Chapter 5
I did not ask whether Mark killed Anna.
Because I knew how she died.
Pneumonia after a winter infection that worsened too fast.
Doctors.
Hospital.
Me beside her bed.
Mark crying in the hallway.
No mystery needed.
Cruelty does not require murder to become serious.
“What did Anna plan to do with this?”
Mark looked at the floor.
“Give it to you.”
“When?”
“After your birthday that year.”
She died three weeks before it.
My chest tightened.
“And you knew?”
“I knew she had evidence.”
“Not where.”
“No.”
“So after she died, you searched.”
“Yes.”
“How long?”
“Months.”
“And when you couldn’t find it?”
He said nothing.
I looked toward the bedroom where Noah slept.
“You decided he knew.”
Mark’s jaw tightened.
“He kept talking about Mommy’s secret house.”
“He was two.”
“He remembered things.”
“So you questioned him.”
“Yes.”
“Then?”
Silence.
Claudia answered.
“He cried every time.”
I looked at her.
“And that annoyed you.”
Her expression hardened.
“He was impossible.”
Three.
Grieving.
Missing his mother.
Apparently impossible.
“What did you do?”
She crossed her arms.
“Structure.”
I almost laughed.
“Translate.”
“No toys when he refused to answer.”
Mark closed his eyes.
I continued.
“Food?”
Claudia looked away.
“Sometimes.”
“Shoes?”
Nothing.
“Laundry room?”
Nothing.
I looked at Mark.
“And you?”
He whispered:
“I thought she could get through to him.”
There it was.
Cowardice disguised as delegation.
“You let your wife punish your son because you wanted information about evidence against you.”
His face tightened.
“I never wanted him hurt.”
I stared.
“He walked barefoot into Colorado snow tonight.”
Silence.
“He wore filthy clothes to my birthday.”
Nothing.
“He thought being hungry meant he was bad.”
My voice dropped.
“You don’t get to say you didn’t want the result after supervising the method.”
Mark finally looked at me.
“What are you going to do?”
I glanced toward Noah.
“First?”
May you like
A pause.
“Make sure he never has to answer that question about you again.”
