Chương 10
Lucinda swallowed.
“Not all of Peter’s business was legal.”
Andrew’s gaze hardened.
“What did Peter do?”
Lucinda shook her head.
“He moved money for people.”
Elizabeth looked at Andrew.
He seemed genuinely surprised.
“People like Victor?”
“People Victor worked for.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
“Yes.”
Lucinda’s voice rose.
Then she checked herself and lowered it.
“Because it is true.”
Andrew glanced at Alex before continuing.
“Why didn’t you go to the police?”
Lucinda looked at him as if he had asked why she did not walk into traffic.
“Because Peter was dead.”
“So?”
“So an investigation would have destroyed everything he left behind.”
“He was dead.”
“He was my brother.”
“And Alex is your grandson.”
Lucinda looked at the boy.
Her face changed.
Andrew saw it.
“You keep looking at him like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re sorry.”
Lucinda pressed her lips together.
“I am.”
“For cutting the ribbon?”
“For many things.”
Andrew leaned forward.
“Not good enough.”
“I know.”
“No, I don’t think you do.”
Lucinda’s eyes flashed.
“You think I have not lived with that night every day?”
Andrew looked stunned by the anger in her voice.
Lucinda continued.
“You think you are the only person who woke up hearing Caroline hit those stairs?”
Elizabeth felt Alex tremble.
Andrew stood immediately.
“Stop.”
Lucinda’s face collapsed.
“I’m sorry.”
“Stop talking about it in front of him.”
Alex whispered, “I heard.”
Andrew crouched beside him.
“I know.”
“I heard every night.”
Andrew froze.
Elizabeth closed her eyes.
Alex looked at his father.
“When sleep.”
Andrew’s face crumpled.
He placed both hands over his mouth for a second.
Then he lowered them.
“You hear it when you sleep?”
Alex nodded.
Andrew’s voice became unsteady.
“Is that why you stopped talking?”
Alex looked at Lucinda.
She had turned away.
Andrew followed his gaze.
Then Alex whispered, “She said bad man take Daddy.”
Lucinda’s shoulders went rigid.
Andrew stared at her.
“What did you tell him?”
Lucinda did not turn.
“What did you tell my son?”
She closed her eyes.
“That night?”
“Yes.”
Lucinda faced them.
Her cheeks were wet.
“I found him behind the nursery door after Victor left.”
Andrew looked physically ill.
Lucinda continued.
“He had seen more than I knew.”
“What did you say?”
“He kept asking for Caroline.”
Andrew’s voice sharpened.
“What did you say?”
“I told him he had to be quiet.”
Alex buried his face again.
Andrew’s hands curled into fists.
Lucinda spoke quickly now.
“Victor was still outside.”
“So?”
“He had already told me if anyone knew he had been there, he would make sure the police saw the transfers with your signatures.”
“My forged signatures.”
“Yes.”
“And you believed him.”
“Yes.”
Andrew stared.
Lucinda’s breathing sped up.
“I told Alex that if he talked about Victor, Victor would take you away.”
Andrew’s face went empty.
Elizabeth felt something cold pass through her chest.
Lucinda looked at Alex.
“I thought I was protecting him from being questioned.”
Andrew whispered, “You terrified him into silence.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No, I was trying to keep him calm.”
“You told a five-year-old that a dangerous man would take his father if he spoke.”
“He was four.”
Andrew stared at her.
The correction was so grotesque that even Lucinda seemed to hear it after she said it.
She covered her face.
Andrew turned away.
Elizabeth said nothing.
There was nothing useful to say.
Alex pulled the rabbit close.
His thumb found the bare place where the green ribbon used to be.
He rubbed it over and over.
Andrew noticed.
He crossed to the console, picked up the severed ribbon, and returned.
He knelt.
“Can I?”
Alex looked at the ribbon.
Then at his father.
Andrew did not touch the rabbit.
He waited.
Alex slowly held it out.
Andrew tied the ribbon around its neck.
His hands shook badly enough that he had to start twice.
The knot came out crooked.
Alex stared at it.
Andrew looked embarrassed.
“Your mom was better at this.”
Alex touched the knot.
For the first time that evening, his mouth made something almost like a smile.
It disappeared quickly.
Andrew swallowed.
Then the doorbell rang.
Lucinda flinched harder than Alex.
Andrew stood.
Blue light moved faintly across the white walls through the front windows.
Elizabeth felt Alex’s arms lock around her.
Andrew looked at his mother.
Lucinda remained seated.
“They’re here,” he said.
She nodded.
Andrew walked toward the front doors.
Halfway there, Lucinda spoke.
“Andrew.”
He stopped but did not turn.
“Victor called me this morning.”
Andrew looked back.
Lucinda’s face was pale.
“He knows the card still exists.”
Andrew’s hand remained on the front door latch.
For a moment, the flashing blue light outside swept over his face and made him look unfamiliar even to himself.
“When?”
Lucinda swallowed.
“Just after nine.”
“This morning?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
“That someone had been asking questions.”
“Who?”
“He wouldn’t tell me.”
Andrew released the latch.
Behind the glass, another pulse of blue crossed the foyer.
“Did you tell him the card was here?”
“No.”
“Did you tell him Caroline hid it in the rabbit?”
Lucinda looked at Alex.
Andrew stepped into her line of sight again.
“Answer me.”
“No.”
“Did he know?”
“I don’t know.”
Andrew stared at her.
Lucinda rubbed her palms against the black fabric over her knees.
“He asked whether I had found anything Caroline left behind.”
“And what did you say?”
“I said no.”
Andrew’s mouth tightened.
“Did he believe you?”
“I don’t know.”
The doorbell rang again.
This time Alex buried his face against Elizabeth’s shoulder.
Andrew opened the door.
Two uniformed officers stood on the front step.
One was a broad-shouldered Black woman in her forties with her hair pulled tightly behind her head.
The other was a younger white man with a narrow face and an expression that tried too hard to look neutral.
The older officer introduced herself as Sergeant Maya Cole.
Her partner was Officer Bennett.
May you like
Andrew stepped aside.
“Come in.”
