Page 135 of Not a Word

“Save your breath,” he said.

“What I said . . .”

“It’s okay.”

“I didn’t mean it. I would never have stopped loving you. You’re . . . you’re my son. As much a son as Reece . . .”

“Shh,” Holden said. “Don’t say anything. They’re coming. You’re going to be okay.”

“Please forgive me.”

Holden brought her closer to him, brought his face close to hers, and said softly, “I forgive you.”

Mom had nothing else to say. Her eyes closed, and she was gone.

Fifty-One

McCabe: Thanks for coming. Have a seat. I’m recording this, just so you know.

Reece: Yeah, sure.

McCabe: First, I wanted to offer my condolences again on the passing of your mother.

Reece: Thank you.

McCabe: It’s been quite a tragic couple of days for you. Your father Friday, your mother yesterday. It’s horrible.

Diana: Thank you.

McCabe: And Mr. Chartwell, I wanted you to know that I have already been in discussions with the Crown attorney, and I think she’s going to find that you acted in self-defense. The likelihood of charges against you is very remote. When you attacked Dalton Crane, he had already shot your mother and was clearly intending to shoot the rest of you. That said, I would advise you to retain the services of a lawyer through the process.

Reece: Understood. I’ve already been in touch with someone.

McCabe: How are your hands?

Reece: They did a pretty decent job getting all the splinters out of my palms at the hospital. Some of them were in pretty deep.

McCabe: Lucky that old piece of oar was there.

Reece: Yeah.

McCabe: Wish I’d have gotten there five minutes sooner. If Crane hadn’t died, if your mother had survived, there wouldn’t be quite so many unanswered questions. But we’re going to do the best we can to clear those up. That’s why I want to talk to everyone while their memory is fresh. I had a long chat with Holden this morning. He’s pretty shaken up. I was hoping he might be able to clarify a few things.

Reece: Was he?

McCabe: Yes and no.

Diana: What do you mean?

McCabe: Let’s go back a bit. Holden has described for me what happened back in 1999, which I understand you were not aware of until recently. That he witnessed your mother fatally shooting Evelyn Corby, who worked with you father at Wiffel-Smith.

Reece: Yes. It was . . . a shock.

McCabe: And that your parents, with the assistance of Mr. Crane, covered up this crime.

Reece: Yes.

McCabe: Holden said that during his time at Sharnwood, he met Alicia Zane, that they formed a kind of bond, that he unburdened himself about what he had seen so long ago, something his mother had sworn him to never talk about. And even before Holden got into the details, this Ms. Zane was able to figure out that it was her aunt that your mother had killed.