Chapter 10 - FLORENCE’S SECOND CONFESSION
My mother asked me to bring Victoria to the hospital.
I said no.
Florence asked again.
I said no louder.
Then she waited until I ran out of anger.
“I am dying, Edward. I don’t have time for your dramatic pauses.”
That almost made me smile.
Almost.
“Why do you want to see her?”
“Because I owe her something.”
That scared me more than the letter.
Victoria came under the condition that Detective Ruiz remained outside the room and the hospital security officer stayed nearby.
When Victoria walked in, Florence did not look at her for a long time.
Neither woman spoke.
Finally Florence said, “I knew who you were the first night Edward brought you to dinner.”
Victoria’s eyes widened.
“I know.”
“No. You suspected.”
Florence shifted against the pillows.
“I knew because you have Elise’s hands.”
Victoria looked down at them.
“I almost told him that night.”
“Why didn’t you?” I asked.
Florence’s answer came quietly.
“Because you looked happy.”
I stared at her.
“That’s it?”
“No.”
She breathed carefully.
“I was also ashamed.”
Of the burned ledger.
Of signing financial papers she had not read.
Of allowing Elise’s name to be dragged through an internal investigation after her death because Florence was too afraid to reopen the scandal.
“I let people believe Elise might have stolen money,” she told Victoria. “I never said it publicly. I didn’t have to. Silence did the work for me.”
Victoria’s face hardened.
“My mother died with that hanging over her.”
“Yes.”
“You could have cleared her name.”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you?”
Florence blinked back tears.
“Cowardice.”
No excuse.
Again.
Victoria stood so suddenly the chair tipped backward.
I thought she was leaving.
Instead, she grabbed the windowsill and stood there shaking.
Florence whispered, “Martin used my silence to build your anger. I helped him without meaning to.”
Victoria turned around.
“And I used that anger on you.”
Florence nodded.
“You did.”
Nobody forgave anybody.
That would have been too easy.
Then Florence looked at me.
“There is one more thing.”
I closed my eyes.
“Of course there is.”
“Your father did not die before confronting Martin.”
I opened them.
Florence said, “He confronted him the night before.”
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