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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 yourrealdad 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 tome. 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.