Free Resolutions by Jane A. Adams Page B

‘Anyway, you don’t believe in hell.’
    â€˜For some people I’m prepared to waive my disbelief. Tim, Mac and I were both pretty sure that Karen killed Mark Dowling. Whether she did it purely to protect her brother from Dowling’s bullying or whether it was also vengeance for his murder of the old lady is a moot point, but Mac was going to bring her in for questioning. He was fairly certain he could build a case.’
    â€˜Does George know this?’
    â€˜George knows, though we’ve not really talked about it. I don’t think George has ever been under any illusions regarding his sister; he left that folly to the rest of us. Anyway, the morning Mac went to arrest Karen, I called her.’
    â€˜You warned her? Rina that’s . . . Does Mac know that too?’
    â€˜I suspect that he suspects, but, again, some things are better left unsaid, even between friends. Maybe especially between friends. Anyway, Karen was gone when he arrived, and George, bless him, had put two and two together and figured out what she’d done.’
    â€˜But why did you warn her?’
    â€˜Oh, Tim, like I said, I made the most appalling error. Ironically, I acted out of the same concerns that led Karen to do such dreadful things. I wanted to protect young George. I felt he’d gone through enough.’
    â€˜And you made the judgement that Mark Dowling got what he deserved,’ Tim said flatly. ‘Oh, Rina, darling, sometimes we can’t make those judgements, we really can’t. Those decisions are just not ours to make.’
    â€˜There was more, Tim.’ Rina seemed set on maximum self-castigation. ‘To be truthful, I suppose I admired Karen. Her tenacity, her courage, her commitment to her mother and brother. I was wrong, terribly wrong, and, yes, I suspected that one day she’d come back; I just didn’t think it would be so soon and, to be honest, Tim, I didn’t think I’d be the one having to deal with her. I thought Mac would be here. I thought Mac would know what to do.’
    â€˜If Mac had been here, she’d probably have just sneaked a quick meeting with George and been gone again,’ Tim suggested. ‘But the fact is, she’s here and Mac is gone and . . .’
    â€˜And I’ve got to deal with the mess I’ve made,’ Rina finished.
    â€˜I didn’t say that.’ Tim reached out and touched her hand. ‘Rina, it’s not entirely your mess. Circumstances created Karen. George too, for that matter. This mess started long before you interfered and the only misjudgement you made was due to some misplaced compassion. No one can think the worse of you for that.’
    â€˜Can’t they? Oh Tim, I’m not worried about it coming out that I warned Karen. Mac will be mad as hell, but he already suspects as much. I’m worried about . . . how can I explain this? It’s that Karen has changed. Oh, the seeds of this new Karen were already there, and you’re right, of course: circumstance created her, and maybe genetic factors as well – I really couldn’t say. But it’s the woman she’s become that worries me. She’s had time to harden her attitudes, to become vengeful.’
    â€˜Vengeful?’ Tim laughed, then stopped when he caught sight of her expression. ‘Rina, I think . . .’
    â€˜That maybe I’m getting ahead of myself? Maybe I am, Tim, but she’s changed. When we knew the old Karen, there was still something of the lost child hiding in there. With the right input, I believe that Karen could have been salvaged. But she’s changed, Tim. I saw her, remember, and the young woman who came to Peverill Lodge yesterday was not the Karen that left here all those months ago. She’s had time to find herself. Whereas before she was all the people her brother and her mother needed, now she’s just Karen. Confident, purposeful. Her own woman, Tim, and I