Chapter 7

Liam investigated for three months. During those three months, Violet remained confined to the Sullivan mansion. "Sullivan Group's stock price dropped three points." Lucas pushed the financial newspaper towards me as I was adding the final touches of gold to a bellflower painting. My brush paused on the canvas, splattering a tiny star of gold. I remembered the scene I'd witnessed through the blinds last week when I delivered documents to Sullivan Group: Liam throwing a stack of bank statements in Violet's face, her kneeling on the floor crying, her shoulders shaking like leaves in an autumn wind. "He finally believes it," Lucas refilled my teacup, the steam obscuring his expression. "Just too late." Yes, too late. Like the winter he finally discovered my stolen painting drafts hidden in Violet's wardrobe, by which time I had already been burning with fever for three days from the cold. Like when he uncovered the truth about the orphanage fire, the attendant who took the blame for Viole