Chapter 5 - The Damning Accusation
Mindy stepped away from the safety of the wall. She raised a small, trembling hand, pointing her finger directly past Elias, aiming straight for the silver-haired matriarch standing over the casket.
"Grandma isn't telling the truth!" Mindy screamed, her high-pitched, fragile voice tearing through the warm, deceitful air of the living room like a jagged blade. The adults flinched simultaneously, as if struck by physical gunfire. Mindy squeezed her teddy bear tighter, hot tears cascading down her pale cheeks as she delivered the bombshell that would fracture the foundation of their lives forever. "Uncle Derek trapped mom!"
The words hit Elias with the concussive force of an explosion. Uncle Derek trapped mom. Derek, his wife’s elusive, volatile brother who had supposedly been out of the state during the accident. The room instantly warped around Elias, the warm funeral lights suddenly feeling harsh and interrogating.
