Page 25 of Charmed by You

“I know. I’m sorry.”

“I should go see her. All these years…” She trailed off witha shudder. “I should go see her.”

“You can’t,” Burnet said. “She’s dead.”

“Oh.” Frannie closed her eyes, then drew a deep breath.“From her injuries?”

“Suicide. Got her hands on something. Sleeping pills, Iguess. Drowned in her bathtub. She had a small unit at the facility.”

“I’m so, so sorry to hear that. I was close to Carolyn, butnot her mom. I mean, I knew her, but only a little, but this is horrible.”

Simon put his arm around her waist and pulled her close,relishing the easy way she leaned into him, letting him comfort her.

“What exactly is it you need, Mr. Burnet?” Simon asked.

“Corroboration of Leslie’s story. About who really killedCarolyn. And who really shot Pruitt and Leslie.”

Frannie shook her head as she met Simon’s eyes. He saw theconfusion there. “I don’t understand. I don’t know anything.”

“Leslie said you might.”

“What?” Frannie pulled away from him, then took astep forward. “What are you talking about?”

“Leslie said you were there, too. She saw you walk past herwindow. She said you did it all the time. You would go visit Carolyn at night.The two of you would hang out in her room. She never closed the curtains allthe way because she liked to look at the hills. And every night that you cameover, she’d see you.”

Frannie dropped Simon’s hand. “I need you to go,” she saidto Burnet.

“Please. I need corroboration. If you were there, then youmust have seen the other person. The one who framed Carolyn’s mom. Who slammedCarolyn’s head against the wall the second time, killing her? I’m only lookingfor corroboration. I know who it is. Leslie told me. All you have to do is tellme that you know, too. Give me a name, and I will publish this story and takedown the killer who murdered your best friend. Tell me. Let me help put thisman away.”

“It’s okay, Frannie,” Simon said. “I think you should tellhim. It was an asshole move to threaten you, but if you can get justice forCarolyn and Leslie….”

But Frannie was shaking her head, her eyes wide and frightened.“I don’t know who it was. I was there. You’re right about that. But I didn’tsee anybody else. No one came in while I was there. It was just me in theshadows. And I was terrified.”

Burnet stared at her, looking dejected. Looking as if all hewanted to do was take her by the throat and force the truth out of her. ButSimon knew better. Simon believed her. There was nobody else.

Leslie had played a Hail Mary. She’d lost it and screwed upand tried to put the blame on someone else. To make her husband not be anabusive murderer. To make herself not be a killer. But wishing wouldn’t changethe truth.

“You need to go,” Simon said. “She’s told you she didn’t seeanyone else. That’s the end of it. You walk right now, we’ll forget about yournote. But if we hear another word out of you, we’ll arrest you in a heartbeat.And I assure you, even though you may not realize it, that threat you sent isactionable. She’ll press charges, and you will serve time. Do you understandme?”

Burnet nodded. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“Of course you did,” she snapped. “And it worked. But Idon’t know anything. So you did it for nothing, you son of a bitch. You dredgedit all up for nothing.”

“I’m sorry,” Burnet said, sounding genuinely contrite. Notthat it mattered.

“Just get the hell out of here,” Simon said, and thereporter turned and scurried away, pushing out of the stairwell door and backinto the hubbub of the con.

Frannie looked at Simon, her eyes burning with tears. “Getme to the car,” she said, and he took her by the arm and led her down the twolevels to the lobby, then into the parking structure until finally they reachedhis Honda.

As soon as they were inside with the doors closed, her tearsstarted to flow.

“I’m sorry,” she said when her body had stopped shaking, andshe looked at him through red-rimmed eyes and a face splotchy from crying.“That was the most horrible night of my life,” she said.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“No. Yes. I don’t know. I did go,” she said, becauseapparently she did want to talk about it. “I got there, and it was supposed tojust be me and Carolyn hanging out that night. But Pruitt was in the room withher. She told me that he used to try to touch her, he did the same to me too,so I never thought that it was more than just stupid touching on set. She’dsuggested that it was, but I guess I never really listened. It wasn’t untilthat night that I realized what he really did to her.”

“It’s not your fault.”