Free Murder in the Mansion by Lili Evans

was sad that Dani's body was
found on his birthday.”
    “It
is sad,” Nick agreed. He watched her move slowly around the kitchen. He noticed
how she kept her hands busy.
    “So
they had a party,” Marianne continued. She looked out the window, over her
backyard with its flowerbed and vegetable garden. She had planted them herself,
with her bare hands. She had made something here out of nothing. “Something
went wrong and um,” Marianne turned sharply when the kettle finished boiling.
    “And
what?” Nick prompted quietly. He wanted to go to her but knew she wouldn't let
him.
    “They're
dead. My parents. Nadia called to tell me. My brother must have given her my
number. Dylan, he's the only one I've spoken to since I left, you know, every
once and a while,” her voice trailed off.
    “What
happened, Marianne?” he stood now, slowly, and began to move towards her.
    “They
found them in the library. It wasn't really a library, more of a study,” she
babbled. “My father used it as his office. He had a heart attack they think.
They'll know after they do an autopsy. My mother,” she trailed off, closing her
eyes hard to hold the tears back, “my mother was killed.”
    “Marianne,”
he put his arms around her, tightened his grip when she resisted.
    “I'm
fine, really, I can handle this.”
    “I
know you can. But you can take just a few minutes and do this instead.”
    “No,
I can't,” she pushed against him. “They expect me to do that. You should have
heard how Nadia side-stepped around the news. She was afraid to tell me. Afraid
of what I'd do.”
    “They
don't know the person you've become. They only remember the way you were.”
    “I
was twenty!” Marianne exploded. “Twenty!” The tears came in a wave of sobbing.
    “It's
okay,” Nick tried to hug her again and was slapped away. “Jesus! It's okay to
be upset, Marianne! Let yourself grieve. They were still your parents. And
today of all days, when you were already worked up about Dani. You're allowed
to be upset!”
    “It's
okay to be upset,” she said angrily through her sobs. “But I cannot fall apart
again. You know how much therapy and rehab it took to fix me in the first
place.”
    “And
you got better,” now he did grab her arms, digging his fingers in when she
tried to slink away. “Marianne, if you weren't stable, if you weren't a good
mother, I wouldn't share custody with you. I would have taken Daniel away from
you. And I would have been able to prove it in court.”
    She
glared at him, her eyes turning into angry blue slits.
    “You
know I'm right,” Nick told her before she could speak. “That's a testament as
to how stable I think you are. I wouldn't risk Daniel. You being upset tonight
doesn't mean there's anything wrong with you.”
    He
released her and watched as she walked about the kitchen, composing herself.
She blew her nose and wiped her face. Finally, she turned to him.
    “I'm
worried it's happening again. And if it happens again I have to be able to
handle it this time.”
    “Why
would you assume it's happening again?” Nick was confused.
    She
shot him a look that made him feel stupid. “My father's sixtieth birthday. On
the anniversary of when Dani was found. My mother is shot, my father has a
heart attack, and the police don't know if he killed her. They don't know why
he would have if he did. All of this happens in such a way that it may or may
not be connected to Dani. That's convenient.”
    “It
might have nothing to do with Dani,” Nick said delicately. “Your father might
have fought with your mother. He might have shot her and then had a heart
attack.”
    “On
today of all days?” Marianne shook her head. “I find it a bit odd. It's quite
the coincidence. Dani's killer was never found and now there's been another
murder.”
    “Don't
jump to conclusions,” Nick told her. “Leave that for the police.”
    “I'm
going to tell them what I think,” Marianne replied bitterly. “Maybe they'll get
it