The door swung open. A pimply-faced officer with big ears stood on the other side, Cherry directly behind him.

"Cherry?" Hunter said, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"Dad needs our help. Inside," she ordered the officer, nudging him forward.

With a gun, Hunter saw. A big gun. A .357 Magnum, long barrel. He returned his gaze to hers. "You

really know how to use that?"

"I'm not dignifying that with an answer." She grabbed his arm with her free hand. "Come on, we need to get out of here."

She pulled him through the door, slamming and locking it behind him. She pocketed the key. The officer

began pounding on the door.

"What the hell's going on?"

"We'll talk in the car." She hurried forward. "Sammy there was manning the station alone, but the patrol

guys are going to be checking in soon."

"What time is it?"

"Eight-thirty."

"I've been locked in that room since early this morning, I need to use the John."

"Make it quick."

She was waiting for him when he emerged moments later. Wordlessly, they went to her car and climbed

in. His mother sat in the back seat. She had been crying: her eyes were red and swollen, her skin blotchy.

She looked on the verge of falling apart.

He glanced over at Cherry. "Somebody better start talking, fast."

Cherry pulled away from the curb. "Dad said if we didn't hear from him by eight, to come and get you."

"Get me? What was I doing there?"

"He wanted you to be somewhere safe. He figured locked up at the CSPD was about as safe as he

could find."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Matt's the one," she said. "And he's got Avery."

CHAPTER 55.

"The one?" Hunter moved his gaze between the two women. "What do you mean?"

"The one who killed Elaine St. Claire and Trudy Pruitt." Cherry's voice shook. "He killed Avery's dad as

well. At least, we think so. Dad told us before he went after them."

"I didn't know," Lilah whispered. "I thought...all these years, I thought I killed Sallie Waguespack. And now-" her voice broke "-and now I wish I had."

"It's not your fault," Cherry murmured. "You didn't know what he had become, neither did I."

Hunter struggled to come to grips with what they were saying. Struggled not to give in to panic. "What's

he become? I don't understand. What did you have to do with Sallie Waguespack's death?"

Lilah met his eyes. "I better start at the beginning."

She told him about his father's affair, Buddy's lover's pregnancy. About going there to plead for her

husband.

And about what followed.

"Until tonight, I thought I'd killed her. Buddy...he kept that secret from everyone."

"When people began dying, he reasoned the deaths away," Cherry interjected. "He accepted them as

accidents and suicides because...the other was unthinkable.

"Avery forced him to reevaluate," his sister continued. "Her questions. Her unshaking belief that her father hadn't killed himself. Then, when Trudy Pruitt was killed-"

"He was forced to admit what was happening," Hunter said. "That everybody involved in the cover-up

had croaked. Except him."

"And Matt." She flexed her fingers on the steering wheel. "He knew for certain today, when he learned about Avery's mother's journals. That's why Matt set the house on fire."

"Slow down. Avery's mother journaled-"

"Every day since she was a teenager," Lilah said. "Avery called about them the other day, wondering if I had any idea what happened to her mother's journals. I mentioned the call to Matt."

Cherry took over. "Avery found the journals. Her mother wrote about The Seven. And Sallie

Waguespack being pregnant. Somehow Matt found out and torched her house to destroy the evidence.

And now, Gwen Lancaster's missing."

Lilah moaned. "That poor girl. I tried to warn her. I called...was going to meet her...try to convince her to go. Buddy overheard me...he kept me from..."

She dissolved into tears. Hunter looked at his sister, who continued. "Dad checked out Gwen's room, found evidence that indicated foul play. He figured Matt...that if he had her, had her cell phone. That he'd retrieved Avery's messages."

And now he had Avery. Hunter went cold with fear.

Silence fell between them. Cherry broke it. "There's one more thing, Hunter. Matt knew about you and

Avery. That you had become-romantically involved. He told Dad. He was in a rage. A cold rage. Dad was afraid for your life."

"So he locked me up."

"Yes. Until he could figure out what to do about Matt. How to protect him."

"Protect Matt!" Hunter exploded. "He's a murderer! He should be behind-"

"He's his son!" she returned, cutting him off. "What was he supposed to do?"

"The right thing, dammit! People are dying!"

She fell silent. Lilah sobbed quietly. Hunter fought to get a grip on his emotions.

"What about Tom Lancaster?" he asked. "And McDougal? How do they fit in?"

"Dad didn't know for sure." She turned onto Highway 421. "Matt was obsessed with The Seven, which

could explain Lancaster. But McDougal, he didn't see a connection. There might be none."

"What about Avery?" he demanded. "Where is she?"

"Dad thought the old hunting cabin. The one Grandpa used."

"You've called the authorities, right?" They didn't respond and he made a sound of disbelief. "The sheriff?

State police?"

"Buddy said we should keep it to ourselves. Keep it in the family."

"Son of a bitch! Cell phone?" They shook their heads. "How many guns do we have?"

"Just the one."

"Shit. Fucking great."

"But Buddy's here," Lilah said. "He'll-"