When You Dare
Page 124
Dare smoothed back her hair, cupped her jaw. “George’s cell phone rang a little bit ago. It was Bishop. He got a full confession from Kathi.”
Her thoughts went blank. “Dad called?”
“Yeah. He said that the cops are at his house right now.” Dare rubbed her shoulder. “He wanted to warn you, honey, and calling George’s phone was the only way he knew to maybe reach us.”
Molly struggled to assimilate all that. “You don’t look surprised.”
“No.”
And then she remembered. “I heard what you said to George. You knew it was Kathi, didn’t you?”
“After talking with them, I thought she was probably involved. Bishop apparently thought so, too. That’s why he said he wanted to check into things.”
Dare explained to her about the postmark, the way Kathi spoke so familiarly of Mark Sagan, and how protective she was of Bishop.
“What I didn’t know, George gladly filled in.”
“Gladly, huh?”
He shrugged. “I’m sorry, Molly. Kathi wanted to make you understand her idea of morality, that you protect what you have, or you lose it. No room for mistakes, no room for human error.”
Thinking aloud, she whispered, “The character that I redeemed…”
“In Kathi’s mind, there is no redemption. There’s only the perfect appearance.” His thumb brushed the corner of her mouth. “I guess she figured if you were going to find fame, it had to be with her moral code, with characters she approved of.”
“I wonder if she ever really enjoyed my work, or if she just read it to keep tabs on me.” It made sense, because the minute her popularity really bloomed, Kathi took action against her.
Dare bent to put a soft kiss on her lips. “According to George, she never intended to kill you. She just wanted to throw off the movie deal. Once the opportunity was lost, she was going to have you released.”
A rush of anger shot through Molly. “I might not have survived that long!”
As if that thought hurt him, Dare briefly closed his eyes.
Refusing to dwell on her stepmother’s deviousness, Molly let her thoughts skip ahead to other details. “She and George…?”
“They were having an affair. But George wasn’t the only one. Kathi was sleeping with Sagan, too.”
“So you were right about that.” It amazed Molly, how much Dare had figured out, how he’d put the puzzle pieces together.
“That’s how Kathi arranged everything. When George found out, he had this sick need to prove himself to her.”
Not being a dummy, Molly guessed, “By killing Sagan?”
“His death would take care of any evidence against Kathi, and remove Sagan as a threat to her or to Bishop. But George was in way over his head. If I hadn’t busted him now…”
“Sagan would have had him murdered.”
“That’s about it.” Footsteps sounded in the hallway, and Dare stood, bringing Molly up with him.
“Kathi never would have left Dad for a hired guard.”
“George was okay with carrying on an affair. He said she was worth it.” Dare’s mouth twisted. “But he was also financially compensated.”
“So money was a better motive than love.”
“She paid him with her own allowance, which I gather is substantial.”
“It is.” Kathi had often bragged about the extravagances Bishop lavished on her. He wanted his wife to wear the best of everything, drive the best…be the best. The irony gave her no satisfaction. “I guess Dad was devastated?”
Dare scowled. “A little numb.”
“I understand that.”
“Thing is,” Dare said, “at least now he’ll be alive. If for no other reason than to clean up loose ends, Sagan would have killed him after he got rid of Kathi and George.”
“Dear God.” Abhorrence left her feeling sick. “So much scheming.”
“All of it centered around your stepmother.” Dare lifted her chin. “I don’t get it. She’s attractive enough, but she’s nothing special, so why these men were so anxious to win her over—”
“Under the circumstances, you hardly saw the best of her. Most of the time, she’s a charming hostess.” For as long as Molly could remember, she’d enjoyed her stepmother’s company more than her father’s.
“I saw the real her. That’s what everyone should see.” He kissed her, and that felt so good, so real and honest, that Molly didn’t want it to ever end.
Sliding his hand into her wet hair, Dare ignored the uniformed officer now standing there watching. “Outside earlier… I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.”
“You had a lot on your mind.” She touched his jaw. “I’m sorry that I punched you.”
Half smiling, Dare put his forehead to hers. “I couldn’t look at you, honey. I knew you were scared, and as much as I needed to separate from everything that had just happened, and how I felt about it, I knew I couldn’t, not if I saw how those bastards had affected you.” He kissed her again, harder this time.
The officer cleared her throat.
“Give us a minute,” Dare said.
Annoyed, she hesitated, then gave one sharp nod. “Make it fast.”
Dare gathered Molly closer. “You need to understand something.”
Her heart started thundering, and her breath felt trapped in her lungs.
Her thoughts went blank. “Dad called?”
“Yeah. He said that the cops are at his house right now.” Dare rubbed her shoulder. “He wanted to warn you, honey, and calling George’s phone was the only way he knew to maybe reach us.”
Molly struggled to assimilate all that. “You don’t look surprised.”
“No.”
And then she remembered. “I heard what you said to George. You knew it was Kathi, didn’t you?”
“After talking with them, I thought she was probably involved. Bishop apparently thought so, too. That’s why he said he wanted to check into things.”
Dare explained to her about the postmark, the way Kathi spoke so familiarly of Mark Sagan, and how protective she was of Bishop.
“What I didn’t know, George gladly filled in.”
“Gladly, huh?”
He shrugged. “I’m sorry, Molly. Kathi wanted to make you understand her idea of morality, that you protect what you have, or you lose it. No room for mistakes, no room for human error.”
Thinking aloud, she whispered, “The character that I redeemed…”
“In Kathi’s mind, there is no redemption. There’s only the perfect appearance.” His thumb brushed the corner of her mouth. “I guess she figured if you were going to find fame, it had to be with her moral code, with characters she approved of.”
“I wonder if she ever really enjoyed my work, or if she just read it to keep tabs on me.” It made sense, because the minute her popularity really bloomed, Kathi took action against her.
Dare bent to put a soft kiss on her lips. “According to George, she never intended to kill you. She just wanted to throw off the movie deal. Once the opportunity was lost, she was going to have you released.”
A rush of anger shot through Molly. “I might not have survived that long!”
As if that thought hurt him, Dare briefly closed his eyes.
Refusing to dwell on her stepmother’s deviousness, Molly let her thoughts skip ahead to other details. “She and George…?”
“They were having an affair. But George wasn’t the only one. Kathi was sleeping with Sagan, too.”
“So you were right about that.” It amazed Molly, how much Dare had figured out, how he’d put the puzzle pieces together.
“That’s how Kathi arranged everything. When George found out, he had this sick need to prove himself to her.”
Not being a dummy, Molly guessed, “By killing Sagan?”
“His death would take care of any evidence against Kathi, and remove Sagan as a threat to her or to Bishop. But George was in way over his head. If I hadn’t busted him now…”
“Sagan would have had him murdered.”
“That’s about it.” Footsteps sounded in the hallway, and Dare stood, bringing Molly up with him.
“Kathi never would have left Dad for a hired guard.”
“George was okay with carrying on an affair. He said she was worth it.” Dare’s mouth twisted. “But he was also financially compensated.”
“So money was a better motive than love.”
“She paid him with her own allowance, which I gather is substantial.”
“It is.” Kathi had often bragged about the extravagances Bishop lavished on her. He wanted his wife to wear the best of everything, drive the best…be the best. The irony gave her no satisfaction. “I guess Dad was devastated?”
Dare scowled. “A little numb.”
“I understand that.”
“Thing is,” Dare said, “at least now he’ll be alive. If for no other reason than to clean up loose ends, Sagan would have killed him after he got rid of Kathi and George.”
“Dear God.” Abhorrence left her feeling sick. “So much scheming.”
“All of it centered around your stepmother.” Dare lifted her chin. “I don’t get it. She’s attractive enough, but she’s nothing special, so why these men were so anxious to win her over—”
“Under the circumstances, you hardly saw the best of her. Most of the time, she’s a charming hostess.” For as long as Molly could remember, she’d enjoyed her stepmother’s company more than her father’s.
“I saw the real her. That’s what everyone should see.” He kissed her, and that felt so good, so real and honest, that Molly didn’t want it to ever end.
Sliding his hand into her wet hair, Dare ignored the uniformed officer now standing there watching. “Outside earlier… I’m sorry if I hurt your feelings.”
“You had a lot on your mind.” She touched his jaw. “I’m sorry that I punched you.”
Half smiling, Dare put his forehead to hers. “I couldn’t look at you, honey. I knew you were scared, and as much as I needed to separate from everything that had just happened, and how I felt about it, I knew I couldn’t, not if I saw how those bastards had affected you.” He kissed her again, harder this time.
The officer cleared her throat.
“Give us a minute,” Dare said.
Annoyed, she hesitated, then gave one sharp nod. “Make it fast.”
Dare gathered Molly closer. “You need to understand something.”
Her heart started thundering, and her breath felt trapped in her lungs.
