![\"No](\"https:\/\/scontent.fpnh11-1.fna.fbcdn.net\/v\/t39.30808-6\/835950599_122124493857257929_3617149388092616412_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_tt6&cstp=mx512x640&ctp=s512x640&_nc_cat=109&_nc_map=urlgen_bucketless&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=127cfc&_nc_ohc=fs-ROlg6hbsQ7kNvwEnRCgZ&_nc_oc=AdolvcaRSfKZ10cPYAzkSKe1ZRW5sbSqmgnYqVtQOA_Al4lCLcBfvBQ8FhBdlqCHw98&_nc_zt=23&_nc_ht=scontent.fpnh11-1.fna&_nc_gid=LM5o1IvAGEu8GMq93LIIiw&_nc_ss=7b2a8&oh=00_AQNjrvy42zc0EL3z7sdG0iHWnbJr0xp8Bb1vUKbylrMW_g&oe=6AE2A4B5\")
<\/p>\n\u201cThen you know who I am.\u201d Richard nodded. \u201cI know who you are.\u201d I looked from one man to the other. \u201cSomebody please tell me what\u2019s happening.\u201d Jason\u2019s expression had changed. The skepticism he\u2019d always shown toward my relationships was gone. In its place was something I had never seen in my son before. Fear. Not anger. Not jealousy. Fear. \u201cMom,\u201d Jason said quietly, \u201cI think you should sit down.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
My voice shook. \u201cI want to know why my boyfriend is looking at my son like he\u2019s seen a ghost.\u201d Richard wiped his face. \u201cLinda, I need to tell you something.\u201d \u201cThen tell me.\u201d He swallowed. \u201cYour husband wasn\u2019t alone when he died.\u201d I froze. \u201cWhat?\u201d Richard looked at Jason. \u201cI was there that night.\u201d The world seemed to tilt beneath my feet. My husband\u2019s death had always been one of the most painful memories of my life.<\/p>\n
He had died suddenly eight years earlier after a late-night accident on a country road. The police had called it an accident. A truck had crossed the center line. There had been no mystery. At least, that\u2019s what I\u2019d always believed. I stared at Richard. \u201cYou knew my husband?\u201d \u201cI knew him.\u201d \u201cHow?\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard lowered his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe worked together.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason\u2019s face had gone pale.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were the other man in the truck.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard looked at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
I couldn\u2019t breathe.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were there?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you never told me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI was going to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard looked ashamed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe day I met you.\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed, but there was nothing funny in it.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe day you met me?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI recognized your last name.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why did you ask me out?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou didn\u2019t know what to do?\u201d<\/p>\n
My voice rose.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew my husband. You knew how he died. You knew my son. And you still let me fall in love with you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard\u2019s eyes filled with tears.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t know Jason was your son.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason interrupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou knew enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard turned toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen why didn\u2019t you tell her?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I was afraid.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf what?\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard\u2019s voice cracked.<\/p>\n
\u201cOf losing the only good thing that had happened to me in years.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat isn\u2019t an excuse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n
He shook his head.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt isn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was silence.<\/p>\n
Then Jason said something that made my stomach drop.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, that\u2019s not the whole story.\u201d<\/p>\n
I turned toward him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason looked at Richard.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou were driving that night.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut my father wasn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
I felt the blood drain from my face.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat are you saying?\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason took a shaky breath.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve spent eight years trying to figure out what happened.\u201d<\/p>\n
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t believe the police report.\u201d<\/p>\n
He showed me an old photograph.<\/p>\n
It was a picture of my husband\u2019s car.<\/p>\n
But there was something strange about it.<\/p>\n
The damage wasn\u2019t on the driver\u2019s side.<\/p>\n
It was on the passenger side.<\/p>\n
I looked at Jason.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does that mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt means Dad wasn\u2019t driving.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at Richard.<\/p>\n
He was crying now.<\/p>\n
Jason continued.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomeone changed the story.\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard finally spoke.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour husband was driving at first.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason frowned.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere was an argument. Your husband wanted to leave. I tried to stop him.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard hesitated.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause he had discovered something.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
He looked toward Jason.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething about a company we worked for.\u201d<\/p>\n
Jason stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of something?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFinancial fraud.\u201d<\/p>\n
Silence.<\/p>\n
Richard explained that my husband had discovered money being stolen from the company. He had confronted the people responsible.<\/p>\n
And someone had threatened him.<\/p>\n
My husband\u2019s death had never been an accident.<\/p>\n
It had been made to look like one.<\/p>\n
But there was one problem.<\/p>\n
Richard had been the last person known to see him alive.<\/p>\n
Jason stared at him.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo why should we believe you?\u201d<\/p>\n
Richard didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n
Instead, he reached into his jacket.<\/p>\n
I flinched.<\/p>\n
He slowly pulled out a small envelope.<\/p>\n
\u201cI kept this for eight years.\u201d<\/p>\n
He handed it to me.<\/p>\n
My hands trembled as I opened it.<\/p>\n
Inside was a photograph.<\/p>\n
My husband stood beside a younger Richard.<\/p>\n
On the back, in my husband\u2019s handwriting, were six words:<\/p>\n
\u201cIf anything happens, trust Richard.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n I stared at those words until they blurred.<\/p>\n Then I looked up.<\/p>\n \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you give me this eight years ago?\u201d<\/p>\n Richard\u2019s answer was barely audible.<\/p>\n \u201cBecause I was afraid the people who killed him would kill you too.\u201d<\/p>\n Jason stepped closer.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd now?\u201d<\/p>\n Richard looked at him.<\/p>\n \u201cNow I\u2019m afraid they\u2019re already watching her.\u201d<\/p>\n At that exact moment, a car drove slowly past the house.<\/p>\n All three of us turned toward the street.<\/p>\n The car stopped at the corner.<\/p>\n Then it drove away.<\/p>\n Jason\u2019s face changed.<\/p>\n \u201cMom\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n He stared after the car.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve seen that car before.\u201d<\/p>\n My stomach tightened.<\/p>\n \u201cWhere?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOutside my house.\u201d<\/p>\n Richard closed his eyes.<\/p>\n \u201cThey found us.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWho?\u201d<\/p>\n He looked at me.<\/p>\n \u201cThe people your husband was investigating.\u201d<\/p>\n Then his phone rang.<\/p>\n Richard looked at the screen.<\/p>\n He didn\u2019t answer.<\/p>\n The phone stopped.<\/p>\n A second later, a text appeared.<\/p>\n Richard read it.<\/p>\n His face went white.<\/p>\n I grabbed his wrist.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat does it say?\u201d<\/p>\n He slowly turned the phone toward me.<\/p>\n The message contained only one sentence.<\/p>\n