Page 41 of A River of Crows

Detective Peterson: Thank you for agreeing to meet, Mrs. Hadfield.

Caroline: It’s Radel, actually. Caroline Radel.

Detective Peterson: Sorry, Ms. Radel. Can you tell us a little about the morning of November 6th?

Caroline: The boys were going fishing, so I got up early to pack a lunch. We ate breakfast. It was all very usual.

Detective Peterson: Can you describe Mr. Hadfield's disposition that morning?

Caroline: Well, Jay wasn't thrilled about going. It had all been my idea. Something I put together. God, this is all my fault.

Detective Peterson: No one can blame you, Ms. Radel. Would you like to pause the interview for a moment?

Caroline: No, I’m okay. Sorry. I just keep remembering that Ridge didn’t want to go. Jay and Ridge were never close, so I hoped this would be good for them.

Detective Peterson: You say they weren't close. Can you elaborate?

Caroline: Ridge was a mama’s boy. That bothered Jay. He just wasn't the son Jay hoped for. Not athletic or adventurous. He was a smart and gentle boy. That’s what they were fighting about that morning. Ridge wanted to throw the fish back because he didn’t want to hurt them.

Detective Peterson: I’m going to back up here a bit. There was a fight that morning? You said earlier it was a normal morning.

Caroline: Oh, well, it was a normal morning. I can’t recall many mornings when there wasn’t some sort of disagreement between Jay and Ridge.

Sloan stopped. She didn’t remember a fight that morning. In her memories, Ridge was mopey, but their father had been in a great mood. There had been no fight that morning and certainly not every morning.

“Whatcha looking at?” a voice boomed behind her.

Sloan barely caught herself from falling out of the chair. “Mom! What are you doing up?” Sloan realized the answer. She’d been so distracted, she’d forgotten to give Caroline the Doxepin.

“I’m just thirsty.”

“Okay, let me get you some water.” Sloan filled a glass and glanced over her shoulder before digging the pill bottle from the back of the cabinet. Caroline was staring at the computer in an almost trance-like state.

Sloan used her body as a shield as she broke open the capsule and shook the powder into the cup.

“Here you go.” Sloan twirled the cup around a few times before handing it to her mother.

But instead of taking the cup, Caroline knocked it out of Sloan’s hand. Glass shattered across the tile.

“What the hell are you slipping me?” Caroline asked.

Sloan’s muscles tensed. “Just something to help you sleep.”

“You mean something to tranquilize me?” Caroline jammed a finger into Sloan's chest. “I don’t want any meds.”

Sloan stepped back. “I’m sorry. Just go to bed, and I’ll clean up the mess.”

“No, I got it,” Caroline said, stepping into the pile of glass.

“Mom, stop!” Sloan yelled, but Caroline didn’t seem bothered by the shard of glass that stuck into her foot as she stepped forward to grab Sloan’s laptop off the kitchen table.

Sloan held up both hands. “Mom, you've got glass in your foot. Let me—”

But before she could finish, Caroline raised the laptop over her head and slammed it down. Bits of plastic and keyboard flew across the kitchen floor.

Sloan bent down to survey the damage. “What the hell, Mom?”

“I saw what you were looking at. I don't want to see that man's face ever again.”

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