Chapter 8: The Woman Who Protected the Wrong Person
The drive back to my mother’s house felt longer than it should have.
Chloe sat beside me in silence.
Neither of us spoke.
There are moments when words become useless.
When your entire understanding of your family shifts so suddenly that your brain cannot catch up.
My father.
Poisoned.
My mother.
Knowing.
My uncle.
Confessing.
And somewhere inside all of it was the person who had destroyed everything.
When we arrived, Mom was sitting at the kitchen table.
She looked like she hadn’t moved since we left.
A cup of untouched tea sat in front of her.
She looked up.
“You talked to David.””
It wasn’t a question.
I closed the door behind me.
“Yes.””
Her face tightened.
“What did he tell you?””
I stared at her.
“You already know.””
She looked down.
“I thought he would tell you eventually.””
I almost couldn’t believe it.
“You thought?””
My voice rose.
“You spent twelve years letting me believe Dad died disappointed in me.””
Tears filled her eyes.
“I know.””
“You let everyone think I abandoned him.””
“I know.””
“And all this time, you knew he was murdered?””
Chloe gasped.
My mother closed her eyes.
So that was the answer.
She knew.
I stepped closer.
“Tell me the truth.””
She was quiet.
Then she whispered:
“I didn’t know at first.””
I waited.
“The doctors thought it was natural.””
“Until?””
“Until Robert showed me the test results.””
“What test results?””
She looked terrified.
“Results from the hospital.””
She gripped the edge of the table.
“They found something unusual.””
“Poison.””
She nodded.
The word felt unreal.
“I asked him who could have done it.””
“And?””
“He said he didn’t know.””
“Do you believe that?””
She looked away.
“No.””
My chest tightened.
“You knew.””
“I suspected.””
“Who?””
She closed her eyes.
“David.””
Chloe looked shocked.
“But David admitted taking money.””
Mom looked at her.
“That doesn’t mean he poisoned Robert.””
I froze.
“What?””
She looked at me.
“David did something terrible.””
Her voice cracked.
“But he didn’t kill your father.””
I studied her face.
“Then why protect him?””
She didn’t answer.
That was enough.
“Mom.””
She whispered:
“Because Robert asked me to.””
I stopped.
“What?””
She looked at the old family photograph on the wall.
“Your father knew David was guilty of stealing.””
“I know.””
“But he also knew why.””
“Why?””
“Because David’s daughter needed surgery.””
I blinked.
“His daughter?””
My mother nodded.
“Your cousin Emily.””
I remembered her.
A little girl with curly brown hair.
She was older now.
But I remembered.
“She had a heart condition.””
I nodded slowly.
“David couldn’t afford the operation.””
My mother wiped her eyes.
“Robert knew. He helped him. He forgave him.””
I sat down.
Because that was exactly who Dad was.
He believed broken people deserved a chance.
“But the poisoning…”
Mom’s face changed.
“That was different.””
“Who did you suspect?””
She looked at me.
“I thought I knew.””
My heart pounded.
“Who?””
She reached into a drawer.
Pulled out a small envelope.
“I found this after Robert died.””
I stared.
“What is it?””
“A note.””
She placed it on the table.
I opened it.
The handwriting wasn’t Dad’s.
The message was short.
Stop digging, Robert.
Some things are better buried.
My hands shook.
“Who wrote this?””
My mother looked at me.
“I don’t know.””
“Then why keep it?””
“Because Robert knew.””
“Knew what?””
She whispered:
“He knew the person who sent it was close.””
The room went silent.
Chloe looked at me.
“Close how?””
My mother looked toward the hallway.
“Close enough to know everything.””
A cold feeling moved through me.
“Mom.””
She looked at me.
“There’s something else.””
Of course there was.
There was always something else.
“What?””
She hesitated.
Then said:
“The day you left Cedar Creek…”
I waited.
“Someone followed you.””
My stomach dropped.
“What?””
“Your father found out.””
“How?””
“He checked the security camera at the house.””
I felt my breathing change.
“Why didn’t anyone tell me?””
“Because Robert was afraid.””
“Afraid of what?””
She looked at me.
“That whoever wanted him gone…”
May you like
Her voice broke.
“Wanted you gone too.””
