r. Warren delivered a generic eulogy with

tives had offered their condolences and left,

sole table, crept closer to the closed door

ith the estate paperwork and all these funeral bills." A pause.

everything. He was

, nearly colliding with her. A flash of alarm

as that someone from work? I was just thinking... the funeral must have cost a lot. I was won

ectly, the picture of a duti

placed by his usual condescension.

the words dripping with patronizing dismissal. "Things are tight. Mom's medi

wrist was worth ten times that. Cold, s

houlders slump. "Oh. That's... not

o see. It fed his ego, reaffirmed his control. He place

I'm the man of the house, are

self, then yawned. "I'm exh

ips of ice. The humiliation of his lies was a physical thing, a bit

was not the time for self-recrimina

e truth by asking.

rint. His laptop was always locked. She needed an opp

ul week, he liked to unwind with a glass or two of exp

form, sharp and

ed the liquor cabinet. She pulled ou

she poured a generous amount into a c

e said, her voice soft. "I thou

kly supplied an explanation: she was trying to get back

y." He took a

amber liquid disap

silent countd

uncover every last