Chapter 7
Marcus denied it immediately.
“That's a lie.”
Adrian stared at him.
“You told me to keep her downstairs.”
Marcus's face hardened.
“I told you children don't belong in private rooms during parties.”
“No.”
Adrian stepped forward.
“You said if Lily went upstairs, I'd regret it.”
Celeste rolled her eyes.
“Adrian loves attention.”
He looked at her.
“You locked her outside.”
“She refused to hand me stolen property.”
Lily's property.
My study.
My dead wife's recorder.
Everything became stolen the moment Celeste couldn't control it.
I looked at Adrian.
“What was Marcus doing upstairs?”
“I don't know.”
“Where exactly?”
“Lily's room.”
My blood went cold.
I turned toward Marco, my bodyguard.
“Check it.”
He left.
Celeste laughed.
“You're turning the house upside down because a child found an antique.”
I looked at her.
“You tried to take it from her.”
“Because she shouldn't have it.”
“You put her outside.”
“She was screaming.”
“She was scared.”
Celeste's face sharpened.
“Children are always scared when someone finally tells them no.”
I stepped toward her.
“She was cold.”
“So?”
The room went quiet.
She shrugged.
“She had a cardigan.”
I stared.
“Do you hear yourself?”
Celeste leaned closer.
“You've made that child soft.”
I almost smiled.
“No.”
“She cries and you run.”
“Yes.”
“She gets frightened and you drop everything.”
“Yes.”
“She'll grow up useless.”
I looked at her.
“She'll grow up knowing her father comes when she calls.”
Celeste said nothing.
That hurt her.
Good.
Marco returned.
He held a dark blue ribbon.
The same ribbon Lily had used on the gift.
And a small screwdriver.
“Found under the bed.”
Marcus's face changed.
“Not mine.”
Marco looked at him.
“It has your initials.”
Marcus glanced down.
M.B.
Engraved into the handle.
A gift I had given him two Christmases earlier.
I almost laughed.
“What were you looking for?”
“Nothing.”
Adrian said:
“He asked Lily if she found anything else.”
I turned.
Marcus snapped:
“Shut your mouth.”
Adrian flinched.
Marcus saw it and smiled.
“You think your uncle believes every little story children tell?”
I stepped between them.
Marcus continued anyway.
“I told you before, boy. Nobody likes a snitch.”
Adrian's jaw tightened.
I looked at Marcus.
“You threatened him too.”
“He needed discipline.”
“No.”
I glanced at Lily's ribbon in Marco's hand.
“You needed silence.”
Lily appeared behind Adrian.
I hadn't heard her come down.
She held the edge of his blazer.
“Daddy?”
I crouched.
“What is it?”
She looked at Celeste.
Then Marcus.
“Celeste said Mommy died because she touched Daddy's secret.”
The room froze.
Celeste's face emptied.
I stared at her.
“What did you tell my daughter?”
Celeste recovered.
“Nothing.”
Lily shook her head.
“You said Mommy didn't listen.”
My chest tightened.
Celeste snapped:
“Because she didn't.”
Marcus closed his eyes.
Celeste looked at me.
“You wanted honesty?”
Her voice turned cruel.
“Elena stuck her nose into things that had nothing to do with her.”
I stopped breathing.
“And if she'd known when to leave family business alone…”
She shrugged.
“…maybe Lily would still have a mother.”
Nobody moved.
Not one person.
Celeste had just blamed Elena for her own death.
In front of Elena's daughter.
I stood.
May you like
And for the first time that night, Celeste realized I was no longer trying to discover whether she was guilty.
I was discovering how guilty.
