‘It wasn’t even two days later,’ Mercy remembered. ‘We were in shock, Amos and I. I thought Mama was too, but now I can see it was grief. She’d left Gideon at the Redding bus station, clinging to life. The Founding Elders said that Gideon had run away after killing Edward because he was lazy – Gideon, I mean. They said he’d died. Waylon brought back remains.’ She had to take a second to rebuild her composure because the image was still crystal clear in her mind. ‘They made us look. It was a person, but I couldn’t identify him as Gideon.’
Gideon gasped quietly. ‘They made you look?’
She nodded, her cheeks wet. She made no move to dry her eyes. There didn’t seem to be much point when her tears were running like a damn river. ‘Mama and me. I . . .’ She exhaled, trying to calm her churning stomach through sheer will. ‘Mama said it was Gideon.’
Farrah made a pained noise. ‘She lied?’
Mercy nodded. ‘Looking back, I think it was so that Ephraim would believe that Gideon was dead so he didn’t go searching for him. The body . . . the remains . . . there was a tattoo. An Eden tattoo. Or part of one. He’d been torn apart, whoever he was.’ She turned to Rafe. ‘Let’s add that person to our list of people who need justice. He wasn’t from Eden. Gideon was the only one missing from the compound. I never even considered it before now. Never could make myself remember it. But somebody died that night. I can only assume that Waylon kidnapped someone and made it look like he’d been “devoured by wolves”.’ She crooked her fingers, then explained to the others. ‘That’s what happened to dissenters. They were cast out of Eden, to be “devoured by wolves” or bears or whatever.’
‘How often did that happen?’ Tom asked. He was taking notes on a tablet that looked like a tiny Post-it note in his big hands. Somehow him taking notes made this easier. Like it was someone else’s life story.
No, it isn’t. It’s my story. And Gideon’s. They hadn’t asked for this. They hadn’t done anything wrong. A thought struck her and she narrowed her eyes. ‘Did you write down the part about Gideon accidentally killing Edward McPhearson?’
Tom met her gaze directly. ‘No. Although if I had, no one would come after Gideon. It was self-defense. But I’ll let you read my notes when I’m finished if that will help.’
Mercy nodded once. ‘It would. Three times that I remember, to answer your question. Members of Eden turned up either as remains – usually recognizable – or were buried outside the compound if there weren’t enough remains to bring back. Gideon was the only one I remember of the three whose supposed body was not recognizable.’
‘I also remember three. Two of them might be the same as Mercy remembers, but one was when I was only five years old. We’d only just arrived then, so I’m sure you don’t remember that one, Merce.’
‘No. The first I remember was when I was four years old.’
Gideon nodded. ‘So, during our total time in Eden, four times, including me.’
Daisy growled and Brutus popped her little head up out of the bag Daisy always wore. ‘It’s okay, girl,’ Daisy murmured, petting the animal.
Mercy wished desperately that she had Rory in her own lap. Her cat always knew when she needed comfort. But Rafe still held her hand and that was definitely helping.
‘So Waylon died two days after Gideon supposedly ran away and was found dead,’ Tom said. ‘When in reality, he’d facilitated Gideon’s escape.’
‘Yes,’ Mercy confirmed. ‘I don’t know what DJ told people about me.’
Tom tilted his head. ‘And your mother?’
Mercy drew a shuddering breath, the words freezing on her tongue. ‘I . . .’ Rafe put his arm around her and drew her close. She pressed her forehead to his upper arm, suddenly struggling to breathe. ‘Give me a minute.’
‘Want me to say it?’ Rafe whispered. ‘No one will think less of you if you can’t say it.’
I would, she thought. Mama deserves to have this story told. Again she braced herself and told Tom, ‘DJ killed my mother. In front of me.’
‘Oh.’ It was a small cry from Zoya, full of hurt. ‘I’m so sorry.’
She patted Zoya’s hand, the young woman’s guileless concern like a balm. ‘Thanks, hon.’ She turned back to Tom. ‘He took us to the Redding bus station, grabbed me from the back of his truck, and dumped me on the parking lot. I couldn’t move. I was . . . hurt. And sick with fever. I had an infection.’
‘Because of Ephraim,’ Gideon gritted out, his hands clenched into fists. ‘Sonofabitch.’
Mercy didn’t have the emotional energy to comfort him at the moment, but luckily Daisy’s small dog did, licking the knuckles of his fist. Gideon choked back what had probably been a sob, taking Brutus from Daisy to cuddle against his own chest.
The sight made Mercy smile. And gave her the push to finish the story. ‘DJ told me Brother Ephraim was coming and that just . . . froze me. He’d told Mama to stay in the back of the truck, but she ran to me, just as DJ pulled out his gun.’ She focused on Gideon as if he were the only one in the room, because he should have been. She should have told him this story when they were alone. When he could cry if he wanted. But then she understood that here, with his family and people he trusted, was the perfect place to tell him. They’d comfort him, even if she didn’t have any comfort left to give by the time she was finished.
‘Mama threw herself on top of me,’ she told her brother. ‘Tried to protect me. Said, “You promised!” But DJ laughed. He said, “I promised to get you out. I never promised to let you live.” Then he pulled her off me and shot me.’ She touched her abdomen, where she still had an ugly scar. ‘Mama was screaming, but no one was there to hear us. He shot her next, in the same place. She fell, telling DJ that Ephraim would kill him for this, but he just laughed again.’ She closed her eyes, for the first time allowing her conscious mind to replay the moment without interruption. She knew it by heart, because her sleeping mind replayed it all the time. ‘He said, “No, he won’t. He never does. He can’t”.’
Tom was typing on his tablet, his eyes never leaving her face. ‘And then?’
She pressed her lips together. Just a little bit more. ‘He told me to watch. And he shot her in the head.’ She touched her temple. ‘Here. Then he threw her back into the truck bed.’ She became aware of wetness on her neck and realized it was Rafe. He’d buried his face there and he was crying too, and suddenly she needed this to be over. ‘And then he left.’
Everyone was silent until Tom cleared his throat. ‘He . . . left you there?’ he finally asked.