“You can’t change what happened,” said Josh.
“That sentiment may comfort you now, but there will come a time when you realize the futility of trying to enjoy your own helplessness,” said Richard. He patted the notebook and the color returned to his face. “At least they haven’t got this, and they’re not going to get it as long as I’m alive. I’m surprised Graham was so desperate to get his hands on it. Peterson must have suffered some serious brain damage if he can’t reconstruct his own research.”
“Maybe it’s not Peterson,” said Josh. “Maybe it’s someone else.”
“I don’t think so,” said Richard. “The only other person who had a fanatical interest in the drug was George Hamilton, and he’s dead.”
“What happened to him?” said Josh.
“It’s a long story,” said Richard. “Hamilton was a shipping magnate, and the owner of Hamilton Corporation. Peterson married Hamilton’s daughter more than a decade before I betrayed him. Hamilton was implicated in Peterson’s crimes, and when Peterson went to prison, Hamilton Corporation went bankrupt. The humiliation was too much for Hamilton. He jumped off the bridge and drowned in the river.”
He got to his feet.
“We’ve had more than enough excitement for one day,” he said. “Let’s go back to the house before your parents start worrying about you. If they ask you where you’ve been and what you’ve been doing, I think it would probably be best if you didn’t mention any of the specific details. It’s not that I want you to keep secrets from them, but there’s a lot more I haven’t told you, and bringing it up to them would be like ripping a bandage off an old wound. I’ll talk to them about it when the time is right.”
Josh wanted to ask more questions, but he thought better of it. Richard had already given him a lot to think about, and in any case, he had the feeling it was only a matter of time before he learned the whole truth about his family and Peterson.
Chapter 7
That evening during dinner, Agnes trotted downstairs and announced that Sabrina wanted to see her children. Lisa was grateful for the interruption and felt an enormous sense of relief as soon as Josh, Shannon, and Stephen left the room. Her fondness for Yvonne hadn’t rendered Sabrina and her family any less odious, and to make matters worse, the impending doom of school was hanging over her head. She wanted to pretend just for a moment that everything was normal again. Her father and Richard were at the lab, and Arthur was in the other room changing the baby. Only her mother and Veronica remained at the table.
“I’m worried about Stephen,” said Veronica.
“Why are you worried about him?” said her mother.
“Because he’s so sad all the time,” said Veronica. “I heard him crying earlier when he didn’t know I was there. He has a sketchbook with all sorts of drawings in it, and he said he was going to go outside to work on a picture for his mother, but when I went to look for him, he was all curled up under the oak tree with his head in his arms. I didn’t want him to be embarrassed, so I made a bunch of noise. He pretended he wasn’t upset, but his eyes were all red. I’ve been trying to cheer him up, but I don’t think it’s doing any good.”
“I’m sure it is,” said her mother. “I’m proud of you for trying to make him feel better.”
Lisa felt her face flushing with embarrassment. She suspected her mother was gently criticizing her for being hostile to Josh and Shannon, but she told herself she couldn’t help it. She wished Veronica would quit being so insufferable.
“I’m so glad Stephen is here,” said Veronica. “He’s different from all the boys at school. I’m not sure how, but he is. He’s easy to talk to. I can’t wait for him to meet all my friends.”
“What’s the point?” said Lisa. “It’s not like he’s going to be around for very long.”
“You don’t know that,” said Veronica.
“Yes, I do,” said Lisa. “You shouldn’t let yourself get so attached to him. When his mother dies, he’ll go away, and you’ll probably never see him again.”
“Lisa!” said her mother. “That’s completely inappropriate.”
“Why?” said Lisa. “She might as well know the truth.”
“That’s not the point,” said her mother. “If Veronica likes Stephen and wants to spend time with him, you shouldn’t discourage her. In fact, maybe you should follow her example and be nicer to Josh and Shannon. You could make their lives a lot easier by treating them with a little kindness and compassion.”
“I could also make their lives a lot harder, but I haven’t,” said Lisa.
“Do you think you get credit for that?” said her mother. “I’m disappointed in you, Lisa. You used to be such a sweet girl, but I’ve noticed a change in you lately. Where is your heart?”
“In pieces,” said Lisa. “Excuse me.”
She rushed upstairs with her eyes stinging and a lump in her throat. When she turned the corner, she nearly collided with Josh. He was standing by himself outside the sickroom. Lisa made no effort to hide her irritation.
“What are you doing?” she said.
“I’m sorry,” said Josh. “I didn’t mean to get in your way.”
“Just now, or in general?” said Lisa, blinking back her tears and hoping Josh hadn’t noticed her distress. She heard Stephen talking to Sabrina and wondered why Josh wasn’t with him.
“We never meant to be an inconvenience,” he said.
“Oh, don’t worry,
