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"My mother did it," I say, and almost wish she hadn't.

"Good," he says. "I'd like to meet the doctor before. Just for a minute."

Outside, I spot Bertrand talking to a swan like it's a person.

"Not today."

"Laszlo."

"You know she's not here yet. She's at her father's, getting ready, then she’ll head to the church. There's not going to be time." I take my jacket off the hanger. "Afterwards. At the house."

He doesn't move for a moment.

"I know who she is," he says. "You know I know."

I don't answer.

"Manon Valmont." He says her name carefully, like it might cut him. "And now she's walking up the aisle to marry my son."

"She doesn't remember you," I say. "You were one of many patients."

He nods. "I figured. She saved my life and has no idea she did. And you're going to marry her and never tell her." He lifts his eyes to me. "Are you going to tell her, Laszlo?"

"No."

I put the jacket on. The shoulder pulls where the stitches came out last night, and I'm weirdly glad to feel it. Cuffs. Watch. The bed is made, the chair is positioned as I like it, the glass of water is two inches from where it should be, so I move it back.

I’m ready too early. It’s just nine-fifteen, so I have time to kill. I like that. I imagine she's barely started prettying herself up in her old bedroom at her father's house, her mother fussing over her.

I've imagined today so many times that I should be sick of it. Maybe I wasn't exactly thinking of a Halloween wedding, but I'll take it. It’s quite fitting, to be honest.

Rafe appears at the door, which my father hadn't closed. "Boss."

"Say it."

He comes over and speaks softly, close to my ear.

"She's not at her father's. She left a while ago, driving herself, in the blue Honda." He takes a breath. "Parked two streets short of the rink."

"Say it again."

He does, word for word, and he won't look me in the eye while he speaks.

The rink.

The rink where Charles plays and trains. I have a cuff button halfway through its hole, so I finish getting that right. I should have known the moment she left the house, but she’s smart enough to take extra care.

Outside, a swan gets out of the pen. I can hear Bertrand going after it across the grass, and somebody screams with laughter.

"Where's my mother?"

"Yellow room. With your aunt."

"Then use the back stairs," I say, "and bring the car around the drive to the back door."

CHAPTER 13

Manon