She sucked in a breath. “That’s not really for me to say.”
“Was it my Uncle William?” I asked bluntly.
Fear filled her eyes.
“I heard my parents arguing about him, and I remember him being around before Mom’s murder but not after. Did my father kill him too?”
“What? No. Will . . .” She paused. “When he found out that he was likely your father, he fled. Moved to Maine and changed his name. That was a few weeks before Mary Caroline’s accident.”
“What did he change it to?” I asked.
“I haven’t the slightest idea.”
“I don’t believe you.”
She held my gaze. “Caroline, you need to let that man go. He let your mother go long before Randall discovered the truth.”
“Did my mother know William was my biological father?”
“She always suspected, but I think she convinced herself that you were Randall’s. Until she found out that he was sterile.”
“We’re going to need any information you have about William,” Marco said in a no-nonsense tone.
She snorted in disgust. “Nothing good will come from talking to William Blakely.”
“We’ll be the judge of that,” Marco said, then turned to me. “Carly, do you have any more questions?”
I shook my head. I’d heard enough.
“Thank you for your time, Ms. Olson,” Marco said as he got to his feet. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a business card as I got up beside him. “My number and email address are on there.” He handed the card to Tiffany. “I’d appreciate it if you’d send what you have right away. Obviously, we’d also appreciate it if you’d keep silent about meetin’ Carly. I think it’s obvious to state that you could endanger her life if you let Randall Blakely know her whereabouts.”
She stood, glancing between the two of us. “At least tell me why he wants her dead. He’s known she wasn’t biologically his for years. Why hurt her now?”
“Those details are better kept quiet for now.”
She frowned at me. “Where are you going? Back to Hensen County?” Grabbing my arm, she said, “Stay here with me. You can stay at my house, and I’ll hire security to protect you. Randall’s already looked for you here, and he knows I was clueless.”
“No, thank—” I started to decline her offer, but Marco interrupted.
“Carly, can I speak with you for a moment?”
I gave him a confused look and followed him toward the glass doors.
He cupped my upper arm as he lowered his face next to mine, whispering, “Maybe you should stay here with her.”
My heart felt like it was being ripped out of my chest. “You want me to stay here?”
Agony filled his eyes. “No. I don’t want you to stay here, but back in Drum you not only have to worry about your father but also people like Bingham and Bart Drummond.”
“You think I’ll be safer here.”
“That’s just it. I don’t know. But there’s no doubt that Tiffany has more resources to protect you than I do.”
My panic rose because I could see how he would think that.
“Don’t you dare leave me here, Marco. I’m not helpless. I have you, and Max, and Hank. I have protection.”
Plus, though I couldn’t put it into words, something felt off with Tiffany. I wasn’t one hundred percent certain I could trust her.
“This is your way out of Drum, Carly,” he said insistently. “Your way out of a crappy job in a crappy town. Tiffany probably lives in an even nicer house than when you last stayed with her. A mansion, I’ll bet. You’ll be more comfortable staying there until this is resolved.”
Tears stung my eyes. Did he think I was that shallow? “Do you think I give a shit about any of that? I grew up in a mansion, Marco, and I was absolutely miserable. If you knew anything about me, you’d know that.”
His hand tightened on my arm. “Don’t say that, Care. I know you were, but you deserve so much better than what you have right now.”
“See, that’s where you’re wrong. I never had love in my father’s house, but I have it in Drum. I need love and friendship more than I need protection.”
“But Tiffany—”
“I’m coming home with you, Marco.” A lump filled my throat. “Don’t you want me to come home with you?” I had worried I wasn’t ready to live with him, but in that moment I realized I’d been wrong. Or maybe I’d just been scared.
“I—” His voice broke, his eyes pleading with me. “I can’t imagine going home without you, but I also want to do everything I can to protect you.”
I steeled my back. “I’m going home with you.”
His resolve wavered and his mouth lifted into a wobbly smile. “Okay.”
But he didn’t sound confident that he’d made the right choice.
I turned back to Tiffany. “I’ll be going back to Hensen County. We would appreciate it if you sent everything you have on my father to the address Marco just gave you.”
Disappointment filled her eyes, but she nodded. “I respect your decision. I promise to have everything sent this afternoon. But Caroline, before you go, could I have a few minutes alone with you?”
Marco gave me a questioning look. When I nodded, he walked over to the coffee table and picked up his phone. He crossed to the door, glancing back at me. “I’ll wait for you by the elevator.”
I mouthed thank you, and he walked out of the office.
“Come,” she said, moving over to the sofa. She sat and patted the space next to her.
I did as she’d requested, sitting next to her. She took my hand and cradled it between both of hers. “Let me look at you.” She touched a lock of my hair. “You’ve always been blonde.”
“I colored it.”
“You should consider going back. Your mother had beautiful blond hair. I think it would suit you better.” When I stared at her, unsure how to respond, she smiled and smoothed my hair back from my face. “Sorry. This is my profession. Sometimes it’s hard to keep my opinions to myself.”
I smiled but still didn’t say anything.
“Your mother would be so proud of you. You’re such a beautiful girl. Randall said you were a third-grade teacher at the school you attended as a girl.”
This conversation felt surreal. We were talking about another lifetime. Another person. “That’s right.”
She stroked the side of my head. “I should have done a better job of watching over you. Mary Caroline would be so disappointed in me.”
Did she feel guilty? Did she want me to absolve her? Maybe I didn’t distrust her. Maybe I was just pissed as hell. She’d suspected my father had killed three people, yet she’d left me in his clutches.
Still, I had to remember that she’d had no legal standing against my father, and apparently, she’d made multiple attempts to contact me. Maybe I wasn’t being fair. “I’m sure you did what you thought was right.”
“But that’s not much consolation now, is it? Not if you went through hell.”
“There’s nothing to be done about it now,” I said, suddenly exhausted and ready to get out of here. “We can’t change anything. We can only go forward.”