Page 261 of Mayhem and Minnie

“But how? Surely he’d be able to see the injuries and…”

I shake my head.

“We were isolated. Giles was Father’s driver. My mother and I weren’t allowed to leave the house without a good excuse. She homeschooled me, and we spent most of my childhood inside the house.”

“That’s…”

“Bad, I know.” I chuckle. “My mother was pregnant with Irene around that time, and I think my father knew the baby wasn’t his. I remember that night perfectly. Mother had just started showing when my father confronted her about Giles. He’d installed cameras in the house, you see, and he’d caught them in the act.”

“Your mother had an affair with Giles?” Minnie asks.

I nod.

“I think in those years, Giles was the only one who kept her alive. I was becoming more and more withdrawn, and I think she felt…alone. I can’t blame her for it since I could have been a better son. I could have spent more time with her, helped her more?—”

“How old were you?” Minnie interrupts me.

“Eight.”

“Eight? You were a kid, Marlowe!”

“Was I ever?” I muse. “Even as a kid I knew more than a child should ever know—had seen more than most adults, too. I could have done better.”

Minnie shakes her head at me.

“Even in my world children are children. We might age differently than you. But a child is a child.”

I shrug.

“I heard them arguing that night, and I knew what was going to follow. He was going to beat her and she would have another miscarriage. I don’t know what I was thinking, or if I was thinking at all. But when their voices became louder, I went there. I usually went there when they’d fight, which wasn’t to my benefit since his blows didn’t really discriminate.” I give a dry laugh. “But this time it was different. They were in the hallway by the kitchen, and I remember grabbing a knife as I passed through the kitchen. I grabbed it and I snuck up on him.”

I close my eyes as I visualize that moment.

“He was too busy yelling to hear me approach. The first stab was at the back of his knee. I was quite short for an eight-year-old.” I chuckle. “But he quickly fell to his knees, and I administered the second stab. Then the third. And the fourth. Quite frankly, I lost count of the number of times I stabbed him.”

“You…killed him?”

“I did. Although it didn’t really register as such at that time. I only wanted to make him stop. I didn’t want my mother to hurt again.”

“Marlowe, that’s horrible. I’m so sorry,” Minnie whispers.

I hold her closer to me.

“I didn’t speak for four years afterward. Trauma and all that.” I chuckle. “It didn’t register what I’d done for a very long time. Until I was seventeen, and I did it again. And then again at eighteen. And since then, I haven’t stopped.”

“Your mother and Giles helped to cover it up, didn’t they?”

“Yes. They tried to help in their own way, but ultimately, they realized that I’m just…not quite right in the head.” I smile.

Minnie’s eyes flare in shock and she pinches me.

“Don’t say that!” she exclaims.

“It’s the truth. I don’t know whether I was born like this or I slowly became like this. Either way, there you have it. I killed my own father.” I pause. “And then went on to kill a hundred and sixty-something people. I think I’ve lost count now, especially after that demon attack.” I chuckle.

“That’s not funny, Marlowe.” Minnie frowns. “Your father was a monster and he deserved what he got. I just can’t imagine you… An eight-year-old stabbing a grown man. You poor thing,” she murmurs, stroking my cheek.

“I didn’t tell you this so you can pity me,” I say between my teeth. “You’ve shared so much of yourself and your past, and I… Well, I wanted you to know me better.” I attempt a smile.

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