“Yep. Mic, why don’t you go upstairs with Ms. Dupont so she can get dressed.”

“You’re not taking me to jail. I’m a victim. I’m a victim. You have no idea what I’ve been through.”

“I think I get the gist, but if you want to make a statement, that’s just fine. I’m going to record that. But I’m going to read you your rights first.” He took a recorder out of his pocket, turned it on, set it on the table. “That’s how we do it.”

Calculation, that’s what Red saw as he recited the Miranda. “You understand all that, Ms. Dupont?”

“Yes, of course I do. I’m appealing to you for help. I made a terrible mistake, but I was being blackmailed.”

“Is that so?”

“I did have a fling with Grant. Another terrible mistake. I was weak, Aidan, I was lonely and foolish. Please forgive me.”

His face, his eyes, his voice held no emotion. Not even disgust. “I don’t care.”

“Are you claiming Grant Sparks blackmailed you over the affair?”

“It was a paparazzo. He got pictures of us. It was awful, just . . .” Lowering her head, she covered her mouth with her hand. “He demanded millions, or he’d publish them. I wanted to protect my marriage, my family, my little girl. All of us. I didn’t know how to get the money.”

“Staging a kidnapping was the solution?” Red demanded.

“Grant had the idea. If we faked a kidnapping . . . I lost my mind. I wasn’t thinking straight. The stress. I knew Grant would never hurt her. We’d pay, and she’d be back home quickly. It was insane, I see that now. I was insane. I was desperate.”

Aidan walked away from her now. Had to walk away.

“What was the blackmailer’s name?”

“He said his name was Denby. Frank Denby. After the first time, Grant met with him. I just couldn’t. I couldn’t bear it. Please believe me, after Caitlyn . . . I was terrified. I started thinking of everything that could go wrong, and—”

“Did you know where they’d taken her?”

“Of course! She’s my daughter. I knew where she was, but—”

“And being afraid, worried something would go wrong, you didn’t call it off?”

“I couldn’t!” Imploring, she clutched a hand under her throat, reached out toward Red with the other. “I didn’t know what to do! I made that call because I needed to be sure Caitlyn was all right.”

“They drugged her.”

Charlotte looked over at Aidan. “It was just a little sedative, just so she wouldn’t be afraid. She’d just sleep through it until—”

“They terrified her, put bruises on her face, threatened her with a gun.”

“They weren’t supposed to—”

“You did this for money, for sex. She climbed out a second-story window, wandered lost in the dark, in the cold, for God knows how long. You used your own child, risked your own child over a goddamn affair.”

“She was supposed to sleep! It’s her own fault she didn’t drink the milk!”

“How did you know the drug was in the milk?” Michaela asked, still taking meticulous notes. “Did you tell them to use milk?”

“I—I don’t know! You’re confusing me. She wasn’t hurt. She was supposed to sleep. When we had the money, they’d have me drop it off.”

“That was part of it? You make the drop?”

“Yes, and then they’d take Caitlyn to the turn onto the peninsula, leave her right there.”

“And you, you could play the shattered, loving mother through it all.” Hugh got to his feet. “You’ll never see that child again if I have any say. You’ll never see a penny of Sullivan money. You’ll never step foot in this house again.”

“You don’t have any say!” Charlotte hurled at him. “You can’t keep me from my own daughter.”

“That’ll be up to the courts. Charlotte Dupont, you’re under arrest for child endangerment, accessory to kidnapping a minor, accessory to child abuse, accessory to extortion.”

“Did you hear me? I was victimized, blackmailed.”

“Well, I’ve got some doubts about that. But we’ll talk more. Right now, Deputy Wilson’s going to escort you upstairs, unless you want us to take you in like you are.”

“I want my lawyer.”

“That would be my lawyer,” Aidan corrected. “You’ll have to find your own.”

“Oh, I will.” Now the loathing poured free. “And I’m not the only one who knows how to talk to the press. I’m going to ruin every one of you.”

“What you’re going to do right now is come with me.”

She jerked away when Michaela walked over, took her arm. “Don’t you touch me.”

“Do that again, we’ll be adding resisting arrest. It’s already a long list.”

Charlotte rose, tossed back her hair. “Fuck every one of you fucking Sullivans.”

Rosemary closed her eyes when Michaela escorted Charlotte upstairs. “A pathetic exit line for a pathetic human being. Aidan, I’m so very sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry. I loved her. I looked the other way so many times because I loved her. Because she gave me Cate. Her own child, she did this to her own child. I need some air. I just want to step outside, is that all right?”

Red gave him a nod. “Sure.”

“What happens now?” Hugh asked as Aidan went out the front door.

“Now we find Grant Sparks and Frank Denby.”

“You said you had them . . .” With a shake of his head, Hugh let out a short laugh. “You lied. Well done.”

“It’s going to take some time to sort all this out. I’ll probably need to talk to all of you again, and to Cate. What I’ll say, right now, is it’s not all that likely Ms. Dupont’s going to make bail anytime soon. What I expect, after she settles some, and if she hires a decent lawyer, is her to work for a deal. That she’ll probably get.”

“I should’ve told Mr. Hugh about Mr. Sparks.”

“Don’t you blame yourself for that, for any of it.” Maureen got up, walked over to hug Nina. “Come on with me. I’m going to get those scratches cleaned and treated. Rabid cat scratches are nasty.”

“Will they let me stay with Catey?” Nina asked as Maureen led her out.

“I know my nephew. You’ve got a job for life.”

It didn’t take long for Michaela to bring a stone-faced Charlotte back down.

“We want to add attempted bribery of a police officer, Sheriff. She offered me ten thousand to let her go.”

“That’s a lie!”

“Figured it was coming. I had my phone on record. She’s cuffed as she didn’t like hearing no.”

“Let’s load her up. I’ll be in touch,” he told the others. “If any of you have any questions, you know how to reach me.”

When the door closed behind them, Hugh brushed his mother’s shoulder. “I’m going to go back so Lily knows to bring Cate in.”

“Yes, do that. Aidan’s going to need Cate, Cate’s going to need Aidan. And they’re both going to need all of us.”