Chapter 4 - The First Crack
News of the warehouse investigation spread quietly.
Claire and Victor were questioned repeatedly.
Their attorneys advised them to avoid me.
That lasted four days.
Then Claire came to the hospital alone.
She entered my room without knocking.
Eli was downstairs.
Perfect.
Claire sat beside my bed.
“Mom.”
I looked at her.
She began crying.
Real tears.
That was inconvenient.
Because real tears were harder to ignore than lies.
“I’m sorry.”
Silence.
“I was angry.”
Silence.
“Victor convinced me.”
Silence.
Claire wiped her face.
“You know how he gets.”
I looked at her.
“Yes.”
She waited.
I continued.
“And you know how you get.”
Her face tightened.
“I made a mistake.”
“A mistake is forgetting to lock the door.”
She stared at me.
“You chained it.”
Claire looked away.
I continued.
“You watched your brother kick my medicine away.”
She said nothing.
“You laughed.”
Her eyes filled again.
“I’m sorry.”
I nodded.
“I believe you.”
Claire looked relieved.
Then I continued.
“But believing you are sorry is not the same as believing you deserve to escape the consequences.”
The relief disappeared.
That was the first crack.
She stood.
“Are you going to destroy us?”
I smiled.
“No, Claire.”
I looked directly at her.
May you like
“You already tried that to me.”
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