Dead Before the Truth Revealed novel · Chapter 22 of 24

Chapter 22: Four Hundred Witnesses

Anthony's POV

Camille finished her tribute to her sister's memory to warm, wet applause, and I walked to the podium past her without looking.

"Thank you," I said. "Before the dinner, I owe you all a correction."

Behind me the big screen woke up with a line of type.

It was the county hospital's admission log, and the highlighted entry read 11:41 p.m.

"Six years ago I went into Cutler Lake," I said. "I have told you since that Camille Ellingwood pulled me out."

Camille smiled up at me with her hands folded.

"The county ambulance that took the real rescuer away logged her at 11:41," I said. "Camille's first call to my mother is logged at 11:45."

A murmur went through the room.

In the third row the chairwoman of the board sat very straight with her copy of the log on her knee.

"The woman's name was Ciara Ellingwood," I said. "She was a student nurse. She burned her arm on my engine door. She has been telling this room the truth for six years, and I had her carried out of this ballroom for it."

Camille's smile had not moved. Her eyes went to the screen.

The production crew had a camera on her, as they did on every speaker, and her face was suddenly two stories high behind me.

I watched four hundred people watch it.

"Camille," I said into the microphone. "How did you get your scar?"

"Anthony, this is not the place."

"I think it is."

"I burned it in the water. On the engine. You know that." Her voice cracked. "You were there."

"I was blind. You told me that."

At the front table the old paramedic got up on his cane.

The young deputy stood beside him with a hand at his elbow.

"I was in the ambulance, miss," the old man said. "I heard the girl in the wet coat say her name."

"Sit down, sir," said Constance, from her table. "He is confused."

"I'm eighty-one and I'm not confused about that night."

I took the page from my pocket.

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