Chapter 4 - TWO FOURTEEN
Ruby did not want to sleep alone.
I did not argue.
I made a bed for her in the room next to mine and sat on the floor until her breathing slowed.
Then she whispered, "She comes in when you're gone."
"At night?"
Ruby nodded.
"She says I have to practice being normal."
I swallowed my anger.
"What does that mean?"
"Walk without it."
"The brace?"
"Yes."
"What if you say no?"
Ruby looked at the blanket.
"She takes Bunny."
Bunny was a stuffed rabbit Isabella had bought before she died.
I found it locked inside Lucinda's dressing-room cabinet.
Beside it was a small envelope of prescription labels.
Ruby's name.
Elaine examined them.
"These are copies from Ruby's pain medication."
"Why would Lucinda have them?"
"I don't know."
Marco did.
He found pharmacy searches on Lucinda's phone.
Side effects.
Drowsiness.
Confusion.
Fall risk.
Then a message thread with someone saved only as R.
L: Need the medical side clean before the wedding.
R: Then stop leaving marks.
L: She bruises easily.
R: That's not my problem.
I read the messages twice.
"Who is R?"
Marco checked the number.
Prepaid.
Unregistered.
Daniel arrived with another problem.
The wedding contracts contained a post-marital management agreement I had never seen.
If I suffered temporary incapacity within the first year of marriage, Lucinda would receive operational authority over my personal holding company.
My signature was already on the draft.
Fake again.
I looked at Marco.
"Cancel the wedding."
"Already told the venue."
"Freeze Lucinda's accounts tied to my office."
"Done."
Then the house alarm sounded.
We ran upstairs.
Ruby's temporary room was empty.
The window stood open.
On the pillow was Bunny.
May you like
And a note.
SHE'S SAFER WITHOUT YOU.
