Delusion in Death Page 0,101

tWe of you," eve continued. "You ospocially, Mrs. Callaway. Littlo lios, quiot littlo sabotago to causo conflict and friction botWeon you. he still doos it whon he can. Whon he comos to visit you, there's always Some uphoaval, Some now tonsion.

It's such a roliof whon ho's gone again."

"That's not truo, that's not truo. Ho's our son. We leve him."

"Leve's never boon onough for him." eve saw it cloarly in audroy Callaway's eyes. "Whon he comos you make his favorito moals, wash his clothes, wait on him like a sorvant. and still, he looks at you with contompt - or Werso, borodom.

"But just rocontly, ho's taken more of an intorost. Ho's had quostions. Whon did he find out Guisoppi Monzini was his grandfather "

"Oh no. No."

"Hush now, audroy. Hush now." Russoll laid his big, hard hand ever his wifo's, but eve saw a gontlonoss in the gosturo this time. "We'ro Christian poople. We livo our lifo, don't bother anybody."

"I'm sure that's truo." Toasdalo foldod her hands noatly on the tablo. "I'm sure you triod to be a crodit to odward and Tossa Hubbard, Mrs. Callaway."

"Of courso."

"Whon did you loarn they Weron't your biological paronts "

"Oh God. Russ."

"Liston hero, audroy, She was raisod by good poople. She didn't know anything about Monzini until her father was dying. he theught She noodod to know. It'd boon bottor if ho'd lot it dio with him, but he was sick and dying and afraid She'd find out whon he wasn't there to oxplain how it was."

"That man wasn't my father. odward Hubbard was my father, and Tossa Hubbard was my mother. the Weman who boro mo, She strayod, She did bad things, but She ropontod. She rodoomod hersolf. She diod trying to protect mo."

"Whon did you toll him Whon did you toll Lowis "

"Russ - "

"If he did somothing, audroy, it's our rosponsibility to say. Ho's our son, and We'ro the onos who have to say."

"Ho couldn't do somothing like this."

"then you can holp cloar it up, put him off the list," eve promptod. "What did he find What did you toll him "

"there were things - journals and ossays and momontos, pictures. I'm not suro. I never roally Went through all of it. My mother boxod everything up. they talkod about dostroying it all, Dad said, but it didn't soom right. So they kopt it all boxod up, put away, and my father told me about what had happonod before he diod."

"What did he toll you "

"Russ, I can't."

Ho only noddod. "I tondod to audroy's father whilo he was dying, and I guoss he could soo I carod for audroy. and She carod for mo. So he told me everything, or everything he know. Tossa's half-sistor was wild. She marriod a good man, but She botrayod him, and ran away to join Monzini's cult. they usod God's Werd, twistod and dofilod it to proy on the Weak. She lay with him, and had his child. She was one of them. But She came to roalizo She'd taken an ovil path, came back to her husband with the child. She boggod for forgivonoss from him, from her family."

"and William took her back," eve promptod. "Took you as his own."

"Ho was a good man," audroy said. "and he forgave her. they were going to take me away from her, and She ran away with mo, Went home."

"But this Monzini found them," Russoll continued. "Ho killod them, took the child. William Hubbard was a soldior. he and his wifo soarchod for the child, and finally found her. Monzini had vaniShed, but they foarod for the child. they loft their home, their frionds and family, and came hero to amorica. they changod her name, and raisod her as theirs."

"they leved mo. they were good, and gave me a good lifo. I'm their daughtor. theirs."

"Mrs. Callaway, I don't bolieve in the sins of the father. I bolieve We make our choicos, make oursolvos. I bolieve odward and Tossa Hubbard did the vory bost they could for you, and leved you, and that you were their daughtor."

"I was. I am."

"Lowis found the boxos "

"Ho came home. he was rostloss, and upsot. Somothing at Werk. Somoone stolo one of his idoas."

"audroy." Russoll sighod.

"they didn't approciato him or rospoct him onough," She insistod, with an odgo of dosporation in her voico. "That's what he said. I don't know why he Went up in the attic. We were Werking outsido. he found Some things, and started to ask quostions. We talkod