My Brother's Crown (29 page)

“Is this about seeing that dead body in the woods? 'Cause it's understandable why something so traumatic might stay with you. You were young.”

I took in a deep breath and let it out slowly as I settled back in my chair.

Then I launched in, telling him the whole story, in detail, including the part he hadn't heard yet, about what happened later when we went back and the body was gone. Halfway through, it struck me that I was probably testing him or looking for an excuse to reject him. Either way, he couldn't win, not if even a millisecond of doubt was visible in his eyes.

When I was finished, there
was
something in his eyes, all right, but it wasn't doubt. It was more like a deeply smoldering anger.

“That is wrong, so wrong,” he said, shaking his head. “Just because you were kids doesn't mean you made it up. What were they thinking?”

“I don't know. But my cousins and I were the ones who paid the price for their disbelief. We were all deeply affected by it. Look at Danielle. She spends most of her time lost in her art, pouring all her pain into the things she creates. Maddee tries to make it all better by living some fantasy of the perfect life she's going to have ‘someday.' Nicole's a hot mess all the way around. And then there's me, with all my stuff.”

“What if we did something radical? Is the cabin still there?”

“What do you mean?”

“We could investigate. We know there was a body, and then it was gone, the scene wiped clean. That's not a closed case. That's a cold case, whether the police believed you or not. You're a scientist, Renee. You must know all about fluorescene. Luminol. Haven't you ever gone back to the cabin and done any testing? If there was blood on the floor back then, I guarantee you there are chemicals that can help us find it even now, all these years later.”

There was an excitement in his voice that both thrilled and frightened me.

“I've thought about it,” I admitted. “When I was getting my doctorate, I did some work on the absorption spectra of nanocrystals, and that got me to wondering… I mean, I would never have had the nerve to go there myself, but I considered hiring a private investigator or a retired cop to run tests for me. I called Granddad to find out who owned the woods next door, thinking the first step was probably to get permission to be on the property.”

“So what happened with that?”

I shrugged. “The call went really bad. Granddad was
not
happy about the idea and told me to let it go. I guess his reaction sort of dredged up all that old stuff.”

“I can imagine. What did you do?”

“I did as he asked. I tried to let it go, at least for the time being.” I glanced at Blake, thinking he would understand better if he'd actually known my grandfather. He was a good man, but going against him in
a disagreement was like trying to walk up the James River against the current after a hard rain.

“Shortly after that he invited me to join the authentication team, and I enjoyed myself so much I didn't want to rock the boat by bringing up the matter of the Incident again.”

“You have a right to know what happened over there. All four of you do.”

The way he said it, so resolutely, made me realize he had no doubt about the matter at all. He believed me. Not only did he believe me, he wanted to help me.

“What do you say, Talbot? Want to validate what you've known all along to be true? Just say the word and we'll go there and take a look.”

I swallowed hard, my heart pounding with fear and excitement.

“You would do that for me?”

He smiled, melting my heart in an instant. “Sounds to me like you need to resolve the past so you can move on with the future. If this will help you do that, then nothing would make me happier.”

I waited until the day's events were over with before I talked to my cousins. We were in our room, on our beds, the familiar “slumber party” vibe flowing between us. But I had something to ask them that wasn't the wanna-play-truth-or-dare or anybody-up-for-a-facial-mask kind of question. It was serious—and possibly life changing.

I started by inquiring about their schedules and what they were like over the next few days. Both lived close enough to come here by car, and though Maddee had ridden with her parents, Danielle had driven herself. If they were to stay an extra day or two, I knew Danielle could take Maddee home on her way.

“Why?” Maddee asked, her eyes narrowing. “What's up in that complicated brain of yours, Renee?”

I swallowed hard. “I have something I want to propose to you guys, but part of it depends on whether you're in a position to stick around a little longer. I am. I've already talked with my supervisor and let
her know I'm taking some extra time, and I changed my flight and extended my car till Wednesday.”

They looked at each other and then back at me.

“There's something I want to do,” I continued, “whether you guys can be a part of it or not. But I'd rather not do it without your blessing. And ideally I'd rather you stick around and be a part of it too.”

“This is totally your serious face,” Danielle said, sitting up on her bed. “What is it, Renee? Talk to us. I can swing an extra day. I'm not sure about more than that, but I could try.”

Maddee nodded. “Same here as long as Danielle can get me home.”

“Of course.”

Maddee again fixed her compassionate gaze on me. “Whatever it is, honey, if you need us, we're here for you.”

Danielle nodded. “We got your back, girl.”

I exhaled slowly. “I really appreciate what you're both saying, but don't speak too soon. This… thing I want to do, it isn't just about me. It's about all of us.”

I sat up straight and tucked pillows behind my back, buying time as I tried to think of the best way to jump in. Finally, I decided to start within my own comfort zone and explain the science of what I wanted to do. I asked if either of them had ever heard of chemiluminescence. They both shook their heads.

“How about luminol?”

Maddee frowned. “Isn't that what they use on
CSI
to find blood at crime scenes?”

They shared another glance, their expressions growing wary.

“Probably.” Pressing on, I gave the simplest explanation I could, telling them how the chemical luminol could be put into a spray bottle along with several other substances.

“Blood contains hemoglobin,” I added, “which contains iron, and when blood is sprayed with the luminol mixture, the iron becomes a catalyst.” Resisting the urge to go into the full explanation about cyclic peroxide and electron transfer and 3-aminophthalate, I just said that the reaction increased energy, which was then released as photons of light, resulting in blue chemiluminescence.

“Earth to Renee,” Danielle interrupted. “Can you bring this down a notch for us regular humans?”

I smiled. “Fine. There's this really cool chemical, and if you spray it on a surface where there has been blood—even if that blood is no longer visible to the naked eye, even if it's been decades since the blood was there—chances are a chemical reaction will occur, and for about thirty seconds the residual iron from the blood will cause the luminol to light up as a distinct blue glow.”

Maddee scooted to the edge of her bed, dumbfounded. “You want to test the floor of the cabin in the Dark Woods.”

Looking from her to Danielle, I nodded. “Blake has offered to help.”

Their eyes began to light up at the thought. After all these years, would we finally be vindicated?

“I'm in,” said Maddee.

“Me too!” said Danielle.

“Wait,” I said, holding up a hand. “There's one more thing. To see the glow, it needs to be dark. Which means going there at night.”

I wasn't sure why, but I expected discussion or debate or outright refusal. Instead, both of my cousins just grew quiet for a long moment.

“If Blake can get things squared away in time, the plan is to do it tomorrow night,” I continued, speaking into their silence. “But bear in mind that luminol does have its disadvantages, including that it doesn't always work. Though considering the amount of blood there that day, I feel it's worth a try. So I guess the first question is, is it okay with you guys if he and I do this?”

They both nodded enthusiastically.

“Okay, second question. Do you want to be there when we do?”

It took about ten more seconds of silent thought before Danielle spoke.

“Yes,” she whispered.

Maddee sucked in a breath and blew it out. “Yes.”

“Good,” I said, giving them a nod.

As if recognizing the importance of our decision, Danielle surprised us by sitting up in bed, raising her right hand, and declaring,
“From this moment forward, we will no longer be called the Liar Choir. Henceforth, we are to be known as the Truth Sleuths.”

Maddee and I cheered softly and then we all hugged and cried a little. We spent the next half hour lying on our beds and whispering about what this would mean if it actually worked.

C
HAPTER
S
IXTEEN

Catherine

C
atherine was determined to make the trip to Paris and Versailles a reality. She knew their options were rapidly dwindling and that Suzanne was their last hope. Wanting to build a spark within Grand-Mère's heart, she kept bringing up old, oft-told stories in conversation, ones about her grandmother's youth in Paris.

Grand-Mère had grown up Catholic, but when she was sixteen she met a printer from Lyon at the pond in the Jardin du Luxembourg. He was staying with friends not far from her parents' grand house across from the gardens, and they met every day for a week on the edge of the pond in front of the Luxembourg palace. On the second day they met, he told her he was Huguenot. There were not many Protestants in Paris, and Grand-Mère was surprised that the young man she had so quickly grown fond of did not share her faith. But by Sunday she was willing to sneak away from mass at her family's church, Saint Germain, to boat down the Seine with him to the Temple de Charenton, outside of the city.

That very day she fell in love with both the young man and the Savior the pastor preached about. “I could have come to know that same Christ through my childhood faith,” she had said. “But somehow I
had missed Him. It was not the fault of the nuns who schooled me or the priests who taught me. I think hearing it in a new way is what touched me.”

She converted and married the man and moved to Lyon, into a home that far exceeded his humble description. She'd had no idea the position his family held in the city, even though her parents had discovered the Gillet family was nobility.

But neither Grand-Père's family's stature nor their wealth swayed Grand-Mère's mother and father into accepting her husband. They said she had disgraced them by marrying a Huguenot. In the few times my grandparents visited Paris after their marriage, Grand-Mère's parents had been cordial to her husband but never warm.

Grand-Mère may have left the Catholicism of her girlhood, but she brought her Holy Days with her, teaching them to Catherine. “There is a lot to learn from the rhythm of the days,” she said. Catherine liked that every single one not only had a number but also a name. This was the first Monday of the Octave of Easter. She liked the thought of it being the
first.
She hoped it was the beginning of something new in their lives.

The physician came to examine Amelie that afternoon. On his way out, he also checked Valentina and said he was pleased with how she was improving. “She is filling out already. Amelie is better too.”

Catherine nodded in agreement. “Do you think they are strong enough for us to consider going away for a time and leaving them behind? Grand-Mère has been invited to Versailles to visit an old friend.”

“Medically that would not be a problem as long as there are others to care for them here. My bigger concern would be your safety, Catherine, in Paris and on the road. And Amelie's safety here in the house, with the dragoons…”