Max sat in her grandmother’s library drinking scotch. She shouldn’t imbibe alcohol right now, but her nerves were still raw and she thought of all the things that could have gone wrong. What had gone right? She hadn’t gotten a full confession out of Caitlin, William’s boys had been scared to death, and she’d pretty much torn her entire family apart with very little effort. They’d been coming through all day, looking at her as if she were a wild, exotic animal, then leaving without saying a word.
The boys were in the playroom with Eleanor’s dogs, hopefully sleeping.
But Max knew the truth. And she would prove it, somehow. Nick had the partial confession, he had the gun from William’s office, and the ultrasound that Max was certain would have Caitlin’s prints on it. If she had been right in that bluff, then maybe Caitlin would spill everything. Max could only hope.
David walked in to the library. He took one look at her and said, “I should throttle you.”
“You look tan.”
“I just got off the phone with Santini. He told me what you did.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“But you’re okay.”
She nodded. But she couldn’t muster up a smile. What would Tyler and Talbot remember about today? What would they know about their mother? How would they grow up, knowing what their mother had done?
She couldn’t protect them from the truth, but they still had their father. And they had Eleanor. Max had to believe they would survive and be stronger for it. They were Reveres, after all.
Eleanor came in a moment later. “Hello, Mr. Kane. Good to finally meet you.”
“Mrs. Revere.” He took her hand.
She smiled at his manners, and that made Max feel like maybe things would go back to normal. “Maxine, come, join us for an early dinner. William’s attorney is bringing him home. Just wrapping up the paperwork.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. I just want to explain to William.”
“He might not understand now, but he will, later.” She looked at David. “Would you please give us a moment?”
“Of course.” He said to Max, “I’ll take you to the hotel when you’re ready.”
He left, and Max asked Eleanor, “What did the attorney say?”
“The dirt in William’s car was from the grave site where Carrie Voss’s body had been buried. That’s why they arrested him yesterday. But the police said there’s enough evidence against Caitlin that they’re releasing William, thank God.”
“A good lawyer might get her off. The police have one solid piece of evidence against her. She had a copy of Carrie Voss’s ultrasound. Framed, behind her wedding picture, in her office.”
“How did they find that?”
“Grandmother, I set it all up. I called Nick last night and arranged for him to be in the house listening. They already had the search warrant, so they had every right to be there. I told you to tell Caitlin about it because I wanted her to come and try to remove the evidence.”
“I don’t understand.”
“I used you.”
Eleanor didn’t say anything for a long minute. “Why didn’t you simply tell me the truth?”
“I didn’t know if you would agree to set up Caitlin for the police.”
The door burst open and William stood there. He looked … defeated.
“How could you?” he said to Max.
“I couldn’t let you go to jail for Lindy’s murder.”
“You destroyed my family!”
“Caitlin killed three people and planned to frame you.”
“She wouldn’t. It’s—it’s just not right.”
“You’re not thinking straight.”
“What am I going to tell my boys?”
Max went to William, put her hands on his shoulders. “You are going to man up and be a great father. Tyler and Talbot have Grandmother, they have you, they have a solid family who loves them.”
He shook his head and brushed off her hands. “Maxine, I don’t know what to do.” Tears coated his eyes. “My boys—they’re motherless. Wasn’t there another way?”
“Caitlin made her choice a long time ago. You can’t condone what she did then, what she did only a few months ago.”
“No. No, I can’t. But—there had to be a better way than yours.”
Eleanor went to William and said, “You are strong. You will survive this. The boys are in the playroom. Go see them.”
He nodded and left.
Max wanted to go after him, to try and explain herself, but she knew it would be fruitless. At least for now.
Her grandmother said, “You’ve chosen a very difficult path.”
“Maybe I didn’t choose it,” Max said quietly.
“I don’t believe that. We all make choices and must live with them.”
“I couldn’t let Caitlin get away with murder. She destroyed so many lives. She impacted everyone. Andy isn’t getting out of this unscathed. I doubt he’ll do jail time, but he should. He has his reputation, and that is damaged. His friendship with William—he thought William was a killer. Had he not intervened, there may have been evidence pointing at Caitlin.”
“And I wouldn’t have two precious grandsons.”
“You cannot believe that she should walk away from this!”
Her grandmother sat down wearily. “No. She shouldn’t. She is ill.”
“She’s not insane.”
“She might as well be.”
Max knew exactly what her grandmother was going to do. “You’re going to have her committed. It’s not easy to get the court to accept an insanity plea.”
“Do you doubt me?”
Max thought about the disappearance of William’s ticket. About all the things Eleanor had done through the years to protect the family.
“No, Grandmother, I do not doubt you.”
“It is best for everyone—for William, for the boys, for the family—that Caitlin is in a sanitarium for the rest of her life.”
“Grandmother, I need you to believe me. I didn’t do any of this to hurt you or the family.”