Chapter 58

CHAPTER 58

I screamed and Maggs leapt for him, but Geoffrey had thick cloth around the arm he raised to fend her off and then flung her and the cloth off outside through the open door and slammed it shut, keeping one foot pressed against it on the inside.

"What the hell ?" I said, taking a step back, trying to think of a way to get out. Windows, find an open window ? —

But mostly I just hated him.

"How much did you mourn," Geoffrey asked, smiling gently, "thinking I was dead?"

You fucker, you killed Ozzie.

He was between me and the door, Maggs furiously howling outside.

"Did you miss me, Rose?" Geoffrey said. "I've been missing you for nineteen years."

I hate you, I hate you, I hate you.

"For nineteen years ," he said, as if I should feel sorry for him.

I hate you.

"Say something, Rose."

"You killed Ozzie."

He nodded. "I'm sorry about that, but I had had to. We can go away now. I'd waited so long. And Oz was so selfish about you. He wanted you and Poppy all to himself. I had to do it."

I took deep breaths, trying to think. Screaming "I hate you" would get me killed. Although screaming might bring help.

Betty. Fernanda.

Maggs was barking furiously outside the door.

"Come away with me," Geoffrey said. "I'll make you so happy. I'll be better for you than Oz ever was. Better than Max. Don't you see? I outsmarted him. I'm smarter than all of them."

"I loved Ozzie," I said. "And I love Max now."

"You can love me," he said. "I'm just like Max. But better because I'll stay with you forever. He's not so smart. I fooled him, didn't I? Sid just wanted your money, and Harvey would have hurt you, and Lionel would have slept with other women, and Max is going to leave you. They don't know what love is. I'm not like that. I love you ."

"I thought you were dead ," I said, playing for time.

Geoffrey nodded. "I'm sorry. That must have been painful for you. But I had to do it to be free. That was just an old body, from an old job."

"And you just happened to have it in the hearse?" I said, anger starting to smother fear and grief.

"Oh, no, once Max and Luke started coming for me, I got it out of my freezer and put it in the hearse. I knew Lionel would tell them where I was when I drove out." He sounded proud of himself, and I hated him. "And the charge to blow the gas tank, I did that, too. I'd had the autodrive system put in a while ago, but the guy did a lousy job. That Tesla was much easier to control."

"Why did you kill Melissa?" I asked, trying to buy time and figure a way out of this.

He shrugged. "Does it matter?" He refocused. "And now we're finally going to be together; after all these years, you'll finally have a man who deserves you, who takes care of you." He smiled at me. "I've waited for this moment for so long, Rose. We'll be together and happy and you'll love me. Only me."

"Wait a minute," I said, trying to deal with him on his level. "I can't leave Poppy now; she's still recovering from what Serena did to her and from finding out that Ozzie was murdered. And I need to help her get the shop going. And?—"

"No," Geoffrey said, sounding firm. "Darius will help Poppy?—"

"They broke up," I said, trying to sound equally firm. "She's dealing with PTSD and a broken heart and I can't leave her."

Geoffrey nodded. "Then we'll take her with us."

That's when I realized Geoffrey was even crazier than I'd thought.

"I don't think going on the lam is going to be good for her mental health, Geoffrey," I said, trying to sound rational.

"Well, we can't stay here, Rose," he said, sounding equally rational. "Things have changed. Come on, let's go."

"I don't think—" I began carefully.

Geoffrey took a gun out of his jacket. "I don't like firearms, Rose, but if I have to shoot you in a limb to make you amenable, I will."

"Well, we can't have that," I said and started toward him.