Secrets in the Attic (Secrets 1)

I did, and we drove off with Daddy standing there still beaming after us. Jesse didn't drive fast, but it felt fast with the wind blowing through my hair. It was a beautiful car, and for a few precious minutes, we both forgot all our troubles.

"He's a good guy," Jesse said, slowing down to cruise for a while. "We don't deserve him."

More than ever, I believed that now, but all that did was make me sadder. Daddy had gone into the house before we returned. He stepped out again when we drove in.

"Well?"

"I got a feeling you bought this for yourself, Dad," Jesse teased.

"Your mother accused me of the same thing, but someone has to break it in. We'll do it together this summer," he added. "Come on in. I want to talk to you both." It had an ominous ring to it Jesse glanced at me, and we followed Daddy into the house and into the living room. He sat in his chair.

"What's up?" Jesse asked.

I sat on the sofa, and he followed.

"I received a phone call while you were taking the ride."

"Oh. And?"

"The police went to Karen's mother's house after Zipporah's second interview. There was no way Harry's mother could have been living in any apartment behind the house. There was an unfinished room, but there was no bathroom or any kitchen connections. Darlene Pearson said her mother-in-law had her own room in the house, the biggest bedroom, arid never moved out. She had a stroke, and for a while there was a nurse. "I wondered if Karen meant Harry went to that bedroom, of course."

"Sure, she could have meant that, right, Zipporah?" Jesse asked me.

I didn't reply. There was no confusion about it in my mind. Karen was specific about there being an apartment. She even talked about listening at the door.

Jesse was disappointed by my silence but tried to ignore it. "Did you ask about the crime scene?" "What is it you expected us to learn, Jesse?"

"I just wondered if there was anything to support the story," he said, and glanced at me.

"They found Harry Pearson's body. They found the knife That was it, Jess."

"Maybe Darlene Pearson cleaned up the room before the police arrived," Jesse suggested. "Covering up what had happened, what she didn't prevent."

I felt how hard he was struggling to support what Karen had told me and him

"Cover up? Like what? What was there to cover up? Harry was dead on the floor."

"Harry's mother's wig or something?"

"Why would Harry's mother's wig be in that room? Are you suggesting that Harry wore his mother's wig? You're taking the Psycho thing a bit far, aren't you? Isn't it a little on the incredible side to believe Darlene Pearson would tolerate such a state of affairs? Even if she wasn't worried for Karen, she would be worried for herself. Anyone would."

Jesse looked down.

"You guys know more than you're telling me," Daddy said.

Neither of us denied it.

Daddy leaned forward. "Holding back any information is a crime. You've been told that, Zipporah, and you know it, Jess. I'm not bothered by that as much as I am discovering you guys didn't trust me with the information."

Jesse couldn't raise his eyes. The silence was tearing at both our hearts.

"It's not his fault. It's mine," I blurted.

"What is?"

Jesse looked at me and shook his head, but I knew the time had come. Daddy had warned me that keeping the truth down wasn't easy.

"I spoke with Karen right after she stabbed her stepfather," I began.