Page 55 of One Last Lie

I take my phone out and look up public information on the case. Like many people my age, I am not usually reliant on technology. I hold the old-fashioned belief that the less time people spend on phones and computers and the more time outside interacting with others and with nature, the better.

But there is no denying the usefulness of having nearly all of the world’s information at one’s fingertips. I kick myself for not doing this sooner. Imagine how much time I could have saved by looking up this information sooner.

As I suspect, Cecilia is the one who calls nine-one-one. The children are visiting their aunt and uncle when she finds Johnathan in their dining room dead. Emergency responders arrive and quickly pronounce him dead.

And at the head of those first responders is one Detective Richard Holloway. The coroner determines that the cause of death is a massive ischemic event. A little note indicates that the cause of death has been revised, but when I click to see what the original cause was, a note informs me that record has been sealed by the court.

No matter. I know exactly what that record is. It sits upstairs in a box in Cecilia’s closet. Or perhaps now in Detective Holloway’s hands.

It hits me suddenly that my life might actually be in danger. I blanche when I realize that I’ve all but accused Cecilia of murder. And now I’m alone in the house with two murderers present.

I need to get out of here.

I quickly put the photograph and the crossword puzzle in my pocket. I rush from the study to the library, thinking of what my next move should be. I don’t need anything in my room. I can follow my original plan and take one of the cars. Anything I need immediately, I can purchase in Buffalo. From there, I can return to New York City and find a place to rent for a few weeks while I go to the authorities with what I know. I still believe that Cecilia won’t allow harm to come to her children. I believe that Richard is capable of killing them based on what I’ve seen, but he won’t act without Cecilia’s blessing. He won’t risk losing her.

I leave the library and nearly run directly into Cecilia. I yelp and jump backwards into the arms of Detective Holloway.

I shriek and pull away, facing him warily. He frowns quizzically at me. “You all right? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Cecilia gives me a more searching look, but Richard doesn’t seem to suspect anything. She hasn’t told him of my accusation yet.

“No,” I finally say. “I mean, yes. I’m all right. You just startled me.”

“What were you doing in the library?” Cecilia asks.

“Oh. I’m sorry,” I say. “I’ve been having trouble sleeping, and I’ve taken to reading a delightful novel of yours.”

“Which novel?”

Of course, she would ask that question. Very good job, Mary. Way to hide your activities.

“Wind in the Willows,” I reply.

Richard frowns. “The children’s book?”

“Yes.” I laugh. “I’ve spent most of my life caring for children in one capacity or another. I suppose I’ve developed a fondness for children’s literature. Could you believe I’ve never read Wind in the Willows before?”

He nods, a little confused. “Yeah, it’s a good book.”

“Why don’t you take it up to your room to read it?” Cecilia asks.

“Oh.” Yes, Mary. Why don’t you do the most obvious act of any sane person instead of sneaking to the library at odd moments to read the book? “Well… I was afraid that I might not be allowed.”

God, I’m terrible at this. How is it that I can lie so well some moments and be utterly incompetent at it others?

Of course, knowing that the two people in front of me murdered a man and successfully covered up his death impacts my emotional state. It would be nice if some of my old boldness could return.

Or maybe not. Something tells me now’s the wrong time to confront them.

“You can take it,” Cecilia says, a little irritably. “I’m not going to murder you for reading a book.”

I laugh at that, a little too nervously. “Thank you, ma’am.”

They stare at me a moment, and then Cecilia says drily, “You could even take it now if you wanted.”

“Oh… right.”

Now which one of the several hundred titles might be the book I’ve been claiming to read for the past three plus weeks?

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