“When Caleb told you Rachel went off the road, why didn’t you call 911?”
Silence.
He waited.
Finally Vivian said, “I was afraid.”
He almost laughed.
“Of what?”
“Everything.”
“She might have been alive.”
“I know.”
“Did you know then?”
“I didn’t know anything.”
“You knew enough to call an ambulance.”
“I thought Caleb had caused an accident.”
“He did.”
“I thought if I called police, they would trace everything back to me.”
“So you let her lie there.”
Vivian began crying.
“I told myself someone would find her.”
Ethan gripped the phone.
“How long?”
“What?”
“How long did you wait before you knew someone found her?”
“I watched the news.”
“You watched the news.”
“I called Daniel.”
“When?”
“After emergency crews arrived.”
Ethan felt a new wave of disgust.
“So that’s when you started covering it up.”
“I asked him to protect you.”
“No.”
“Ethan.”
“You keep saying my name as if it makes your choices mine.”
Vivian stopped crying.
He continued.
“You were protecting yourself.”
“I was protecting all of us.”
“There is no us left.”
“Don’t say that.”
“It’s true.”
“I am your mother.”
“And Rachel was my wife.”
“I loved her.”
Ethan actually laughed.
“No, you didn’t.”
“I did.”
“You chased her. You forged an affair. You stole from her child. You knew she crashed and did nothing.”
Vivian sobbed.
“I never wanted her dead.”
“That does not make her less dead.”
He almost hung up.
Then Vivian whispered, “There is something you need to know about your father.”
Ethan closed his eyes.
“I’m done.”
“Your father knew about the accounts.”
“So I’ve heard.”
“He did more than know.”
Ethan waited despite himself.
“He created the first one.”
Ethan opened his eyes.
“What?”
“The lake property. Your father moved money from the trust.”
“Why?”
“To keep it outside probate.”
“Whose probate?”
Vivian hesitated.
“Hers.”
“Whose?”
“Your sister’s.”
Ethan went completely still.
“I don’t have a sister.”
Vivian said nothing.
His stomach dropped.
“Mom.”
“You did.”
The room seemed to shrink.
“Ethan?”
He barely heard her.
“What are you talking about?”
“Her name was Caroline.”
Ethan sat.
Vivian continued.