Baltimore [3.5] Broken Silence by Karen Rose Read Free Book Online Page B

approved. She was sad that she hadn’t been a real wife to him for so long, because of the pregnancy and then the disease. She knew he had needs. Asked me to fulfill them. I was happy to, even offered, but he wouldn’t. He was devastated that he’d cheated on her even that one time. So there was nothing to blackmail. No dirty secrets. Just one bout of hot, sweaty sex with the blessing of his dying wife,’ she finished bitterly.
    A muscle ticked in his taut cheek. ‘I should have gutted him before I killed him.’
    That’s when Amber knew she wouldn’t be as lucky as Misha Smirnov. ‘This road becomes very busy in less than a mile. If you’re going to do this, you need to do it now.’
    Brock stared dead ahead, twisting the steering wheel viciously. She thought he’d bail on her. And then he gunned it and the Mercedes shot forward like a rocket.
    Tuesday, December 24, 11:50 A.M.
    Daphne sat at Maggie’s desk, staring at the guitar case. Several times she reached out to touch it and changed her mind. Finally Maggie returned after putting the pony back in its stall.
    ‘Jump in a cold pool, Daphne,’ Maggie said briskly and opened the case.
    Daphne’s eyes filled with tears at the sight of the gleaming wood. Her fingers trembled as she brushed the strings, no longer taut. ‘He’d sit on the porch at night and play his guitar and sing “Edelweiss.” It was my lullaby. Before all the bad things happened, we were happy.’
    ‘I know. Your mother told me about it. Do you want me to read the letter?’
    ‘Please.’
    Maggie cleared her throat.
    ‘Dear Daphne, if you get this letter, I wasn’t able to prove my suspicions. Everyone thinks that I hurt your cousin and that I hurt you. That’s not true. I’d die before I’d harm one hair on your precious head. I’m pretty sure I know who did it, though. If I can’t prove it, I plan to run because otherwise I’ll go to jail. Either way, I’ll miss seeing you grow up. I want you to have a piece of my heart. Play it often and remember how much I love you.
    Love, Dad.’
    Daphne covered her mouth, her tears rolling freely. In her own eight-year-old childish way she’d tried to tell everyone the truth about who’d committed an act so heinous it had robbed her of speech. But her message wasn’t understood and her father had been blamed by the community. ‘He left that night to find the killer and instead he got killed himself.’
    Maggie stroked her hair, just as she’d done all those years ago. Just as Daphne had stroked Svetlana’s hair today. Then from a drawer, Maggie pulled an ancient cassette tape player. ‘Yes?’
    ‘Yes,’ Daphne said through her tears.
    Maggie popped the cassette in the player. And then Daphne couldn’t breathe. It was her father’s voice accompanied by his guitar, singing ‘Edelweiss.’ He’d left her a lullaby.
    She put her head on the desk and cried until she felt her head would explode, but her soul felt cleansed. Shuddering out a sigh, she sat up to find Maggie watching her with compassion.
    ‘You know what?’ Daphne asked, sniffling. ‘After all this time, all the terrible things that happened back when I was eight and then two weeks ago . . . It’s like I’d been wandering around and around in the darkness and I finally found the way out.’ She stroked her finger across the gleaming wood of the guitar. ‘You were a torch, Maggie. You helped light my way.’
    ‘It was one of the highlights of my life, helping you find your way.’
    ‘Heidi says there aren’t enough equine therapy facilities for the demand. I think we should change that. I think we should help kids find their way. We should start a program here. Now. I’ve got the land. I’ve got the money to buy the horses. I know lots of my ex’s rich friends who’d donate to sponsor kids. We’d need therapists and a director. Would you be the director?’
    Now Maggie’s eyes filled. ‘It would be the second best highlight of my life.’
    ‘Then we need