True Heiress Never Lies! novel · Chapter 4 of 24

Chapter 4: The Cold Room

Peter opened his fist.

In the middle of his palm sat a tiny white baby tooth.

"It fell out in the car," he said. "I wanted Sonia to see."

Estelle stared at it.

Then she laughed, a small, bright laugh, and wiped his palm with her napkin.

"Oh, sweetheart. Put that in your pocket before you lose it."

The note was already gone.

I had seen him bend to scratch his ankle and push it down into his shoe in one smooth move.

I had taught him that trick with candy at church.

My heart was going so hard I thought the table shook.

My father stood.

"Ten minutes left, I think," he said, checking his watch. "Estelle, we should let her rest."

"Yes. Of course."

Estelle bent and kissed the top of my head.

Her mouth stayed there a second longer than it needed to.

"Be good," she murmured into my hair.

Then they were gone, and Peter looked back at me from the door with his tooth-gap grin, one foot set down very carefully.

My shoulders came down.

The director shut the door behind them.

She turned around, and her pleasant face was gone.

"The hymnal in the chapel is missing its last page," she said.

I said nothing.

"Do you know who tore it out?"

"Yes," I said. "I did."

I couldn't lie, so I didn't try.

She nodded.

"Come with me."

The cold room was in the basement, behind the boiler.

It was a concrete box with a drain in the floor and no bed.

They took my pink sweater and left me in a T-shirt.

The night officer grabbed my left wrist as he pushed me in, and he twisted it the wrong way behind my back.

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