Roses Revenge novel · Chapter 16 of 24

Chapter 16: Nothing Back

Paisley stood on the doorstep in a gray coat that did not close over her stomach anymore.

She had no makeup on, and the designer sunglasses were gone.

The box in her arms was a plain cardboard file box, and she held it with both hands.

"I'm sorry I'm early," she said. "I couldn't stay at my sister's another hour."

"Come in," I said.

Elliot had thrown on a shirt and gone down ahead of me. He had put out three cups, which was either tact or optimism.

She sat at the scarred table and set the box in front of her.

Nobody touched the coffee.

"I'm going to say it fast," Paisley said, "because if I go slowly I'll cry, and I don't think you want that."

"Say it."

"I'm done with him."

She lifted the lid.

"This is everything I took from the condo on Saturday night, before I came to the porch."

"I didn't know what it was. I only knew he kept it locked."

I took out the first folder.

It held pages of my name, signed over and over in blue ink, with the y curling the wrong way on every one of them.

Under that was a printout of his bank statements, with a second account I had never seen.

Under that was a small slip of pink paper from a pawnbroker, dated the week of the all-hands, with a line that said Sapphire ring, $2,100.

I held the slip up.

"That's my ring."

"He told me it was a gift for me," Paisley said. "He said you'd refused it. When I saw you take the brooch, I knew he'd lied about that too."

"You wore my grandmother's brooch."

"I did." She did not look away. "I'm sorry for that most of all."

I put the slip down.

"What do you want for this?"

Paisley shook her head.

"Nothing."

"Paisley."

"I mean it. I've already spoken to the prosecutor. I'll sign whatever she gives me and say it under oath."

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