Page 34 of One Last Lie

But she’s the first clue, and that clue is inscribed with nearly as much emphasis as must protect her!!

I sit for a long while before finally replacing the pen and inkwell. I debate for a moment what to do with the puzzle, then decide to take it to my room.

I need more time to think on this. I can’t believe that Cecilia could be responsible for the death of her children’s father.

As I leave the study, however, the ugly sneer she wears the last time she mentions him burns itself into my mind.

Ah yes. Their dear father.

Surely not. Surely it isn’t so.

I look up the stairs toward Cecilia’s room, the one she used to share with Johnathan. I wonder what dreams accompany her as she slumbers in their marriage bed.

And does she greet those dreams with fear or with triumph?

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Cecilia meets me for coffee in the morning. The day is bright and cloudless, and there’s even birdsong outside. The cheer the songbirds evoke is incongruous with the dread I feel.

Cecilia smiles warmly at me, and I try desperately to feel the same connection to her I feel the day before.

But it doesn’t come. I don’t know the woman in front of me, and the glimpse I get when she sneers at Johnathan’s memory combines with the clue from his crossword to make me wonder if I’ve ever even met the woman behind the smile.

Fortunately, I am better equipped to lie today than I am yesterday. I return an equally warm smile and say, “You seem in a good mood. I take it the phone calls you made worked well?”

“Very well. Let’s just say that if Elena decides to press the issue, she’ll find the board’s mind unchanged.”

I’m not entirely sure what that means, but I assume it means they’ll support Cecilia. “That’s wonderful!”

Her smile widens and she tosses her hair saucily. “Nice to have a bit of good news.”

The move is girly and quite pretty on her, but it reminds me uncomfortably of the sneer the day before. I need a moment to collect myself, so I stand and say, “I’ll get you some coffee. I need a refill myself.”

“Oh please, you sit,” she says. “I insist. After you defended me yesterday, I should be serving you coffee.”

I feel like I should protest further, but it seems I'm not as strong-willed today as I think I am. I smile gratefully and return to my seat.

Why would Cecilia kill him? What would she possibly gain from that? Money? To what end? She has everything she could possibly wish for. I don’t sympathize with Theresa at all, but she had a point when she said that Cecilia didn’t even miss the jewelry. What could a woman with everything she wanted wish for?

Power? She said she didn’t want to run the company. She only wanted to resist Elena to protect Johnathan’s memory. True, I encouraged her and suggested she could take his place if she wanted, but I only said that to make her feel better. She didn’t really appear enthused about the prospect.

Escape? From what? To where? I can’t believe that Johnathan was abusive. The children revere his memory, and Cecilia shows no signs of being a battered woman.

Elijah said that his mother loved herself. He implied that she didn’t love Johnathan or perhaps anyone else. But to murder him? I just can’t see it.

She returns and hands me a coffee. I sip and frown when I taste a sharp tang that isn’t there before.

“It’s a Costa Rican blend,” she says. She smiles sheepishly. “Johnathan preferred dark roast, but I was more of a blonde roast girl.”

“Ah. It’s… unique.”

She laughs. “I take it you’re not a fan. That’s all right. You can make the dark roast again if you want.”

“Oh, that’s fine. Besides, light roast has more caffeine.”

“You know I heard that wasn’t true,” she says. “I heard it’s a misunderstanding of the roasting process.”

“Oh. I suppose you learn something new every day.”

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