Chapter 4 - WHAT ALEX SAW
Andrew stopped the recording.
He couldn’t listen anymore.
His hands shook so badly the phone almost slipped from his fingers.
“You were there,” he whispered.
Alex nodded.
Lucinda backed toward the hallway.
Andrew stepped between her and the door.
“You told me Alex was asleep.”
“He was.”
“No,” Alex said.
His voice was still small, but it no longer disappeared.
“I followed Mom.”
Andrew looked at his son.
“Why?”
Alex hugged the rabbit tighter.
“Because they were yelling.”
Lucinda snapped, “He was five years old!”
“He’s six,” Andrew said.
“He doesn’t know what he saw.”
Alex stared at her.
“You had a green thing.”
Lucinda’s eyes dropped.
The ribbon.
Andrew looked at the piece still in his hand.
Alex pointed to it.
“In your hair.”
Lucinda touched the back of her head without thinking.
It was enough.
Andrew saw everything connect.
The ribbon had belonged to Lucinda.
How had it ended up tied around Alex’s rabbit?
Elizabeth suddenly looked at the toy.
“Alex,” she said gently, “who put the ribbon on your rabbit?”
“Mom.”
Andrew turned.
“What?”
Alex sniffed.
“Before she fell.”
Lucinda said quickly, “That’s impossible.”
Alex shook his head.
“She took it.”
Andrew crouched in front of him.
“Took it from where?”
“Her.”
Alex pointed at Lucinda.
“She grabbed her hair.”
The room seemed to shrink.
Alex continued.
“They yelled outside. Aunt Lucinda said Mommy ruined everything.”
Lucinda whispered, “Stop.”
Alex’s face twisted.
“Mom said she would tell Daddy.”
“Stop.”
“You pushed her.”
“STOP!”
Lucinda grabbed the broken lamp base.
Andrew moved toward her.
“Put it down.”
She held it like a weapon.
Alex started shaking again.
Elizabeth pulled him behind her.
Lucinda’s voice cracked.
“I didn’t mean for her to fall.”
Andrew froze.
Silence.
Lucinda realized what she had said.
Her eyes widened.
Andrew whispered, “You just admitted it.”
“No.”
“You just admitted it.”
“She grabbed me!”
“You pushed her.”
“She was going to destroy my life!”
Andrew stared.
“What life?”
Lucinda laughed bitterly.
“The one she took from me.”
Andrew stepped closer.
“What are you talking about?”
Lucinda’s face twisted with years of resentment.
“Caroline got everything.”
“She was your sister.”
“She was the favorite.”
“That does not explain murder.”
“She had the house. The money. The husband. The child. The perfect life.”
Her eyes moved to Andrew.
“And you.”
Andrew recoiled.
Lucinda smiled through tears.
“You never knew, did you?”
Elizabeth’s expression changed.
Andrew whispered, “Knew what?”
Lucinda’s eyes filled with something worse than rage.
Longing.
“I loved you first.”
Andrew stared at her.
Lucinda continued.
“Before Caroline ever met you.”
Alex whimpered.
Andrew looked sick.
Then downstairs, the front door slammed.
A man’s voice shouted through the house.
“Lucinda?”
Lucinda suddenly smiled.
Andrew recognized the voice.
It belonged to his family attorney.
May you like
David Mercer.
And Lucinda whispered, “You’re too late.”
