Chapter 6
The word "shovel" hung in the air like a poisoned dart, piercing the heavy silence of the upstairs hallway. Julian flinched violently at Sarah’s statement, his tall frame trembling as he finally raised his head. His eyes were bloodshot and wide, filled with a desperate, naked terror that confirmed every nightmare Maya’s young mind was trying to reject.
"Sarah, shut your mouth!" Julian roared, lunging forward with a sudden burst of rage, grabbing Sarah by the arm of her black long-sleeve blouse. "You promised me! You swore you would never bring that up!"
Sarah didn’t scream or fight back. She merely tilted her head, her long dark hair falling away from her neck as she stared coldly up at the man who had brought her into their home.
"I promised nothing, Julian," Sarah replied, her voice disturbingly calm despite his tight grip. "You thought you could buy my silence with a luxury living room, a crystal chandelier, and a wardrobe of dead silk? You invited the fox into the henhouse, and now you want to complain about the blood?"
Maya stood frozen against the floral wallpaper, the green bow in her braided hair drooping slightly. The terrifying reality of the adults' words crashed down on her. They weren't just arguing about clothes or secrets anymore. They were talking about a crime.
"Daddy..." Maya’s voice was a fragile, broken whisper. "What did she mean about a shovel? Where is Mommy?"
Julian slowly released Sarah’s arm, his chest heaving as he looked down at his daughter. The fierce, confident attorney who commanded courtrooms across the city was completely gone, replaced by a broken man drowning in his own guilt. He took a staggering step toward Maya, his hands trembling openly.
"Maya, listen to me," Julian choked out, tears pooling in his own eyes. "I did what I had to do. The family... we couldn't fall apart. You needed a father."
"You killed her," Maya stated, the raw truth tumbling from her lips with terrifying clarity. Her small frame shook uncontrollably as she looked at the tall man in the expensive brown suit. "You and... and her. You killed my mommy."
"No! It wasn't like that!" Julian cried out, falling to his knees on the hardwood floor, burying his face in his hands. "It was an accident, Maya! A terrible, stupid accident!"
Sarah stepped over Julian’s kneeling form, her red pencil skirt rustling softly against the floorboards. She crouched down right in front of Maya, her gaze piercing and intense.
"Accident or not, the soil behind the greenhouse is very fresh, isn't it, Julian?" Sarah whispered, never breaking eye contact with the little girl. "And the roses growing over it are going to be the most beautiful flowers in the neighborhood this spring."
May you like
Maya stared at Sarah in absolute horror, her breath stopping in her chest. Without a word, she pushed past Sarah, turned, and bolted down the stairs toward the front door, desperate to escape the house of horrors.
She reached the grand living room, her small sneakers flying across the Persian rug. She lunged for the heavy brass handle of the front door, threw it open, and ran out onto the porch. But as the cool night air hit her face, she stopped dead in her tracks, screaming in terror at the figure standing right under the porch light.
