“Yes.”
“Okay, come in.”
When I opened the door, the room was dim, the curtains pulled halfway closed. A record played low in the background, the needle crackling between notes.
Coldplay.
The sound filled the space without demanding attention.
Talia lay stretched across her bed, staring at the ceiling, one arm draped over her eyes.
“I love this album,” I said.
“It was Audrey’s favorite. She used to say it made everything feel less heavy.”
I crossed the room and sat on the edge of the bed.
“I was wondering how you were doing, but it’s a bit of an obvious question, so I won’t. I’ll just say, I’m sorry. I wish I would have been wrong about everything.”
She moved her arm from her eyes, flopping it over the side of the bed.
“I saw the police pull up outside,” she said, her voice raw. “Is it over? Have my parents been arrested?”
“Yes, they have,” I said. “It’s over. I’m not sure what the charges will be for your father, but I’m sorry to say they’ll be charging your mother with murder. I’m so sorry, Talia.”
She offered a slow nod, as if my words needed time to land.
“I keep thinking I should feel something,” she said. “Anger. Relief. Hate. But I’m just numb. I feel dead inside.”
“It’s normal,” I said. “I’ve been through it before.”
She turned her head, looking at me. “How was my dad when they arrested him? Did he say anything?”
“He asked me to tell you that he loves you, and that he’s sorry.”
“Yeah, well, sorry doesn’t change what happened, does it?”
“Your mom?—”
“If she said anything, I don’t want to hear it.”
“I understand.”
The record shifted from one song to the next.
“Is there anything I can do for you?” I asked. “Or any questions you have now that you know the truth?”
She gave the question some thought.
“Do you think my dad was telling the truth, about what happened with Anne?” she asked. “I mean, he’s always been the gentlest soul. I don’t know how to feel about what he did or how to process it.”
“It will take time, and that’s okay. As for your father’s story, I believe he was telling the truth. He just left out the part about your mother being involved because he was trying to protect her. He didn’t know she killed Audrey. As for his gentle soul, I feel it. The way he handled Anne wasn’t right, but I choose to believe he’s been wanting to make it right for a long time.”
Talia let out a long, jagged breath. “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do now. This house feels different, almost like I don’t belong here anymore, trapped in a home full of secrets and lies.”
“I don’t think you should be alone tonight.”
She hesitated. “Maybe not, but I’m not good company for anyone.”
