Chapter 10 - Aunt Ruth’s Package
Henry did not speak for several seconds.
Then he asked, “How?”
Claire swallowed. “Heart attack. That’s what Richard told us.”
Richard stepped forward. “Don’t you dare turn Ruth’s death into one of your fantasies.”
Henry ignored him.
“When did she die?”
“Yesterday morning.”
Henry’s eyes shifted to Martin.
Leo saw it happen.
The calculation. The fear.
Grandpa had mailed evidence to Aunt Ruth.
Aunt Ruth died unexpectedly.
Martin knew about the package.
Sheriff Cross saw it too.
“I’m calling Vermont State Police,” he said.
Martin raised both hands. “This is ridiculous.”
“No,” Leo said. “It isn’t.”
Everyone looked at him.
Leo pulled out his phone.
“Grandpa always makes me track important packages for him. He says trusting the mail is fine, but checking the mail is smarter.”
Henry nodded slowly. “Good boy.”
Leo opened the old shipping app Henry had installed months earlier.
There it was.
A package sent to Ruth Mercer Hale.
Delivered yesterday at 9:12 a.m.
Signed by M. Pike.
The lawn seemed to freeze.
Martin’s face did not change, but his eyes did.
Claire stared at him. “You were in Vermont yesterday?”
“No.”
“The signature says Pike.”
“Anyone can write a name.”
Cross took Leo’s phone.
Then Martin bolted.
He ran toward the line of parked cars.
Cross shouted, “Stop!”
Richard did not move.
That surprised Leo more than anything.
Martin reached a black sedan, yanked open the door, and pulled something from under the seat.
A pistol.
People screamed and scattered.
Cross drew his weapon.
“Drop it!”
Martin fired once into the air and jumped behind the wheel.
The sedan tore across the grass, smashed through a hedge, and disappeared down the service road.
Henry watched him go.
“He’s going to Ruth’s house,” he said.
Cross nodded. “Or wherever he moved the package.”
Leo looked at Richard.
His uncle was staring after Martin with an expression that was not anger.
It was betrayal.
“You didn’t know,” Leo said.
Richard turned toward him.
Leo continued, “You didn’t know Martin signed for it.”
Richard’s mouth opened, then closed.
Henry’s voice became quiet.
“Tell them, Richard. Tell them what Martin promised you.”
May you like
Richard’s face broke.
And for the first time that night, he whispered, “Dad, Martin was supposed to scare you. He was never supposed to kill anybody.”
