Leena.

Of course Trey was involved in what Steve had done. She'd been stupid not to see it before.

Trey had been one of the ones to hurt Powell. And Timothy had said Trey was in trouble now.

Well, so was Timothy.And the police were looking for them now.

Timothy had Leena. The police were looking for Timothy. And Trey. Timothy had spoken about relocating. Because Timothy was running away.

And he had Leena. What if...what if Gunnar Erickson and his friends found Timothy and Trey and…

Trey had a gun. He would try to shoot. And they had Leena.

Brianna drove past the park. She didn't pull in, though she saw all those cars. Something didn't feel right.

She had to help her sister. Somehow.

Well, Leena had other sisters out there. And they lived right next to Powell's brother Alex.

And Heather.

Heather was supposed to be a super cop or something. Jack had been bitching about that very thing before. About how good she was supposed to be or something. That she was going to get attention.

Heather worked with that really big muscled guy who headed the Homicide division. Jack's boss.Jack said that man was a monster of a cop. That he was like the Finley Creek king of SWAT guy and everything. She thought Jack was kind of afraid of that man too.

They would know what to do. They were TSP she could probably trust. Jack's boss. She could trust him, Jack said he was an honest cop. She didn't always think Jack thought that was a good thing, but wasn't it?

And he had Timothy's baby daughter. That man did. Trey had told her that that man's baby daughter was their baby sister too.Jack's boss would want to stop Trey so that the baby would be safe, too, right? She turned into the Colesons' driveway. There wasn't anything she wouldn't do to help her baby sister. Wasn't that what being a sister was all about?

Even if Number Nine Jude Way was the last place she ever wanted to ever be.