Tell Me True (2 page)

"I WILL MARRY
you."

Ash smiled, his eyes bright with joy, as he lifted me off the ground and spun me around. "Oh, Catelyn, I love you so much!"

As the rain fell on us and I slid back down his body and into his arms, our lips met, our tongues danced and we kissed, deeply, passionately, tasting the rain and my tears and feeling the joy of the moment embrace us.

Professor Cavin stuck his head out the door, interrupting us. "Everything okay out here?"

I held up my hand. "We're getting married." Even with my mother's words circling in my mind
—The Davenports will be responsible for my death. Someone has to get close to them and find out the truth.—
I couldn't help but be happy. I knew Ash had nothing to do with my mother's death. I knew he was as much a victim as me, and if I wanted to protect us both I had to find out the truth, but that didn't diminish my love for him or the happiness I felt when I imagined marrying him.

We ran into the cabin to get out of the rain and shared our news with those present. It brought some smiles to an otherwise somber occasion and gave us all something happier to take home
that night.

Ash wanted to take me to the hospital for a thorough examination after everything Bridgette and I had been through, but I knew I was okay and I just wanted a hot shower and my own bed. Besides, I had to hide my mother's research notes before anyone figured out I had them. Anyone who knew about these notes would be at risk. I looked at Ash, knowing he must have been so worried about me, knowing how much pain I've caused him, and I knew I couldn't tell him about this. He'd be at risk, especially if his family was somehow involved.

Once home and cozy in bed, his arms wrapped around me, my head on his chest, Ask asked if I still wanted to hold a press conference about my mother's book.

"No," I said, glad he couldn't see my face. "We got the killer."

"You never found your mother's book, did you?" he asked.

"No
. I'm sorry I lied to you."

"I understand," he said, kissing my head
. "Just… no more lies okay? We tell each other everything, agreed?"

"Agreed," I said, my heart sinking.

"It's over, isn't it, Catelyn?"

"Yes," I lied. "It's over."

***

Ash slept soundly beside me, his chest rising and falling with
each breath. He looked so content. So at peace. I tossed and turned, unable to quiet my mind, so I crawled out of bed, grabbed my mother's notes from under a loose board in my dresser and headed to the study.

Using one of the law books I was studying as a cover, I curled up on the overstuffed reading chair and began to sort through the research notes. If Ash came in, I imagined covering the notes with my book.

"What are you doing down here, Catelyn?" I imagined him asking.

"Oh, I couldn't sleep. Thought I'd get caught up on some studying."

"What's that?" he'd ask, pointing to the stack of paper.

"Oh, just some notes I'm taking."

Satisfied I could explain myself without raising suspicion, I started with the first page, where her sloppy handwriting bled across the page in red ink, like blood.
The Davenports will be responsible for my death. Someone has to get close to them and find out the truth.

Her words still sent chills up my spine, but I turned to the next page and continued reading.

I met the first of our little group at a golf tournament. We both enjoyed playing and soon got to talking about our common goals at Harvard and beyond. My roommate was intrigued by my new connection and so the three of us met for coffee. We'd all been sought after by sororities and fraternities respectively, but we knew we wanted something more than superficial social connections and parties.

We decided to form our own group and called ourselves Alpha Pi Omega. We thought ourselves clever. The beginning and the end trapping the infinite in the center. We each took names that fed our egos. Caesar, Cleopatra and I were the first. I went by Elizabeth. Others would come to join us over time. Augustus. Alexander. Elizabeth. Caesar met Livia in his last year of law school while she was just a freshman, and they became the center of our group. And later, Napoleon joined us.

We
, first and foremost, wanted power. We wanted to control our own destinies, whatever the cost. We had chosen a diverse range of careers to pursue, and we knew we could help each other in ways others couldn't, or wouldn’t.

While our friends at Harvard pledged sororities and fraternities, we formed our own secret club with much loftier ambitions than just getting drunk and laid on Saturday nights. We committed to using our many talents and resources to aid each other. At first it meant studying together. Helping each other with internship opportunities and connections through each other's families. But
, as we left school and began our careers, our ambitions grew and we began to cross lines we never thought we'd cross.

Soon
, we all found ourselves doing the unthinkable. Covering up evidence in crimes. Throwing legal cases. Insider trading.

Murder.

I regret what I have done. Looking at my child in the next room sleeping, listening to my husband breathing deeply beside me, I realize what I have done, the hurt and pain I have caused, is inexcusable.

What follows is my confession.
And my death warrant.

I want out, but we committed for life. By leaving, I am betraying my oath, and they will stop at nothing to keep me loyal, even if that means killing everyone I love.

I have a suspicion of who they will send to do the deed, but it doesn't matter. They are all responsible if I die. I just pray my baby is spared, that the sins of the mother do not taint the innocence of her child.

Tears streamed down my face as I turned page after page and read accounts and information, details about the original Midnight Murders.

Augustus was the killer.

Alexander helped cover it up.

Napoleon also committed some of the crimes.

If things ever went to court, my mother was expected to stop it.

I kept reading, pushing out of my mind that this was my own mother and trying to see it for the facts of a case, looking for clues, but she never named anyone by their true names, and she never gave any identifying clues that would allow me to figure out who was who.
A huge section of paper at the bottom had been ruined by water and weather damage, and I did my best to pick out the pieces I could read.

Was Lauren part of Alpha Pi Omega? Was Lucky?

Lauren went to Harvard, but Lucky didn't. But then she said they
met
at Harvard. That didn't necessarily mean they all
studied
there. Lauren must have been one of the original members. Was she Livia or Cleopatra?

I knew then what I had to do. I'd thought I was hunting a murderer. I now knew I was hunting a pack of psychopaths. I thought I'd have to kill one man. I now knew I'd have to kill them all.

Some debts can only be repaid in blood.

I grabbed my cell phone, heart pounding, and speed
-dialed Bridgette.

She answered on the first ring. "You can't sleep either?"

"No. Listen, Bridge… I found something. We need to meet."

***

We met at our favorite greasy burger diner the next day. I arrived first and ordered us both our favorites while I sipped on coffee and waited.

Bridgette arrived late in a
silver Mercedes. She kissed the driver, and he drove off as she came in, all smiles.

I raised an eyebrow at her. "So, you and Jon are getting serious?"

She nodded happily. "And he's been extra sweet since I almost died. So," she smacked her hands on the table, "what's the big mystery? I've been dying since last night you evil tease."

"I found the notes for my mother's book." As soon as I said it, I regretted it. I needed someone to confide in, to talk it all through with, and since Bridgette wasn't related to the Da
venports, she was easier to talk about this with than Ash. But what if this put her in danger, too?

"Oh my God!
" Bridgette leaned forward over the table, lowering her voice. "That's incredible. What did it say?"

"
Oh, not much. Just that, basically, my mom was a part of an evil secret Greek club at Harvard and they helped cover up crimes for each other. I don't have names, but it looks like my dad, at least, was innocent. My mom wanted out because of him."

She sat there, stunned. "Wow. That is so not what I expected."

My ability to hide behind snark and steely resolve crumbled as I looked into the concerned eyes of my best friend. I took in a fragmented breath. "I've had her on a pedestal my whole life, and now I find this out. I don't even know what I'm feeling right now. Anger. Betrayal. More anger. Sadness. I feel like I've lost her all over again, only this time it's her fault. And she got my dad killed. She was directly responsible for what happened to them, and he was innocent." Thinking of them that night, of the look in my dad's eyes and how he willed me to walk away, to hide. He'd watched the Midnight Murderer rape and kill my mother before they murdered him. He'd suffered so much. Did he ever know why? Did she ever tell him the truth before that night?

Bridgette put a hand on mine
, her brow furrowed in lines of worry. "I can't even imagine," she said. "It's probably going to take time to sort through all the emotions, but I know she loved you and Ben. She was willing to give up all the power and risk her life to walk away, right? That has to count for something in the end, even if it doesn't negate the bad she did."

"Maybe. I just don't know anymore. What makes a person bad or good? What defines them at the end of their life?"

"I remember a story from church," she said. "I know you're not religious, but we attend on holidays, and I remember hearing about Jesus hanging on the cross between two criminals. They'd done bad their whole lives, but in the end they repented and he forgave them. Even at the last moment, when you can't do anything to redeem yourself with deeds, there is still grace. I believe that. Maybe it's not through a God in the sky, but there can still be forgiveness. You have memories of your mother that aren't all bad, that are good and loving and kind and funny. That was her, too, not just the things you're reading in her research. Don't forget that part of her. It's real and shouldn't be lost in all this blood."

I wiped a tear from my eye and smiled. "Thank you. That does help, I think."

Bridgette smiled back—a soft, bittersweet smile. "At least it's over, right? The Midnight Murderer is dead, the person responsible is dead. At least you can live the life you want now. Get your happily ever after."

I frowned and took out the one page I'd brought with me, the first page. "I'm not so sure it's over." I slid the page over to her.

Bridge read it and her eyes widened in shock. "Jon's dad was up to some creepy shit," she said. "He probably went to Harvard with your mother. I bet he was in that creepy club of theirs."

"
Probably, but there were others. I have to know who was involved. Maybe I can get Ash's private investigator to look into it."

"Sure. Sure." She looked down at her nails.

"You don't agree, I take it?"

She looked up sheepishly. "
No, I do agree. After learning about this, I know you have to avenge your mother and find out the truth. I would expect nothing less from you. I'm just worried about you. This is a dangerous game you're playing and someone could get hurt."

I clenched my fists
. "This isn't a game. Even if Lucky and Lauren were part of the Midnight Murderer plot, there were others and they need to pay."

Bridgette reached her hand over the table and grabbed mine. "I may not have lost my parents, but I did almost lose my life. I'm with you, Catelyn. I've got your back whatever you decide."

Our food arrived but I'd lost my appetite. Bridgette ate with more gusto than normal but I sipped at my coffee and thought about what I would do next. I wanted Bridgette's support, and wished I could bring her into my plan, but I realized how dangerous it would be for anyone involved and knew I couldn't share any more with her and shouldn't have told her what I did. I couldn’t put her life at risk again. I loved her too much for that.

Shortly after
we were done, Jon arrived to pick up Bridgette.

"Hi, Cat."

I smiled at him as we paid our check. "Hi, Jon, how are you?"

He kissed Bridgette
, who smiled like a schoolgirl and giggled. They looked so happy together that I worried maybe I shouldn't have told her about my mother's notes. Bridgette was getting closer to Jon now and Jon was close to his father, closer than Ash was.