Chương 8
Caroline’s voice became tender.
“Just for a second.”
There was more rustling.
A faint tear of thread.
Then hurried breathing.
Lucinda’s voice rose from somewhere below.
“Caroline.”
Caroline whispered, “Okay, sweetheart.”
The sound of fabric moved again.
“Take him.”
Alex made a broken noise.
Andrew crouched immediately.
“That’s enough.”
He reached for the laptop.
Alex grabbed his wrist.
Andrew stopped.
The boy shook his head.
His face had gone wet with tears, but he made no sound of crying.
“Finish.”
Andrew stared at him.
Elizabeth said quietly, “Alex, you don’t have to.”
“Finish.”
It was stronger the second time.
Andrew slowly sat again.
Lucinda looked at the child.
A muscle jumped beside her mouth.
Andrew pressed play.
Caroline’s voice resumed.
“You stay behind me.”
Lucinda said, closer now, “What did you do?”
“Nothing.”
“You put it somewhere.”
“No.”
“Give it to me.”
A sharp scuffling sound followed.
Andrew’s fingers curled against the edge of the table.
Caroline gasped.
“Let go.”
Lucinda shouted, “Stop pulling away.”
“You’re hurting me.”
“I’m trying to stop you from leaving.”
“Get your hands off me.”
Something struck wood.
Then came Alex’s scream.
It was high, terrified, unmistakably his.
The present-day Alex folded against Andrew.
Andrew caught him.
For one terrible second, father and son seemed to stop knowing which night they were in.
Elizabeth reached across them and closed the laptop.
The audio cut off.
“No.”
Andrew’s voice broke.
He looked at her.
“Open it.”
Alex clutched his jacket.
Elizabeth shook her head.
“He’s done.”
Andrew’s face was wet now.
He did not seem to notice.
“I need the rest.”
“You need him more.”
Lucinda made a small sound.
Everyone turned.
She had covered her mouth with one hand.
The pearls at her throat rose and fell quickly.
Andrew stared at her.
“You heard him scream.”
Lucinda lowered her hand.
“I didn’t know he was there.”
“The recording says you did.”
“Not on the stairs.”
Andrew stood.
Alex remained attached to his jacket until Elizabeth gently took his hand.
Andrew looked at his mother.
“What happened after that scream?”
Lucinda shook her head.
“Mother.”
“I don’t know.”
“You know.”
“I don’t.”
His voice sharpened.
“Caroline died at the bottom of those stairs.”
“I know where she died.”
“And you were with her.”
“Yes.”
“And Alex was there.”
Lucinda’s face crumpled for the first time.
Not completely.
Her discipline fought it.
But years seemed to appear around her eyes all at once.
“Yes.”
Andrew stepped back as if the admission had physical force.
Elizabeth lifted Alex into her arms.
He was too big to carry comfortably, but he wrapped himself around her without resistance.
Andrew stared at his mother.
“What did you tell the police?”
Lucinda looked down.
“I told them I found her.”
Andrew’s breathing stopped.
“After she fell?”
“Yes.”
“You said you came from the guest room after hearing a noise.”
“Yes.”
“That was a lie.”
Lucinda nodded once.
Andrew laughed.
It was a terrible sound.
Short and empty.
“You let me believe there was no one there.”
“I was afraid.”
“Of what?”
She looked at him.
“Of losing you.”
Andrew stared.
“You had already lost my wife.”
Lucinda flinched.
“I did not push her.”
Alex lifted his head from Elizabeth’s shoulder.
Andrew saw it.
So did Lucinda.
“I did not,” she repeated.
Her voice was louder now.
“I grabbed her arm.”
Andrew’s face hardened.
Lucinda stood.
“She had the rabbit.”
Alex began trembling again.
“She had already hidden the card, but I didn’t know that.”
Andrew said, “What happened?”
“She tried to get past me.”
“What happened?”
“I caught her wrist.”
Lucinda’s hands moved helplessly in front of her.
“She pulled away.”
Andrew’s eyes dropped to them.
“She was near the top step.”
Lucinda swallowed.
“I reached again.”
Andrew did not move.
“I caught her sleeve.”
Her voice weakened.
“The fabric tore.”
Alex made a strangled sound.
Elizabeth turned his face against her shoulder.
Lucinda stared at the floor.
“She lost her footing.”
Andrew’s eyes closed.
“Did you push her?”
“No.”
“Did you touch her?”
“Yes.”
“Did she fall because you touched her?”
Lucinda looked up.
The answer took several seconds.
“Yes.”
Andrew turned away.
His hand went to the back of his neck.
He walked three steps and stopped beside the console table where the severed green ribbon still lay.
Lucinda followed him with her eyes.
“She was alive when she landed.”
Andrew turned slowly.
Elizabeth felt cold move through her.
Lucinda seemed to realize that there would be no safe version of the story left.
She continued anyway.
“She was breathing.”
Andrew’s face became blank.
“What did you do?”
Lucinda’s eyes filled.
“I froze.”
“What did you do?”
“I went down to her.”
“And?”
“She tried to speak.”
Andrew’s voice dropped.
“What did she say?”
Lucinda shook her head.
“I couldn’t understand.”
“Did you call 911?”
Silence.
Andrew stared at her.
“Did you call 911?”
“No.”
Elizabeth’s grip tightened around Alex.
Andrew looked almost puzzled now.
“Why?”
Lucinda’s answer came in a whisper.
“Victor was outside.”
Andrew’s expression changed.
“What?”
“He had followed me.”
“Why?”
“Because he wanted the card.”
Andrew stared at the photograph still frozen on the closed laptop.
“Victor Hale was here that night.”
“Yes.”
“And instead of calling an ambulance, you called him.”
Lucinda’s mouth trembled.
“I thought Caroline was already dying.”
“That isn’t what I asked.”
Lucinda looked toward Alex.
Andrew stepped into her line of sight.
“Do not look at him.”
She looked back at her son.
“I called Victor.”
Andrew’s voice barely carried.
“And then?”
Lucinda closed her eyes.
“He came inside.”
Alex whispered against Elizabeth’s shoulder, “Bad man.”
Andrew heard him.
His gaze remained fixed on Lucinda.
“What did Victor do?”
Lucinda opened her eyes.
“He checked Caroline’s pulse.”
“And?”
“He said we had minutes before anyone could know we were there.”
Andrew stared at her.
“You left her on the floor.”
Lucinda shook her head desperately.
“No.”
“You left her on the floor.”
“I stayed.”
“Did Victor call for help?”
May you like
“No.”
“Did you?”
