SHORTS FROM THE SHELF features short serialized fiction by author Shannon Muir, administrator of SHANNON MUIR’S THE PULP AND MYSTERY SHELF, that may be later released as part of e-book or print collections. The story line featured over the next fourteen days is “Shining a Light on Crime”. This is Part 10 of 14.
PLEASE CONTINUE TO FOLLOW THIS SERIES WITH PART 11 OF 14 ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH, 2019.
“Lou knew a lot about you, Roxane, that’s why he came here,” her mother insisted.
“I don’t get it. Big deal.”
“Roxane, listen. Lou knows who your mother is.”
“You’re my mother,” Roxane insisted, still not getting it.
“Just your adoptive mother. People don’t know that a young woman became obsessed with your father, used him, and ending up conceiving a child. When she died in childbirth, we both told everyone we decided to adopt. Everyone thinks yu are not a blood relative to either one of us. We’ve even told you all these years we didn’t know who your mother was. But Lou, he knows the truth.”
“And you knew he was married, but still let him use me the same way that other woman used my Daddy?”
Roxane’s father finally spoke up, but she could tell from his voice he feared even having to utter these words.
“Roxane, the woman who became obsessed with me. Her name was Celle. Lou’s wife Zelle was her twin sister. Zelle originally sent Lou here so that he could get to know our family and ultimately meet you, but when we found out what he wanted, we didn’t want to tell you. So Lou threatened either he’d go public and destroy our family business, or if we wanted to keep his silence he’d get to have a relationship and children with you, since Zelle can’t have kids.”
“And you agreed? This is insane. You know it going public would have destroyed his wife too. You honestly believed he would do it?”
“It wasn’t just you,” her father admitted. “We believed – and still do – he might hurt Zelle too. We think she’s as trapped as we are. Otherwise why wouldn’t she have left him already? If she’s afraid of him, your mother and I think we have reason for the Sheridan family to be as well. And that includes you and your daughters.”
Roxane’s father reached out to hug her.
“Oh, Roxane, I’m so sorry.”
Roxane took a step back.
“I need to process this, and to talk to Zelle for myself.”
“She’s made sure to protect herself with an army of professionals,” Roxane’s father pointed out.
“So you do know about all those people,” Roxane told him. “Then help me. Help me figure out the best route to go to get to Zelle.”
FOLLOW THIS STORY AS IT CONTINUES ON SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 16TH, 2019, IN THE REGULAR “SHORTS FROM THE SHELF” SLOT!
