A Snowy Night

Part 24

By Kellie

Frank and Bill stood at the doorway to the lake cottage that Vanessa had spent her childhood summers. They had sat in the car and watched a nurse leave the cottage a few minutes before. Bill had spotted Maureen playing on the screened porch in the back. Bill reached for the doorknob and slowly turned it and pushed the door open. Matt was in the kitchen fixing Maureen a sandwich when he heard her call out "Bill" and go running towards her big brother standing in the doorway. Bill swept her up in his arms and gave her a hug.

"Hey, Maureen."

Matt wiped his hands on the dishtowel on the counter and walked towards the door. A look of fear took over his face when he saw Frank standing behind Bill. "Bill, what are you doing here and why is Frank with you?"

Bill put Maureen on the floor, "Kiddo, I need to talk with your Daddy a minute. Can you go play on the porch and I’ll come out there in a minute."

"O-tay, Bill," Maureen replied as she ran towards the porch door.

"Matt, you took my mother from the hospital against the doctors wishes and vanished without a word to me. What did you expect me to do, sit around and hope you’d call or come home? Since Frank’s on suspension from the police department, he offered to help me track you guys down with the time he had on his hands. Matt, why did you take off like that? My mother wouldn’t have wanted you to do that."

"Bill, I had to protect your mother from Carmen Santos. I did the only thing I could think of – and it’s a good thing I did. I figured out why your mother went back into that coma after she started to wake up. Carmen had poisoned the lip balm we’d been putting on your Mom everyday. I know she had to have been the one who did it – I just can’t prove it."

"Matt, are you sure?" Frank asked.

Matt walked over to the mantle and picked up the container, "Frank, taste the stuff – it has a weird metallic taste to it. That’s not normal for lip balm."

Frank removed a small speck and tasted it, "You’re right, Matt – this stuff is poisoned."

"Matt, I understand why you did this – I just don’t get how you could take off with my Mom and sister and not say a word to me. Didn’t I at least deserve a phone call or a note telling me you guys were safe," Bill remarked.

"Yeah, you probably did, but considering your feelings for Michelle – Well, I was afraid you wouldn’t be able to keep our location a secret from Michelle and Danny. I couldn’t risk them leading Carmen to your mother," Matt answered.

"Matt, are you here?"

Bill looked towards the bedroom door at the sound of his mother’s voice. "When did she come out of the coma?"

"She woke up about two hours ago. She’s been sleeping on and off for the last hour," Matt remarked before walking into the bedroom.

Bill went to the door. His mother looked up at him, "Bill, sweetheart. I’m so glad to see you."

"Not half as glad as I am to see you," he responded as he went over and hugged his mother.

"Tell me, Bill, how’s Michelle’s trial going?" Vanessa asked.

"How did you know about Michelle and the trial?" Matt asked in shock.

"Matt, I’ve known all along. I’ve been struggling to come out of that coma for weeks so I could help Michelle. She didn’t kill Ben – I did."




Chapter 25

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