Confessions of a Murder Suspect

83

The scene in my parents’ bedroom wasn’t over. Nate Crosby’s video rolled on.

On-screen, my mother turned in response to a knock at the door. From her expression, I thought that she might have been expecting the visitor. “Come in, please,” she called out.

I watched as Samantha entered my parents’ bedroom. She was wearing slacks, a white eyelet blouse, a dark blue jacket that my mother had given her, and flat pink shoes.

“Am I disturbing you?” Samantha asked. “Is it too late?”

“No, we’re still awake,” said Maud.

“I wanted to tell you that I double-checked all the documents to make sure that your signatures and the notary stamps were all in the right places,” she said, moving toward the bed. “I dropped the papers off at Philippe’s office before I went out to dinner.”

She paused, seeming to notice something in the looks on their faces.

“Is everything all right?”

“Everything is fine,” said Maud. Her smile was crooked, forced. “What did you have for dinner?”

Samantha smiled. “Pasta pomodoro,” she said. “And a little red vino.”

Maud reached out to Samantha, drew her in for a hug, and kissed her cheek. Samantha kissed Maud’s cheek, too. As Samantha pulled back, I saw a glint of gold at her throat—the locket.

Samantha had been wearing Maud’s keepsake that night.

On the TV, Samantha said, “Maud, do you need anything before I go to bed?”

Beside me, Harry cried out, “Please, Samantha. Do something.”

If only we could go into that scene and tell Samantha what they had done. Maybe there would have been time to save them.

Maud said, “Will you put the trash down the chute, Sammy?”

“Of course,” Samantha said. She picked the bottle up off the floor, put it in the trash basket, and went to the doorway. She turned before she left, waggled her fingers, and said, “Sweet dreams.”

“And you as well, dear. We’re fine. Perfectly fine,” said Maud. She blew Samantha a kiss, and once the door was closed, put her face in her hands. Her shoulders shook as she sobbed.

My father took her in his arms and held her tightly. “It’s okay, darling. It’s all okay now. We’re sparing them the worst.”

Maud nodded. “I wouldn’t have changed a day,” she said at last. Her voice sounded tired. “Well, I wouldn’t have awarded Katherine… the Grande Gongo… with an Asterisk.”

“No, of course not. Please don’t think about that, darling. The other kids… they’re strong. They’ve risen to every challenge we’ve given them. They’ll be fine. And they’ll understand why it had to be this way when they read the papers,” my father said.

My mother said, “Yes. It’s best to let the children find their way… in their own way. Mal? Do you want the last word?”

“No. You have it, sweetheart.”

My mother looked up at her husband, wearing a brave smile that tore at my heart. She said, “Thank you, Malcolm. I’ll love you forever.”

I turned away then. I knew it was where my father nodded and hugged my mother even harder. They were entwined when the seizures started.

I choked out, “Turn it off, Harry.”

Tears were streaming down both of our faces.

“I’m sorry,” said Sergeant Caputo. He reached out and touched my arm. “I’m very sorry for your loss.”