Chapter 9 - My Mother’s Version of the Night
Jennifer agreed to speak only if I came alone.
Claire refused.
So we compromised.
I entered the lake house dining room while officers monitored from outside.
Jennifer sat at the same table where Tyler had attacked me.
The broken glass was gone.
The blood had been cleaned.
But I could still see the moment every time I looked at the floor.
She placed the photograph between us.
“I did not kill your grandfather.”
“You were there.”
“Yes.”
“Why did you lie?”
“Because Robert said Tyler would go to prison if I told the truth.”
I stared at her.
“What did Tyler do?”
Jennifer looked toward the dark windows.
“That afternoon, your grandfather told Robert he was removing him from the company. Tyler overheard them.”
“What happened?”
“Tyler lost control.”
He shoved Grandpa during the argument.
Grandpa fell against the railing but did not go down the stairs.
He was injured, not dead.
Jennifer helped him into the library.
Grandpa called Mercer.
Then Robert arrived.
“What did Dad do?”
Jennifer’s hands tightened around each other.
“He told me to take Tyler home.”
“And you left Grandpa with him.”
“Yes.”
“When did you return?”
“An hour later.”
She found Grandpa at the bottom of the stairs.
Robert stood above him.
“He said Grandpa had tried to walk and fallen.”
“Did you believe him?”
“No.”
The word barely came out.
“Why didn’t you call the police?”
“Robert said Mercer was handling it.”
I laughed without humor.
“You watched them cover up his death.”
“I protected my son.”
“You protected Tyler from being punished for shoving an injured man. Then you helped Dad hide a murder.”
“I did not know Robert killed him.”
“But you suspected.”
Tears appeared in her eyes.
They did not move me.
“You let them drug me too.”
“That was not supposed to happen.”
“What was supposed to happen?”
“You were supposed to sign. Then Robert would give you enough money to live comfortably.”
“You helped forge my name.”
“I thought it would keep everyone from fighting.”
“You call what happened to me peace?”
Jennifer looked down.
For the first time, she appeared old.
“I spent thirty years making sure Robert never turned his anger on Tyler.”
“So you gave him me instead.”
She did not answer.
That silence was my answer.
I stood.
“You chose Tyler every time.”
“He needed me more.”
“No. He knew you would save him from every consequence.”
Jennifer reached for my wrist.
“Olivia, please.”
I stepped away.
“You don’t get to call this love.”
Police entered after Claire signaled them.
Jennifer surrendered the photograph and agreed to provide a full statement.
Before officers escorted her out, she whispered something to me.
“There is a camera Robert doesn’t know about.”
Grandpa had installed it inside the carved eagle above the staircase after suspecting theft.
Jennifer saw its light the night he died.
The camera connected to a separate backup drive.
She believed the drive was hidden inside Grandpa’s old boathouse.
But Tyler had returned to Colorado.
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And according to a motion alarm, someone was already inside the boathouse.
👉 The only camera that may have captured Grandpa’s death was still hidden near the lake, and Tyler had reached it first.
