“That’s not possible,” said Josh.
Graham seemed to have forgotten about him.
“The pain itself isn’t even the worst part,” he said. “It’s the realization that the only way to survive is to allow the agony to continue. Can you imagine the state of mind created by unavoidable torture? When you have nothing left, you derive strength from other people. Unfortunately, your father had no one to suffer with him. Your grandfather abandoned him there at the hospital. Do you want to know why?”
Josh was too horrified to speak.
“There’s nothing more disturbing than the logic of a twisted mind,” said Graham. “Your grandfather blamed Peterson for what happened to your father, even though there was no evidence to implicate him. It was tragic. He cared more about being right than about supporting your father, so he went away to prove his ridiculous theory. He failed, of course. How could he succeed when the whole thing was a figment of his imagination? When he returned, your father disowned him. They didn’t speak again for more than twenty years.”
“Why are you telling me this?” said Josh.
“Because you deserve to know the truth about your family,” said Graham. “Forgive me for being presumptuous, but when I spoke with your grandfather earlier, I realized he’s been lying to you all along. So have your parents. I’m sure they did it out of the goodness of their hearts, but it’s getting a bit ridiculous, if you ask me. You’re not a child anymore. Besides, secrets tend to do more harm than good. Oh, that reminds me: I need to talk to someone. Please excuse me.”
He left before Josh could stop him.
Josh tried to convince himself Graham had lied about the whole thing, but the story was something he could confirm on his own, at least the part about the explosion at the college. He had never felt more lost. Usually when he needed to confide in someone, he talked to his father, but of course that was out of the question. If Graham were being truthful, any mention of the situation would remind his father of things he had spent half his life trying to forget. Asking Richard about the subject was equally unthinkable.
He finally decided to feign ignorance until he had investigated the matter further. The sinister collaboration between Graham, Owen, and Sophie was more urgent anyway. With one last glance toward the marina to make sure no additional conspirators were creeping up to the house, he went back inside.
∞∞∞
Lisa liked seeing Molly so happy. In her opinion, the wedding had been a resounding success, and she was enjoying herself far more than she had expected, despite her intuitive dislike of Graham. She couldn’t entirely banish the premonition that something horrible was about to happen, but as the evening progressed, she gradually let her guard down and found she was still capable of having fun.
Veronica had abandoned her to spend time with Stephen, but she didn’t care. As long as she didn’t have to sit with Josh and Shannon, she was content. She wandered around the ballroom until she noticed the wedding cake on its little table in the place of honor near the entrance. According to Molly, Graham had been particular about its design, and she examined it with curiosity, hoping to discern something genuine about his character.
It had three tall layers covered with white frosting, and each layer was decorated with shiny red glaze that ran down the sides. Two plastic figurines that didn’t resemble Graham and Molly occupied the top of the cake. They appeared to be standing in a pool of blood. Rose petals were scattered on the table.
Lisa reluctantly admitted that it appeared as if a murder had been committed over the cake. She wished she were back at home and looked around for her parents. Her father was standing alone at the bar, reviving himself with a drink. Her mother was nowhere to be seen. Lisa guessed she had stepped out to escape the crowd.
As she watched, her mother approached from the direction of the kitchen and strode across the ballroom toward her father. Her face was livid, and Lisa could tell she was furious. She knew there was only one thing that could make her mother react in such an unusual way. Her heart choked her, stifling the scream that rose in her chest. It couldn’t be happening. Sabrina wasn’t even there, and no one else knew.
She rushed toward her parents, but they were too preoccupied to notice her. Her mother shoved her father against the wall so violently that he almost fell.
“Nora, what’s wrong with you?” he said.
“You,” she said. “I know what you did.”
She spoke in a whisper to avoid attracting attention, but if anything, it made her voice even more menacing. Lisa was too horrified to move. She hoped with all her heart that her father would think up some sort of excuse, but she knew it wouldn’t be easy to persuade her mother. Tears filled her eyes, and her throat burned.
“You’re confused, Nora,” he said, raising his hands in a disarming gesture. “Let’s go outside and talk about this in private.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she said. “You’re a murderer.”
“Nora, it’s complicated,” he said. “I didn’t want to hurt you. I made a terrible mistake, and I’ve regretted it every moment. I’m sorry.”
“I would call the police right now, but I don’t want to ruin the wedding,” she said, practically spitting in his face. “How could you do this to me? I’ve honored you; I’ve supported you; I’ve defended you—and without thinking, you extinguished the one person who loved me for my entire life. Don’t you dare call that a mistake. You knew exactly what you were doing.”
“Nora, I would bring her back if I could,” he said.
“Stop lying to me,” she said. “Do you think I’m stupid? You’ve gone too far, Andrew. I want you to leave. You’re not
