Page 33 of Deadly Sins: Envy

“And Rita never mentioned the subject again.”

“Other than your issue with Alex’s age, did you ever witness him being inappropriate toward Willow?”

“I mean, he threw a fit sometimes when they played a game and he lost. Otherwise, I’d say his treatment of her was acceptable up to that point.”

The answer was no. Alex had never done anything to warrant Dale’s decision to banish him from the house. Dale decided he was guilty without cause, and Rita was paid to accommodate Dale’s wishes just like Stanley Davidson was paid to provide Willow with an illusion that any success she had was self-made.

Money disgusted me sometimes.

People like Dale did too.

“Did Alex and Willow know why they weren’t allowed to hang around with each other anymore?” I asked.

“I have no idea what Rita told Alex. I never asked. I had a discussion with Willow and told her Alex had become involved in some after-school activities which conflicted with his visits.”

“So, you lied to her.”

“I spared her feelings, and in doing so, I didn’t have to discuss a topic she was too young to understand.”

He’d spared her nothing and saved himself by lying to cover up the damage he’d done.

“Did Willow ever see Alex again after he stopped coming over?” I asked.

“Not to my knowledge. He was in public school, and she was in private. They ran in different circles.”

“How long did Rita continue working for your family?”

“Ten years.”

“And how long has it been since you’ve seen her?” I asked.

“I attended her funeral.”

“Alone?”

He nodded. “She had always been so good to our family. When I saw her obituary in the paper, I decided to stop by and pay my respects. When I saw Alex, it was obvious the last few years of his life had been rough. Because I cared for his mother, I thought I’d be generous and tried giving him a check.”

“You offered him money?”

“Sure did. He ripped it up and dropped the pieces on the floor, right in front of everyone. I couldn’t understand why he would do such a thing. Who turns down free money?”

“I know this is hard for you to believe,” I said, “but the solution to every problemisn’tmoney.”

Dale leaned back in his chair and narrowed his eyes. “Why do I get the feeling you’re judging me right now?”

“Because I am. There are plenty of other ways to get somewhere in life and connect with people that don’t involve throwing money around.”

“You say that because you’ve never had the kind of money I have. The truth is, you can’t say what you’d do unless you had it.”

There he was—therealDale Cooper in the flesh.

He was the prince, and I was the pauper.

I stood, turned, and started to walk out of the room.

“You were about to say something just now,” he said. “What was it?”

“How much was the check for, the one you gave Alex?”