After the Darkness

Grace was silent for a long time. At last she said, "No. I don’t want the police involved."

"But, Grace…"

"No."

Someone had killed Lenny. Butchered him like an animal and tossed him into the waves. What use were the police, or the courts, or the whole corrupt, disgusting so-called justice system? What justice was there for Lenny, or for me? America damned us both, for no better reason than that it was "easier." They let Lenny’s killer walk away and left me here to rot. Well, damn America. The time for justice is past.

Davey was confused. "What do you want me to do?"

"I want you to find out who did it. If it was John Merrivale or someone else. I want to know who killed my husband. I want to know how he did it, and why. I want to know everything and I want to be sure. I’m not interested in reasonable doubt."

Davey said, "Okay. And then?"

"And then we’ll think about next steps."

And then I’m going to kill him.

AFTER LIGHTS-OUT, GRACE LAY AWAKE, HER mind racing.

Whoever murdered Lenny had to have been on Nantucket the day of the storm. It could have been a stranger. But she knew that was unlikely. It was someone close to us. It had to be. Someone close to Quorum. To the missing money.

She thought back to the vacation, to their houseguests.

Connie and Michael.

Honor and Jack.

Maria and Andrew.

Caroline and John.

The Quorum family. Except they weren’t family. They weren’t friends. All of them had abandoned Grace in her hour of need.

One of them had killed Lenny.

Grace no longer wanted justice. She wanted vengeance. She would have vengeance.

That night, Grace Brookstein began planning her escape.

Chapter Thirteen

KAREN WILLIS RUBBED HER EYES. IT was two in the morning and Grace Brookstein was climbing into her bed.

"Grace? What is it? Are you sick?"

Grace shook her head. Beneath the blanket, the two of them huddled together for warmth. Karen felt the softness of Grace’s breasts against her back. The smell of her skin, the soft caress of her breath. Instinctively, she slid a hand under Grace’s nightdress, reaching for the silky wetness between her thighs.

"I love you." Karen turned to press her lips to Grace’s. For a few glorious seconds, Grace responded, kissing her back. Then she pulled away.

"I’m sorry. I…I can’t."

Grace felt torn. Part of her was tempted to accept the comfort Karen was offering. After all, Lenny was gone. And Grace loved Karen, too, in a way. But she knew it wasn’t right. She didn’t love Karen in that way. Not really. Even if she had, it would have been wrong to raise her hopes. Especially considering what she was about to tell her.

Karen looked anguished. How could she have been so stupid? She’d misread the signals. "Oh God. Are you angry with me?"

"No. Not at all. Why would I be?"

"I would never have made a move if I hadn’t thought…I mean, you came into my bed."

"I know. I’m sorry. Look, it was my fault," said Grace. "I needed to talk to you. I need your advice."

"My advice?"

"Uh-huh. I’m going to escape."

It was the break in the tension Karen needed. She laughed so hard she almost woke Cora.

Grace didn’t get it. "What’s so funny?"

"Oh, Grace! You can’t be serious!"

"I’m deadly serious."

"Honey, it’s impossible. No one’s ever escaped from Bedford Hills."

Grace shrugged. "There’s a first time for everything, right?"

"Not for this." Karen wasn’t laughing anymore. "You actually mean it, don’t you? You’re out of your mind, Grace. Have you looked outside lately? There are nine barbed-wire fences between us and freedom, all of them electrified. There are guards and dogs and cameras and guns."

"I know all that."

"Then you’re not thinking clearly. Look, even if you found some way to escape – which you won’t, because it’s impossible – you have one of the most recognizable faces in America. How far do you think you’ll get?"

Grace ran a hand over her broken nose. "I’m not so recognizable anymore. I don’t look the way I used to. Anyway, I can disguise myself."

"When they catch you, they’ll shoot you. No questions asked."

"I know that, too. It’s a risk I’m prepared to take."

Karen stroked Grace’s cheek in the darkness. This was madness. No one escaped from Bedford Hills. If Grace tried it, she’d be killed for sure. Even if, by some miracle, she were captured alive, it still meant Karen would never see her again. Grace would be transferred to solitary. Sent out of state. Locked up in some secret CIA holding pen never to be heard of again.

"Don’t do this, Grace. Please. I don’t want to lose you."

Grace saw Karen’s eyes well up. Leaning forward, she kissed her full on the mouth. It was a passionate, lingering kiss. A kiss to be remembered by. A kiss good-bye.

"I have to do it, Karen."

"No you don’t. Why?"

"Because Lenny was murdered, okay?"

Karen sat up. "Whaaat? Says who?"

"Davey Buccola. He found evidence, stuff that was suppressed at the inquest."

So Buccola put her up to this. I’ll kill him.

"I have to find out who killed my husband."

"But, Grace – "

"I’m going to find him. And then I’m going to kill him."

Grace waited for the outrage, the shock, but it never came. Instead Karen put her arms around her and hugged her tightly. Karen remembered Billy, her sister’s boyfriend. How right it had felt when that bullet hit him between the eyes. Despite everything that had happened since, she had never regretted what she’d done. She did not want to lose Grace. But she understood.