Naomi looked at me. “Mom, will you sit with us?”
I hesitated, then walked over and sat down.
For the first time in years, we sat together as a family. We talked until midnight.
When I finally went upstairs, I lay in bed staring at the ceiling.
I wanted to believe they were changing. I wanted to believe the letters were working.
But I knew the truth.
The worst letter was still coming. Letter eighteen. The one about Rosalind. The one Harrison and I had written together. The one that would change everything.
Ten more nights.
I thought: then she’ll know that I know.
I wasn’t looking for trouble that night. Just aspirin for a headache.
It was night sixteen. The reading had ended an hour ago. My daughters had gone upstairs. The house was quiet.
I walked down the hallway looking for the medicine cabinet.
That’s when I saw it.
Rosalind’s door was open—just a crack—light spilling out into the dark hallway.
I stopped.
I should have kept walking. Should have gone to bed. But something made me look inside.
Her laptop sat on the bed. Screen glowing.
She wasn’t in the room.
I stepped inside.
The screen was covered in browser tabs—eight of them, all open at once.
I leaned closer.
Tab one: life insurance payout timeline after death.
Tab two: accidental death versus natural death inheritance laws.
Tab three: how long does probate take in North Carolina?
Tab four: estate distribution after accidental death of parent.
Tab five: how to challenge a will in North Carolina.
My hands started shaking.
I clicked on the next tab.
An email dated two weeks ago.
From: R. Sullivan Private Investigations. To: Rosalind. Subject: surveillance report, week one.
I read it slowly.
“Target follows a predictable routine. Takes sleeping medication at 11 p.m. nightly. Prescription bottle located in upstairs bathroom. House features a steep staircase with no railing on the upper landing. High risk for accidental fall, especially under influence of medication. Recommend monitoring for opportunity.”
I felt cold all over.
I scrolled down and found another email—from Rosalind to R. Sullivan.
Subject: RE: surveillance report.
continued on next page
For complete cooking times, go to the next page or click the Open button (>), and don't forget to SHARE with your Facebook friends.
