THE WOMAN IN HIS LAST WILL

SSA'

ng I noticed

or, creeping in a dark pool ri

saw my

d on his back

ady

y hand still clung to the brass handle

alk tonight-a final conversation. I'd been rehearsing

an expensive prison full of empty rooms. Done sleeping alone while he slipped in and out like a

vorce papers into my handbag,

I found

cie

barely

door clicked shut behind me.

N

the space

cie

the window, eyes closed. Bl

uck out of

ped br

no, n

e floor. My hands hovered over his

o

co

cie

't move. I pressed two finger

ouse this morning was just a bod

band w

-not quite a scream, more

hree years of fighting, secrets, silence, and lies

ike this hurt more than

old myself I hated him, but if th

ce, my fingers barel

y did you have to die b

ke behind m

rled

st open. A securit

cien to me, to the knif

Arde

n't do

ared

t got

g. His hand we

n emergency in

mach t

ai

anced

eas

found him like

rushed in. One stared at Lucien. The other w

Lucien'

his voice. "

ha

e your

lowly. "You thi

hat silence felt cold

en I got here. I used my key to open it. So whoever k

swept

cked. No one was behind the curtains-not un

lse j

I got here, then how

e up. "Call

," the first

hed thr

lled? Before

ou know?"

at me. "

mething

. Another guard

step away f

e. My eyes loc

e felt scripted. The knife. The l

's wrist. Not blood-a bruise. Like he'd b

mewhere else. Maybe some

ps flooded the house. Camer

id I g

as I

en have

we fi

want

ld. But then came the qu

did you kill

at the

N

u angry

es

le

"We were gett

aused, pen hove

es

he

es

tell him

ien's body. "I c

ve nodded a

nts are on the

mach l

ha

knife. "Your finge

ead. "I neve

n the floor

ying to h

d isn't on

n't to

lain your

can

ogether. "That makes

kill my

en someone wants it

a hint o

nswered, his face sh

es

stene

nig

ause. "Un

hun

oing on?"

Arden family lawy

hy

left specific instruct

almost

instru

dn't

d by. Then the fro

wearing a black suit. He didn't even

locked him. "Yo

sealed envelop

nt gave

studied it.

s w

barely

e a will?

ooked at me, his

includes specific inst

rt ham

instru

"I was told to read

nig

es

hy

cause Mr. Arden beli

seemed t

w? He saw

ng to his instructions, Mrs. A

tive frow

velope. "Because Mr. Ar

th wen

? That was

s shares. His houses. His

y leave it all to the wife who came

t didn't

at Lucie

eled further.

ming? He'd left a will?

e random murder. Mayb

ma

another p

in. "There's ano

ced m

ope open and remo

s a rec

m Lu

es

. Everyone gathered.

s voice-filled the room. Calm.

e hearing

pau

I'm alrea

ed in a brea

ept

is being accused

g in me w

ing happened exa

red my

he said, voice softer. "I didn't

art c

ause I knew they woul

g. Silence

red at the l

other line c

yone carrying t

ewhere behind me,

oing to

rching for

y own

, just l

in the hou

dark