Chapter Seven: The Reckoning
Richard's mother tried to negotiate with me.
I met her in the back of a government vehicle, far from prying eyes.
"Arthur," she began, "I know we've had our differences—"
"You tried to help your son destroy my daughter."
"I was protecting my family—"
"You were protecting a monster."
She recoiled as if I'd struck her.
"Richard has always been... difficult," she said carefully. "But he's still my son. I can't just—"
"You let him beat his wife. You stood by while he hurt her. And when I came to get her, you shoved me and told me to go back to my 'lonely little house.'"
"I was trying to maintain appearances."
"Appearances."
"Everything we've built—"
"Is built on lies."
She fell silent.
"I could have you arrested as an accessory," I continued. "I could make sure your family's name is dragged through the mud so thoroughly that no one will ever forget it. I could—"
"But you won't."
"Why not?"
"Because you're better than us."
I almost laughed.
"You don't know anything about me."
"I know you walked away from your career to raise your daughter," she said quietly. "I know you could have used your connections to destroy us at any time. But you didn't. You waited. You gathered evidence. You followed the rules."
"The rules don't usually apply to people like you."
"Then why are you giving me a chance?"
I leaned back in my seat.
"Because I want you to understand," I said. "I want you to feel every ounce of fear and helplessness your son made Lily feel. I want you to know that you're not the one in control anymore."
"How do I fix this?"
"You can't. But you can tell the truth. You can cooperate with the investigation. You can testify against your son."
May you like
"You're asking me to destroy my own family."
"No," I said. "I'm asking you to save what's left of your soul."
