As he stole through the dark house, he was surprised to see light seeping beneath his bedroom door. A soft voice sounded within. Did he have company? Simon listened for a long moment, but no one ever responded. It was just the one voice. Perhaps he was talking to himself? Or even praying? He certainly should be. He had plenty to atone for. It made no difference, though. Prayers would not earn him Simon’s forgiveness.
Since someone was obviously awake, Simon entered through the connected dressing room instead. He peered in from the doorway and disgust settled over him. Madelene’s father sat on the side of his bed, crying and talking to what must be a picture of his late wife.
“You’re pathetic, Robert.”
The man whipped around, dropping the picture with a clatter. “Who are you? What are you doing in my home?”
Simon leaned against the doorframe, folding his arms across his chest. “You had an incredible piece of her, you know. But rather than cherishing that, you tried your damnedest to destroy it. To destroy her.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I’m talking about Madelene. Your daughter.” He crossed the room and picked up the picture from the floor. “Her daughter.” He held it up in front of the man’s face. But when he turned the frame around, his heart seized. It was very nearly Madelene. She was indeed, the image of her mother. He closed his eyes for a moment.
“Who are you?” Robert asked again, his eyes wide as he tried to swallow his fear. “Are you from Auburn Ridge?”
The words stoked Simon’s growing rage. He set the picture carefully on the nightstand before he grabbed the front of Robert’s shirt and pulled him in. “I’m the man who got her out of that place. And let me make one thing very clear, the only reason I’m going to spare your life tonight, is her.”
“Did she seduce you?”
Fury blazed through him. Simon reached into his pocket, then gripped the man’s hair and yanked his head back, stuffing a handkerchief into his mouth as he opened it to object. He wrenched the man’s arm around, forcing him face down onto the bed, pressing his knee roughly into his back. Simon grabbed his ear, and with one quick flick of his razor, sliced off the bottom lobe.
The handkerchief muffled his scream and Simon held him down until he quieted and stopped thrashing. He leaned close to the injured ear. “We’re not done yet, but if you’re quiet, and respectful, you may still have the rest of your body parts intact when I leave. Do you think you can manage that? Or should I just remove your tongue now?”
He shook his head with a whimper. Simon pulled him upright and tugged the cloth out of his mouth. “Hold this to your ear to stem the bleeding.” Robert’s hand shook as he took it and pressed the fabric to his ear.
“I’ll just put this bit over here as a reminder for you.” Simon set the severed piece of ear on the nightstand, beside the picture. “The next time you say something disparaging about Madelene, I will remove another piece of you.”
The man began to bawl like a goddamned baby. “Shhhh.” Simon pressed a finger over his lips. “You don’t want to wake the house. If someone knocks on that door, I’ll have to renege on my promise to keep you alive and slit your throat before I disappear into the night.”
Silence fell over the room, and Simon nodded.
He turned the chair to face the bed and sat down, lifting one foot to rest on the opposite knee. “If you lie to me, there will be consequences. If you say something derogatory about Madelene, or blame her in any way, there will be consequences.” He flipped his razor open and closed as he spoke. “You sentenced your own daughter to a lifetime of suffering. Convinced her that she was evil, and never allowed her to live. Never allowed her laughter, or passion, or love. I want to know why.”
Robert’s gaze was fixed on the razor for a long moment, but eventually, he looked over at the picture of Madelene’s mother. He still didn’t speak.
“You loved your wife,” Simon said, his tone patronizing. “That’s no excuse.”
“Love,” Robert corrected, his eyes meeting Simon’s. “I love her.” A tear ran down his cheek.
“Madelene was your daughter.” Simon growled. “You should have loved her.”
“I do love her. I just want to keep her safe.”
“Safe? What would your wife say if she knew you tossed her daughter into an asylum, where she endured horrific abuse? Because she asked for a kiss.”
Simon watched as the man wilted.
“What do you mean abuse? They weren’t supposed to abuse her,” he whispered.
That’s what he’d been waiting for. Guilt that was heavy enough to finally weigh him down. He already knew the answers to all of these questions, but he wanted this man to suffer for what he’d done.
But then he spoke to the picture. “I’m sorry, Angela.”
“She isn’t the one you hurt.” Simon shook his head. “You’re the worst kind of villain, Robert. You don’t even realize the pain and suffering you’ve inflicted upon your own daughter. She would have adored you if you’d given her half a chance.”
Robert winced as he turned back to Simon. The shock was wearing off, and his ear was no doubt starting to burn. The throbbing would set in soon enough.
“I was just trying to protect her from…”
