Patterson stood outside the door of his sister’s condo. He hesitated. He wasn’t sure whether he wanted to knock or not. Nina was not going to be happy to see him. She might call the police or she might shoot him. Or she might welcome him in and give him a cup of tea. Her moods were more regulated than Gertrude’s, but she was still prone to unpredictability.
“I’m tired of you lurking,” Nina opened the door as she spoke. Patterson looked surprised. “They called me and told me I had a visitor almost ten minutes ago. Since no one really comes to see me, especially older gentlemen, I knew it had to be you. Shut the door behind you.”
“Nina,” Patterson followed her inside, shutting the door behind him.
“I take it that Gertrude has finally tired of me and you’re here to finish the job.” Nina smiled. “Just can’t wait another couple of months, I’m too much of a drain on the resources of the family trust. Old bitch.”
“I’m not here to hurt you Nina,” Patterson motioned to a chair. Nina sat down. Patterson sat across from her on the couch. “I just heard about your cancer. I’m sorry.”
“Patterson, we both know that sympathy is beyond you, drop the act.” Nina sipped a cup of coffee that smelled strongly of alcohol. “What do you want?”
“I’m here to find August.” Patterson said. “He’s alive, Nina and he’s still killing.”
“You’re alive,” Nina left off the last part. It hung unspoken between them in the air.
“Did you know?” Patterson asked.
“I’ve suspected for the last year or so, but I don’t have proof.” Nina sighed. “Do you want coffee or tea?”
“Coffee would be fine,” Patterson answered. “Why have you suspected?”
“When the feet started turning up again, I got suspicious.” Nina answered from her tiny kitchen. She was living in a small condo in an assisted living facility. It was actually a hospice for those that could still get around, but neither wanted to dwell on that. “So, you’re here to kill August.”
“That was my original plan,” Patterson admitted. “I know it isn’t a job that anyone wants to talk about, but as long as he’s alive, Gertrude will do what she can to protect him and he’ll keep killing.”
“So, this is about justice?” Nina brought him a cup of coffee. It also smelled of alcohol. Patterson sipped it, feeling the creamy Bailey’s swirl through his mouth with the bitter black liquid.
“No, it’s about revenge, plain and simple.” Patterson hesitated. “And Aislinn’s on the case now.”
“Protecting her from finding out the secrets of our past or from the deranged desires of August?”
“Both.”
“She doesn’t need you to hold her hand, Patterson,” Nina scolded him. “She has grown into quite the woman. She has all your strengths and a different set of weaknesses, but I don’t see her weaknesses as real weaknesses.”
“I think they make her stronger than I ever could have been.” Patterson hung his head. “I look back and think if I had been as strong as Aislinn, we wouldn’t have these secrets.”
“Maybe, but maybe we’d just have a whole different set of secrets. It has never been your fault that our parents were crazy. Or that we couldn’t escape them.”
“I should have done more for you.”
“No, Patterson, you shouldn’t. If you had, I would have ended up like Lila and you’d have one more death to regret.”
“You think I feel regret?”
“I see it on your face. Even with your mental condition, I see the pain on your face every time her name is mentioned. I know that’s why you have latched onto to Nyleena and Aislinn. They remind you of her.”
“They do remind me of her. And you.” Patterson looked at Nina. “How sick are you?”
“Very. Nothing they can do but give me painkillers to help me be comfortable. I think the girls should know. I think they should be informed of exactly what we’ve been hiding, exactly why you killed Lila. Aislinn is bound to figure some of it out if she catches August. She’s so smart, Patterson, I wish you could really appreciate how smart she is and with Nyleena, they are going to start putting the pieces together. You can’t hide anything from those two girls.”
“I do appreciate it Nina. When they work together, they are unstoppable.”
“They remind me of us,” Nina said. “When we were young, I mean. Before the world went to hell in a hand basket. I could guide you, help you navigate the crazy world you lived in, knowing that I was the only thing keeping you from sliding over the edge. Then you meet Lila and she was so good for you. She knew exactly what you felt and yet, loved you anyway. She was the best thing to ever happen to you. I’ve considered killing Gertrude for that. And she didn’t treat me like I was Lizzie Borden. She was good for both of us.”
“If I could have done something to clear you of that, I would have,” Patterson told his youngest sister. Gertrude and she were twins, but Gertrude was seventeen minutes older. When their parents had been found, there were lots of rumors about it being staged and the suspicion had fell on Nina. They could never prove it, but most still suspected her.
“I could have told someone,” Nina looked at him. “I have a favor to ask of you Patterson.”
“Anything,” Patterson answered.
“After I’ve had a talk with the girls, because the two of them are strong enough to handle it and understand it, I want you to kill me. It’s only going to get worse. Nothing messy, nothing painful, just two shots to the head to make sure that I die quickly and painlessly.”
“I can’t,” Patterson told her.
“Please Patterson, I’m begging. I’ve tried and I just don’t have the courage to kill myself. But you could surprise me and put me out of my misery.”
“Ok, Nina, I’ll do it, if you do me a favor. Help Aislinn to catch August.”
“I’ve told Malachi that you’re The Butcher.”
“I know.” Patterson said. “I bought a bunch of spy gear last year. That’s how I found out about August being alive. Gertrude’s been tapping your phones for years, I decided to return the favor.”
“You aren’t mad?”
“I was at first, but I know why you did it. There are still some people on my list, but I’m getting old, too old to continue this. Once Gertrude and August are stopped and hopefully, silenced, then I won’t mind ending it.”
“These secrets are killing us.”
“Yes, they are. They should die with us.”
“I disagree. I think Nyleena and Aislinn need to know why you were a killer. I think they need to know why we were as damaged as we were.”
“They’ll think less of us.”
“The others might, but not the girls. If their opinions change, it will be for the better, not the worst. You underestimate them.”
“I trust you. If you believe they should know, then you should tell them.”
“Thank you, Patterson. Now, I just need to figure out how to tell them. Both have offered to get me out of this nuthouse and move me to KC to be closer to them and Aislinn’s mother. Maybe I’ll take them up on it. Trapped in a car with me for two hours, I can tell them everything. You can kill me after we arrive.”
“You want me to follow you?”
“You already follow Aislinn.” Nina frowned at him. “It won’t be hard. I’m not sure about killing me in front of the girls though.”
“I’ll think on the best method. They live in secure housing, I won’t be able to break in while you sleep.”
“Plus, the moment the girls find out you’re The Butcher and about my cancer, they are going to stick to me like glue.”
“This won’t be easy,” Patterson finally looked up and made eye contact with Nina. “And I don’t just mean the girls. Killing you will be hard for me Nina.”
“I know, but you’ll do it, won’t you? To spare me more pain?”
“I will,” Patterson stood up. “If I can. Blake’s a good hunter.”
“He is,” Nina nodded. “But that’s not why I told him.”
“Then why did you tell him?”
“Because Aislinn and Nyleena needed to know. Malachi will tell them. You’ve hid this long, maybe it’s time to come out of the shadows.”
“I’ll go to The Fortress. I’m an old man who still has a list.”
“I can buy you time with Malachi.”
“How?” Patterson asked.
“I’ll tell him about Unger and August.”
“You believe that’s enough?”
“Yeah, I do. He isn’t as controlled as Aislinn and he hated his grandfather. The thought of having an uncle just like him will not make him very happy. He’ll drag his feet and you can slip away from him, for now. He or Aislinn will eventually catch you though.”
“I know,” Patterson looked at her for another few minutes. “However, I also believe they will be humane about it.”