“I hate the idea of him carrying a gun!” Mom was verging on hysteria.
“He’s just the kind of man who should.” Of course he would never have gone after Jerry Hegland. Not Colin, a man whose sense of honor was as much a part of him as was his protective nature—and his willingness to do anything for her, the sister who had rebuffed him over and over. In that moment, Cait would have given anything to take back the words she’d spoken so unthinkingly to him.
“You don’t know him, Mom.”
“I can only pray you’re right,” she said stiffly.
Mom wasn’t going to accept that she could have been wrong about Colin. Maybe she couldn’t, not and live with herself.
“I am,” Cait said. “Listen, I called mostly to let you know where I am, but there’s something else.” She hesitated. “When I first got here, I ran into Jerry Hegland.”
“Jerry?” her mother whispered.
“He hadn’t changed that much. It was more of a surprise that he knew me.”
“I don’t understand. How could he possibly have recognized you?” She sounded stunned.
“Well, it’s not like we ran into each other in Seattle where there wouldn’t have been any context. Colin’s in the news all the time. It would be logical that I’d be in town once in a while.” She took a deep breath. “Mom, Jerry is dead. That’s what I wanted to tell you. He was murdered a couple of weeks ago.”
“Dear God.”
“I’m sorry.”
“I haven’t seen the man in eighteen years.” Her mother’s voice had risen. “Why you think you even have to tell me—”
“I remembered what he wrote in that note, Mom. About how you were wrong in what you were thinking about him. And, well, I can’t help wondering if you found out he was involved in something illegal. This wasn’t a murder in the middle of a burglary or anything like that. It was more of an execution. Right now, the police have no idea what the motive could have been.”
“I don’t know anything,” her mother said. “And I don’t appreciate you suggesting that I might. You completely misunderstood what he meant.”
“What did he mean?” Cait asked softly.
“What does it matter to you anyway? This is ancient history and none of your business. If all you’re going to do is grill me, I’ll say good-night right now.”
“Mom, why would you keep his secrets?”
“How dare you?” her mother cried and hung up.
After a moment, Cait did the same, carefully placing her phone on the end table. She felt… Oh, she hardly knew. Shaken.
Colin moved into sight, sitting in the recliner facing her. His eyes were kind. “Didn’t go so well?”
Cait drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. “It was weird.” She bit her lip. “Did it bother you? Listening to me talk to her?”
“I didn’t like hearing you sound upset. Otherwise…” He shook his head. “I don’t relate much to the idea of her being my mother anymore. If I tried, I could stir up a little anger, and that’s about all.” He smiled. “Thank you for defending me.”
“I meant it. I feel dumb that it’s taken me this many years to realize how much I let her influence my memories of you. I don’t know if she was really scared of you or not. I guess she must have been. What I do know is that she can’t let herself conceive that she might have been wrong to leave you behind. So she has to keep bolstering her belief that you were just like Dad.”
He nodded. “Human nature.”
“Yes.” She was silent for a moment, and then met his eyes. “You heard me ask her about Jerry.”
He waited.
“She lied. I think she did learn something about him, but I doubt she’ll ever admit it.”
Her brother was silent for a while, his brows knit as he thought. He finally shrugged. “What if she thought she’d found a great guy? Planned to leave Dad for him? And then it turns out he’s a crook. She’s O and two. She doesn’t want you to know that.”
“Or maybe she doesn’t want to know that.”