Chapter 15 - MY MOTHER’S LAST SECRET
We reached the estate in eleven minutes.
The bedroom door was closed.
Victor stood inside with my mother.
I could see his shadow beneath the door.
Vincent stepped forward.
“I’ll go.”
“No.”
“He’s my brother.”
“She’s my mother.”
I entered first.
Victor sat beside the window.
The gun rested on his knee.
My mother lay in bed watching him.
“She’s calm,” he said.
“Move away from her.”
“You sound like Antonio.”
“Don’t use his name.”
Victor smiled.
“You finally learned about the fire.”
“I learned enough.”
“Never enough.”
Vincent entered behind me.
Victor looked at him.
“Little brother.”
“You should have stayed gone.”
“I tried.”
Victor’s face hardened.
“Leonard doesn’t let people retire.”
“Then help us.”
Victor laughed.
“You think anyone gets clean after twenty years?”
“I’m not asking you to become clean.”
I looked at the gun.
“I’m asking you to choose which side of the room you want to die on.”
He studied me.
Then set the gun on the floor.
Vincent breathed out.
“Why are you here?”
Victor looked at my mother.
“Because she knows where the original Pier 44 recording is.”
I frowned.
“We have a cassette.”
“Antonio’s confession?”
“Yes.”
“That isn’t the important one.”
My mother began moving her finger.
I watched.
Drawer.
I opened the drawer beside her bed.
Nothing unusual.
She tapped again.
Bottom.
I removed the drawer completely.
Taped underneath was a small digital recorder.
Old.
Scratched.
Victor stared.
“She kept it all these years.”
“What’s on it?”
He looked at my mother.
“The meeting before the fire.”
I pressed play.
Static filled the room.
Then voices.
My father.
Leonard Vandermark.
Victor.
And Celeste.
I heard my father say Ewan needed to be frightened.
I heard Leonard say frightened men still talk.
Then Celeste’s younger voice.
Cold.
Certain.
Then make sure he doesn’t walk out.
Vincent closed his eyes.
The recording continued.
My father objected.
Leonard laughed at him.
Celeste spoke again.
I can lock the east door myself.
I stopped the recorder.
Even Victor looked sick.
My mother’s eyes filled with tears.
For four years she had lived with that recording less than three feet from her bed.
Unable to tell me.
Unable to warn me.
While Celeste sat at our dinner table.
While Celeste touched her shoulder.
While Celeste planned our wedding.
I leaned down and kissed my mother’s forehead.
“You tried.”
A tear rolled toward her ear.
“You tried to tell me.”
Her hand touched mine.
Then she moved one finger.
No.
I frowned.
She tapped again.
Another word.
Sorry.
“Why are you sorry?”
Her eyes went to Victor.
Then to Vincent.
Finally back to me.
Victor answered.
“Because she made a deal.”
“What deal?”
“With Leonard.”
My body went cold.
“What did she give him?”
Victor’s expression changed.
“You.”
Vincent stepped forward.
“Victor.”
“No more secrets.”
Victor looked at me.
“Four years ago, Leonard found out Ewan was still alive.”
My mother began crying.
“He promised to leave Ewan alone.”
“In exchange for what?”
“Your marriage to Celeste.”
I stared at her.
My mother had agreed to make me part of the bargain.
Then Victor finished.
“She never expected you to fall in love with Celeste.”
I almost laughed.
Because that was the final cruelty.
“I didn’t.”
Everyone looked at me.
I stood straight.
“I trusted her.”
I picked up the recorder.
May you like
“There’s a difference.”
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