Proof

"Don't be an idiot," snapped Tilda. 

I pushed back my hood. Joe's face crinkled as he realized he'd called me by my mother's name. Fury overtook his expression, but not before I saw the absolute longing in his gaze. After all she'd done to him, the man still carried a torch for Mom. 

I slipped my hand into the robe's right side pocket and pulled out the letter. I held it up. "Proof that my mother had no reason to kill herself or Douglas Jones." I met Carol's seething gaze. "Doug wrote a letter to my mother on the night they died. He wanted to commit himself to her—by binding their magic together."

"You're lying," spat Carol. "Doug told me it was over between them."

"Then he lied to you," I said. 

She reared back as if I'd slapped her. Joe grabbed her arm, holding her in place, as if he expected her to leap forward and throttle me. Well, let her try. I wasn't taking any more crap from these horrible people.