“There you two are. Are you going to join us for dinner?”
Ten minutes later, we were all sitting around the main dining room table, enjoying a rich and hearty French beef and red wine casserole.
“Did you make this, Marie?” I asked between big mouthfuls. “It’s so good.”
She smiled. “Yes, I did. Thanks, Drew.”
Sophie opened her mouth like she was about to say something and then closed it again. She did it three times before finally speaking.
“Um…Mom…did you hear anything about the letter yet?” she asked.
Marie’s smile faded, and Dad answered for her.
“Yes, we did. I have some connections, and I managed to get the lab work expedited. We were going to tell you after dinner, but I suppose we have to now, seeing as you asked. They got some DNA from the hair on the envelope, and they compared it to the DNA they managed to get from the old toothbrush.”
“And?”
He exchanged a glance with Marie before looking back at us. “It was a match. Your father sent the letter, Sophie.”
Her face paled, and she dropped her spoon with a clatter. Marie immediately got up and sat right next to her, rubbing her shoulders and making soothing sounds.
“I’m sorry, honey. But it’s going to be okay. We’re safe here,” she said.
“I know.”
There was a tense silence for a few minutes until Sophie spoke again.
“I just don’t understand how he faked his own death. Have they spoken to the friend he was with on the boat that day?”
“Yes, the police have interviewed him, and he swears up and down that your father went overboard. But you know your father. He wasn’t nice, but he was smart. He could’ve fooled anyone.”
“But why?” Sophie continued. She’d obviously had these questions at the forefront of her mind, and it was all coming out now. “Why would he fake his own death in the first place?”
Marie shook her head. “I don’t know. I really don’t. The only thing I can think of is that his business wasn’t doing so well when he disappeared. That’s why there was hardly anything left to live on when it happened. The failing business had almost sent us bankrupt.”
“Oh.”
The maid came and cleared away our plates, and Sophie abruptly stood up.
“I’m going to shower and then go to bed,” she said.
“Okay, honey. We’ll talk again in the morning,” Marie said.
They hugged, and then Sophie padded out of the dining room. I followed not long afterwards, and as I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling ten minutes later, my entire body felt restless. Springing to my feet, I headed across the hall to Sophie’s room and knocked on her door. She answered a moment later, wearing only a towel wrapped around herself.
“Oh, sorry,” I said, averting my eyes. “I forgot you were showering.”
“It’s okay, I already got out,” she said. “I couldn’t remember where I put my pajamas, so I’ve been hunting in the closet for the last few minutes.”
“Right. Well, I just wanted to tell you that if you need anything at all, you know I’m right across the hall.”
“I know. Thanks.”
“Seriously, Sophie. I don’t give a shit if it’s three in the morning or any other time - if you need anything or feel scared, you come and wake me up. Got it?”
I turned to leave, and she called out to me and grabbed the back of my shirt before saying one word. One beautiful word.
“Wait.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
SOPHIE
Drew turned back and looked at me, a question in his eyes. Emotion brimmed up in my own eyes, and I spoke in a soft voice.
“You’re always trying to rescue me,” I said.
His forehead creased with confusion. “What do you mean?” he asked.
I knew he probably didn’t even remember this, but an old memory made images flood into my mind. I’d been around eight at the time, and I’d been out one morning riding my new bike around. I’d been thrilled when my Mom bought it for me, because it was all shiny and pink, and then Wesley Hoss from across the road
Ten minutes later, we were all sitting around the main dining room table, enjoying a rich and hearty French beef and red wine casserole.
“Did you make this, Marie?” I asked between big mouthfuls. “It’s so good.”
She smiled. “Yes, I did. Thanks, Drew.”
Sophie opened her mouth like she was about to say something and then closed it again. She did it three times before finally speaking.
“Um…Mom…did you hear anything about the letter yet?” she asked.
Marie’s smile faded, and Dad answered for her.
“Yes, we did. I have some connections, and I managed to get the lab work expedited. We were going to tell you after dinner, but I suppose we have to now, seeing as you asked. They got some DNA from the hair on the envelope, and they compared it to the DNA they managed to get from the old toothbrush.”
“And?”
He exchanged a glance with Marie before looking back at us. “It was a match. Your father sent the letter, Sophie.”
Her face paled, and she dropped her spoon with a clatter. Marie immediately got up and sat right next to her, rubbing her shoulders and making soothing sounds.
“I’m sorry, honey. But it’s going to be okay. We’re safe here,” she said.
“I know.”
There was a tense silence for a few minutes until Sophie spoke again.
“I just don’t understand how he faked his own death. Have they spoken to the friend he was with on the boat that day?”
“Yes, the police have interviewed him, and he swears up and down that your father went overboard. But you know your father. He wasn’t nice, but he was smart. He could’ve fooled anyone.”
“But why?” Sophie continued. She’d obviously had these questions at the forefront of her mind, and it was all coming out now. “Why would he fake his own death in the first place?”
Marie shook her head. “I don’t know. I really don’t. The only thing I can think of is that his business wasn’t doing so well when he disappeared. That’s why there was hardly anything left to live on when it happened. The failing business had almost sent us bankrupt.”
“Oh.”
The maid came and cleared away our plates, and Sophie abruptly stood up.
“I’m going to shower and then go to bed,” she said.
“Okay, honey. We’ll talk again in the morning,” Marie said.
They hugged, and then Sophie padded out of the dining room. I followed not long afterwards, and as I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling ten minutes later, my entire body felt restless. Springing to my feet, I headed across the hall to Sophie’s room and knocked on her door. She answered a moment later, wearing only a towel wrapped around herself.
“Oh, sorry,” I said, averting my eyes. “I forgot you were showering.”
“It’s okay, I already got out,” she said. “I couldn’t remember where I put my pajamas, so I’ve been hunting in the closet for the last few minutes.”
“Right. Well, I just wanted to tell you that if you need anything at all, you know I’m right across the hall.”
“I know. Thanks.”
“Seriously, Sophie. I don’t give a shit if it’s three in the morning or any other time - if you need anything or feel scared, you come and wake me up. Got it?”
I turned to leave, and she called out to me and grabbed the back of my shirt before saying one word. One beautiful word.
“Wait.”
CHAPTER ELEVEN
SOPHIE
Drew turned back and looked at me, a question in his eyes. Emotion brimmed up in my own eyes, and I spoke in a soft voice.
“You’re always trying to rescue me,” I said.
His forehead creased with confusion. “What do you mean?” he asked.
I knew he probably didn’t even remember this, but an old memory made images flood into my mind. I’d been around eight at the time, and I’d been out one morning riding my new bike around. I’d been thrilled when my Mom bought it for me, because it was all shiny and pink, and then Wesley Hoss from across the road
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