I SEE YOU an unputdownable psychological thriller with a breathtaking twist by PATRICIA MACDONALD (fb2 epub reader .TXT) 📕

my old supervisor. She didn’t want to hear it. She said they didn’t fire me because of him. They said I lost my job for . . . other reasons.’

Hannah could feel her anger building. Obviously, her mother was delighted to have discovered this connection between Christina Shelton’s aide and Lisa’s trial. She had been called here to bear witness to Pamela’s cleverness in putting the two together. She felt overwhelmed by exhaustion and out of patience with her mother. This was not some kind of parlor game called ‘Make the Connection’. Then, suddenly, she thought of a way to aggravate her mother, and couldn’t resist using it. ‘Well, his job’s open now. You might be able to get your old job back.’

Wynonna shook her head. ‘No, as it happens, I’m very happy taking care of Mrs Shelton. She’s so good to me. So, in a way, maybe it was just as well. Nobody at that hospital wanted to know about it. I even told your daughter about it.’

Hannah’s heart skipped a sickening beat. ‘My daughter?’

‘Yes. When she was here one day visiting her grandmother. Mrs Hardcastle brought her over to the hospital to meet Mrs Shelton.’ Wynonna smiled shyly at Pamela. ‘You was so proud of her, being a child genius and all, and going to medical school at Vandy. Who wouldn’t be? Anyway, when I heard from Mrs Hardcastle that your daughter worked at Vandy, I told her all about it. Lisa, right? I told Lisa all about Troy Petty. I figured she would want to know about this guy, in case she ran into him, you know?’

‘You told Lisa,’ Hannah said slowly. ‘When was this?’

Wynonna frowned and looked skyward, waggling the fingers on one hand. ‘Last winter. At your birthday,’ she said, smiling at Pamela. ‘She came to bring Mrs Hardcastle her birthday present. You remember that?’

Pamela nodded.

‘That was nine months ago,’ said Hannah. ‘You’re saying that Lisa has known about this for nine months?’ She glanced at her mother. Pamela was watching her with a certain cold satisfaction.

Wynonna nodded. ‘I never will understand why she started dating that guy. I mean, young girls do like a bad boy. I know that. I was young once too. And maybe he just charmed her. I don’t know. All I can figure is that she didn’t believe me, and had to find out for herself. And I guess she did find out. After all, she ended up killing him, didn’t she?’

‘No. She did not,’ snapped Hannah.

Wynonna suddenly adopted a more reserved tone. ‘I shouldn’t have said that. I’m truly sorry. It’s innocent till proven guilty. This is America, after all.’

Hannah could see her own hand shaking on the arm of the sofa. ‘That’s right. And I’ll thank you not to say that again.’

Wynonna turned to Pamela apologetically. ‘I’m so sorry. I misspoke.’

‘That’s all right, Wynonna,’ said Pamela. ‘You’re just the messenger.’

For some reason she could not explain, Hannah was simply furious with her mother. She refused to accompany her back to her apartment. She abruptly asked a passing aide to do the honors and slipped out into the night.

All the way home, her heart was pounding. Lisa knew about Troy Petty all along? She knew, and yet she let Sydney spend time alone with him? She couldn’t get her mind around it. It had to be a mistake. But there was no room for that in Wynonna’s account. Hannah knew that she had to tell Adam but she could not bear the thought of his face, the look in his eyes when he heard this.

She went inside, trudging as if on the road to Calvary. When she opened the back door, she found Adam was on the phone.

‘OK. That’s great,’ he said. ‘Give Chet our very best. Tell him we’ll come by and see him soon.’

He hung up the phone and turned to Hannah with a smile. She tried to force a smile onto her own face.

‘That was Rayanne,’ he said. ‘Chet’s out of the woods.’

‘That’s great,’ said Hannah.

Adam frowned at her. ‘What happened?’

‘Where is Sydney?’

‘Already in bed. Tell me. You’re white as a ghost.’

Hannah shook her head and sat down.

‘Do you want something? Tea? Something a bit stiffer?’

‘Whiskey,’ Hannah said. ‘Just pour me a shot.’

Adam frowned but did as she asked. He handed it to her. Hannah took a sip of the searing liquid and grimaced.

‘That’s my girl,’ Adam said, smiling briefly. ‘Now tell me. What did my dear mother-in-law say that got you so upset?’

Hannah shook her head, and then angrily wiped her eyes.

‘Come on. You’re scaring me,’ Adam said.

‘Oh, God, Adam. She knew. Wynonna said that Lisa knew.’

‘Back up. Who is Wynonna? What did Lisa know?’

Hannah took a deep breath and then started to explain. When she was done, Adam sat very still.

‘So, if this woman is to be believed, Lisa knew that Troy was an accused child molester around the time when she started dating him.’

‘Yes,’ said Hannah. ‘Wynonna has no reason to lie about this. Adam, Lisa told Tiffany at the daycare that Troy had her permission to pick up Sydney. How is this possible, knowing what he was accused of? Oh, God.’

Adam held up a hand. ‘Now wait. Wait. Let’s not jump to conclusions. First of all, we have to assume that Lisa would never have done that. We have to assume that there’s some explanation. We have to start from that assumption.’

Hannah was about to protest and then she stopped. She looked gratefully at her husband. ‘You’re right. We do have to start from there.’ All their married life, when a problem confounded her, she looked to him for help. He was logical. A clear thinker. He was calm. He never descended into hysterics. She looked to him now, willing him to arrive at some justification