Chapter 20: Which Room

Monday morning, Maura stood at Cormac's sink, rinsing a cup that was already clean.

Vincent was at the table with his jacket on and the old man's offer sitting between them like a third person.

"The captains meet at ten," he said. "My father is back."

"I know."

"I'm telling them everything about the offer."

"I know."

"You should stay here with Cormac."

"No." She put the cup in the rack. "I'm coming. I'm his daughter-in-law until a judge says I'm not."

"You are."

"And when Finn is home, I'm leaving. You remember that." She turned around and dried her hands on her scrubs, harder than she needed to.

"I want that clear before we walk into a room full of your family. Nothing on the roof changes it."

He looked at her for a long moment.

"Home is a lot of rooms, Maura," he said quietly. "Which one are you leaving?"

She opened her mouth.

Nothing came out of it.

Cormac, in the bedroom doorway with a toothbrush in his mouth, took the toothbrush out and went back in without a word.

The Dedham house was full of cars.

Carlo sat at the head of the long table, in a grey three-piece suit with a white rose in the lapel.

He looked ten years younger than he had on Friday.

He rose when Maura entered and came around the table to take both her hands.

"Daughter," he said. "You're thin. You haven't been eating."

His thumb moved against her knuckle.

She let him kiss her cheek, and her skin crawled.

The six captains watched in silence as Vincent took the empty chair at the foot, the one no longer his.

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