oria

arrived tha

w, his back bent with age and maybe guilt. He'd been our family physician for forty year

s here to

someone who knew. Someone who understood what we'd done. I

in a chair by the fire, his hands gripping a

he?" Whitm

y the window, watching the gardens. "He does t

y. Everyone turned to look at me. "This w

darkened. "Vic

ct that we murdered Elias? Next week? Next ye

he desk. "We did what we had to do. I

ot the family. We died that night too. We just

now? If this truly is something supernatural, something co

r asked. Her face was despe

t a priest. You're the one

urned them. After. I couldn't

id. "We don't know what we're d

walked in, still wearing his c

enjoying learning about my death. It's not every

chair fell over. His face we

Doctor? You signed my death certificate. You told the police t

"Your father, he threatened my career,

stranger's voice was hard. "Except me.

l me about the ritual. Wh

ere in Latin, or something older. The book said it wo

eld his hand over the flames. They bent away from his skin like they were afraid. "And

," I said. "How

even though only twenty years passed out here. I remember hunger and cold and endl

p. "What do yo

sti

anything. Nam

ready paid your price, Father. Twenty years of wealth and success. The

hat mean?" T

my death was wrong. Unjust. That injustice created a crack in the contract. Every year you prospered, the crack grew w

nto his chair. "You'

is sister and his hate for his killers. Am I not Elias? O

e ans

t. I want to feel them suffer the way Elias suffered. I want them to

evenge," I

ment, something human flickere

ound. He clutched his chest, his face turning pur

But I saw the frost spreading from where the stranger st

last breath rattled out of him

he wa

without emotion. "One down. The ent

r the letter opener on his desk. A useles

going to uncover every secret. Every lie. Every sin. And when I'm done, when the truth is laid bare, then you

d Father? Happy birthday. I go

corpse and the cold certainty t