Never In Another Life novel · Chapter 24 of 24

Chapter 24: On My Own Feet

I did not take the envelope right away.

"You aren't on the list," I said.

"I know."

"You were told to stay out of Harbor Pines."

"This isn't Harbor Pines." Constance's voice was dry and level and very tired. "I checked."

That almost made me smile, and I hated that it did.

"I won't come any closer," she said. "I'll stand here, or I'll sit. Whichever you choose."

"Sit."

She sat.

I took the envelope and tore it open standing up.

It held two pages in her narrow hand, and a smaller thing folded in tissue.

The first page was a copy of a statement.

It was signed and dated Friday, to the Milwaukee County District Attorney.

It said she had watched the stair video on the day of the fall.

It listed every date she had lied to the police, and she had signed beside each one.

It said she had kept quiet for fourteen months while he sat in a cell.

It said she would testify against Margo Winslade, and for nobody.

The second page was a letter.

I read it standing in the lobby with the door to the ward behind me.

It was short.

It did not say sorry in the first line, or the second.

It said she was selling the lake house.

It said she had resigned every board she sat on.

It said she did not expect to be forgiven, and she was not asking for a place in Sammy's life.

It said that if I ever chose to give her one, she would take whatever hour I offered, in whatever room I picked.

The last line was one sentence.

"I treated being a nurse like an insult for eight years.

It was the one thing in my son's family I should have been proud of."

I looked at the handwriting for a long moment.

Then I unwrapped the tissue.

Inside lay a sweater.

It was small, soft, dark blue, and hand-knit.

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