Chapter Twenty-Nine
A few days after Fallon’s birthday, she received a phone call from Detective Contreras. She was at work, and when she saw his number, she quickly ducked out of the store. Except for Diablo and her dad, she hadn’t told anyone about her mother.
“Hello, Detective. I hope you have the results,” she said as she walked around the corner.
“I do. From the DNA tests and the positive identification of the locket, your picture, and the clothing that has been identified, I regret to inform you that the remains found at Bison Peak are that of your mother and a man named Richard Blather.”
Even though she’d been absolutely sure, hearing it aloud tore at her heart. “I knew it. I guess I was just holding out a sliver of hope that it wasn’t,” she whispered.
“I understand. I’m sorry for your loss. You had some of your mother’s DNA in your test. We also tested your father’s DNA.”
“Why? He wouldn’t have my mother’s in his.”
“Just a comparison since you’d have some of his. A person doesn’t inherit all her parents’ DNA, but she will have some of each. Is your father your biological dad?”
“Yes. Why’re you asking me that?” Ice filled her veins.
“It’s just that your DNA didn’t have any of his. Have you ever seen a copy of your birth certificate?”
“No, but my parents used it to get me into school and I have my dad’s last name—Richardson.”
“Maybe he adopted you.”
“He didn’t. It’s my dad. I think my mom would’ve told me if he wasn’t. Why would she lie to me?”
Contreras’s sigh was audible. “I didn’t mean to upset you. It’s just that you don’t have your dad’s DNA, which indicates that you and he are not biologically related.”
“Your test is wrong.” The pounding in her ears made her head ache.
“It’s not. The lab tested and retested it many times.”
Dad’s not my real dad? What the fuck? Her mind spun as she tried to concentrate on what the officer was saying. How could that be? Why would he raise me if I wasn’t his kid? This doesn’t make sense. Something’s obviously wrong with the test results.
“I’ll need you to come to Sheriff Wexler’s office tomorrow. I want to go over a few things you’ve told us about your father.”
His words jarred her back to the conversation. “Is my dad a suspect?”
He cleared his throat. “We always look closely at the ones closest to the murder victim. It’s just routine.”
Bullshit! They suspect Dad. I wondered why they took his DNA. That phony reason the detective gave me doesn’t make sense. They think Dad killed Mom and Rich.
Her father’s cold, mean words when she’d called him after she learned of her mother’s death rang through her ears.
“Does tomorrow at noon work?”
“Uh… sure. It works.” This is too much. I don’t know what the fuck’s going on.
“Good. I’ll see you tomorrow. Again, Fallon, I’m sorry for your loss.”
Fallon stared at the screen as she slumped against the brick wall. I’m going to be sick. She bent over and dry heaved. He can’t be right. Dad wouldn’t hurt Mom, and Dad’s my real dad. But he’d been so mean to her over the years. A lot of biological parents are mean to their kids. I can’t stand this.
Walking back to the store, images of her dad filled her mind. Everyone always said we didn’t look anything like each other, but I’ve seen kids who don’t look like both parents.
“You look sick,” Jerry said as she reentered the store.
“I am. I have to take off. Stomach flu, I think.” She pushed her hair off her damp face.
“Go on. Take care of yourself.”
Head bowed, she said, “Thanks, Jerry. I owe you.”
In less than fifteen minutes she was sitting in her apartment. She’d been so upset that she’d forgotten to call Diablo to tell him she was leaving so he or a prospect could follow her home. At that time, it didn’t matter; all that mattered was finding out what the hell was going on. She grabbed a bottled water from the fridge and sat at the kitchen counter. With shaky hands, she plugged in her father’s number.
“I didn’t think I’d hear from you. You’ve been ignoring my calls,” Charlie said.
“I didn’t like what you said about Mom. You acted like you didn’t care about her.”
“I was angry. Your mother hurt me a lot by what she did. I shouldn’t have said those things about her to you.”
Her cold hands tingled. “The detective called me. He said it’s Mom for sure. He took my DNA and compared it to hers. He said he asked you for DNA too.”
A long pause. “I heard they made a positive identification. They take everyone’s DNA in these cases. It doesn’t mean anything. How’ve you been? You had a birthday this past Friday. Happy Birthday.”
She froze. In that instant, she knew he wasn’t her dad. She knew he’d murdered her mother and her lover. “You’re not my dad, are you?”
A much longer pause.
“What the fuck made you say that?”
“I don’t have your DNA. I put up with all your abuse, your hate, your punishment and you aren’t my real dad?”
“I fucking took care of you. I fed you, bought you clothes, gave you a place to live. That’s what a father does, Fallon.”
“But you never loved me! Why did you keep me after Mom was gone? All you did was hurt me.”
“You ungrateful bitch! I gave you my name and a home. It was a helluva lot more than your real dad ever did. He never wanted you. He wanted your mom to have an abortion. You want to know about your dad? He was married with a family of his own. He couldn’t have you tainting his good name and standing in his community.”
Married? No. He’s lying. He’s still trying to hurt me. But then she remembered the lawyer telling her why her mother and grandmother had a falling out. It’d been about her going out with a married man.
“Your mother spread her legs for him and got herself knocked up. Your high and mighty grandmother threw her out, so she came to me. We’d been friends, but I always loved her. I watched her fuck half of our high school, but when she needed help, she came to me. She said she’d try and make me a good wife. I gave her fucking respectability and you a name. And what did Joanna do? She turned you against me and took on a lover. She deserved what she got.” He laughed dryly.
“She didn’t turn me against you—you did. Why did you keep me?”
“Would you rather have gone to foster care? No one would’ve kept such an ugly, stupid girl around. You should be thanking me instead of accusing me, you cunt.”
“You’re sick. Hate and vengeance have made you crazy. You crippled me, you fucking asshole!”
“You think you’re something now that you’re living with biker trash? You’re nothing but a whore, just like your mother. The only difference is that she was beautiful and you’re fucking ugly. Shanna was right. I should’ve thrown you out years ago.”
“I wish you would have. I hate you. And I know you killed Mom and Rich. You’re the worst thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“You better watch what you tell the cops. I know where the fuck you live. I know where you work. I know everything you do.” His words curled around her nerves and squeezed hard.
He put the dreadlock guy up to spying on me. “Don’t threaten me. You’re going to get exactly what you deserve. And Mom did love you. You just destroyed it like you do everything.”
“Don’t say a word—”
She hung up, her teeth chattering and her body shaking. Everything in her life was different from what she thought. A few days before, she was on top of the world, and now she was reaching the dark abyss of despair.
How could he be so cruel? He killed Mom. He tortured me. I have to tell Detective Contreras.
Ignoring the incoming calls from Charlie, she called Contreras and told him everything that had happened. She even told him about the monster throwing her off the roof years before. He told her to be careful and he’d see her the following morning. Somehow, she’d felt better telling him about everything. Charlie had destroyed her life and her mother’s.
She went to the closet and took down the shoebox of photographs, scrutinizing the face of a man who was with her mother in many of the pictures. Her mother’s eyes shone with love in a lot of them as she looked endearingly at him. Looking at them objectively, Fallon saw that she shared similar facial features with him, especially his mouth and freckles.
He’s my father, but he didn’t want me.
Her cheeks glistened as she stared at him for a long time. Then she wiped the dampness from her cheeks and ripped the picture to shreds.