“Ronan, go after her!” Ten hissed. “Why are you just standing here with that dumb look on your face?”
Jude snorted. “That’s his usual look, Ten.”
“I’m trusting Everly. She wants to get Celestina to trust her, and she can’t do that if we’re all up in her business,” Ronan said, hoping his husband didn’t deck him.
“She’ll bring Celestina over here in a minute, Ten,” Carson said. “Everyone be cool.”
Sure enough, both girls laughed and Everly led them over to the group of psychics and detectives. “I’m so glad I got to see little Everly again,” Celestina said. “I’m not quite so happy to see all of you, with your badges out of sight.”
“We’re sorry we upset you yesterday,” Carson said, taking the lead. “With a case this cold and the fact that you all will scatter after tomorrow night’s performance, we need to strike while the iron’s hot. So to speak. This might very well be the last chance we have to catch Jack’s killer.”
Ronan studied Celestina as Carson apologized. He saw relief spread across her beautiful face when Carson said this was the last chance to catch the killer. He imagined Celestina was thinking all she had to do was get through the next thirty hours or so and she’d be free.
“I know how hard your life has been because of your father,” Everly said, reaching for Celestina’s hand. “You didn’t deserve to be locked in a closet for days at a time, with no food. No water. No light. Part of you is still locked inside that tiny closet.”
“How did you know about the closet?” Celestina asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Everly tapped the side of her head. “My gift told me. Dad says I’m tiny but mighty. I don’t always understand what I see, but I know opening the door to your pain will make you feel better. I promise. I can see that you have a beautiful future ahead, with children, grandchildren and a lifetime of love, but there’s something standing in the way.”
“What is it?” Celestina asked.
“You.” Everly pointed to Celestina, who wore a look of turmoil.
Ronan didn’t need Ten’s gift to know Celestina was weighing her options. What her life would be like if she kept carrying her secret or how it would be different if she told what she knew.
“Okay,” Celestina sighed. “I’ll tell you under one condition.”
“Name it,” Fitzgibbon said. “I might not have the power to grant it, but I’ll do my best.”
Celestina nodded as if she’d known what Fitz’s answer would be. “I want my mother kept out of this. She’s old and fragile. I won’t have her interrogated like she’s some sort of criminal.”
“I understand.” Fitz wore a sympathetic look. “We might not need much from her, maybe only a statement corroborating what you tell us. If you have the information that helps us nail the killer I’ll be in a much better position to protect your mother.”
“Follow me,” Celestina led everyone toward the arena seats. She took a seat and arranged her flouncy gown so there was room for Everly to sit next to her. Ten couldn’t help but notice the pristine hem of he dress. If his vision bore out, it would soon be bloody.
Ten watched as the detectives lined up in facing Celestina and Everly, while Cope, Carson and Ten stood with their backs to them so they could keep an eye out for trouble. As he appraised the situation, a shiver tore through Ten’s body. This was exactly where he was lying in his vision. He looked to Ronan and saw a concerned looked on his husband’s face. There was no doubt Ronan was thinking the same as Ten.
“I’m not sure I can do this,” Celestina said, looking as if she were about to cry.
Everly took her hands. “Yes you can. You’re tiny but mighty too, just like me.”
Nodding, Celestina took a deep breath. “Like Everly said, my childhood was awful. There was physical, mental and emotional abuse from my father, not to mention all the times my mother made excuses for his behavior. I’d been begging her for years to leave him. That we’d make it on our own. All we had to do was disappear during the curtain call. My father loves the attention of the crowd cheering for him and we knew he’d never miss that, even if he didn’t see us onstage with him.”
Ronan had to admit it was a good plan. Unfortunately, it didn’t come to fruition. “What happened to stop your plan?”
“My father,” Celestina said bitterly. “There wasn’t supposed to be anyone backstage. We needed to slip away with no one noticing what we were doing. Someone must have alerted my father. We both knew that he would kill us both for this betrayal.” Celestina bowed her head.
“You’re doing great,” Everly said. “I’m so proud of you.”
Celestina raised her head. Her eyes were misty with unshed tears. “Thank you, little miss.”
“I told my mother we should call the police. They’d arrest my father. He was a convicted felon and couldn’t legally own a gun. My mother didn’t like that idea. She said there was only one way to end our nightmare. The circus was our family. We hadn’t done anything wrong and shouldn’t have to leave the people we loved. Mom started digging through the bag she’d packed earlier and before I knew what was happening, she pulled out my father’s gun. He’d threatened us with it so many times that I’d recognize it anywhere.” Tears dripped from Celestina’s face.
“You’re almost at the end,” Ronan said. “Finish it.”
“Vincent charged toward us. Mom raised the gun at my father. I yelled at her to stop, but she stood tall. I couldn’t let my mother do this. She’d been through so much at his hands didn’t deserve to go to jail for the rest of her life. I took the gun from her. Everything happened so fast after that. As I pulled the trigger, Jack sprinted out of nowhere and knocked my father out of the way. The bullet hit him instead of Vincent. My father took the gun from me and dragged Jack into the tiger’s cage. I don’t know what he did with the gun. For the last twenty plus years, my father held this over our heads. If we dared to step the tiniest bit out of line he threatened to turn us in to the police. He said that we’d both be charged with murder since my mother came up with the plan.” Celestina stood and offered her wrists to Ronan. “You can arrest me now.”
“No he can’t,” Everly said, wearing a sad look.
