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My eyes went toward the hallway again. That thought made me start crying harder.

“What if it was me?”

“Ma’am, we don’t know what happened yet.”

“What if I did this?”

“You aren’t responsible for your father’s death.”

I bent forward, burying my face against my knees as another wave of sobs shook through me. My chest hurt so badly I pressed a hand against it.

I needed Richard.

The thought cut through everything else.

“I need to call Richard.”

Someone handed me the cordless phone, and it took two attempts before I managed to call him because I couldn’t see the buttons through my tears. Richard answered almost immediately.

“Sam?”

“My dad’s dead.”

There was a brief silence.

“What?”

“I found him.” I sucked in a broken breath. “I came for lunch and I found him and he’s dead.”

“Where are you?”

“His house.”

“I’m coming.”

I heard movement immediately on his end.

“They think he killed himself. What if he did it because of me?”

“Sam, listen to me. You didn’t cause this.”

I pressed my hand over my mouth as another sob ripped through me.

“I didn’t tell him.”

“Tell him what?”

“That I loved him.”

My voice broke as I continued to sob uncontrollably.

“I’m coming right now.”

“Please hurry.”

“I will.”

I lowered the phone after the call ended, but the crying didn’t stop. I couldn’t make it stop. Every time I managed to take a few breaths without sobbing, another thought would hit me and tear me apart again.