Page 57 of For Your Own Good

“Something wasn’t right about Sonia,” Frank finally says. “That wasn’t... It wasn’t like a heart attack. She was, I don’t know, convulsing. Or having a seizure.”

“A seizure? Like an epileptic seizure?”

“I don’t know. The paramedic asked me the same thing, and I told them it just didn’t look right. I don’t know how else to explain it.”

Teddy places his hand on Frank’s shoulder. “Go home to your family and get some rest. You’ve had an awful day.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Frank says. He walks away, shoulders slumped, head hanging low.

Teddy drives home feeling a little bad about Frank. It was unfortunate he was the one who found Sonia, especially given how hard he was taking Courtney’s arrest, but Teddy couldn’t help that. Someone had to find her.

He also feels a little bit bad about Sonia. It’s not remorse. Not even regret. Teddy did what had needed to be done, and he can’t regret that. What he’s doing is fixing his mistake, the one that put Courtney in jail.

And now Sonia won’t be testifying against her.

As far as Teddy could tell, this was the only way. Plus, he got away with killing someone the first time. Why not a second?

37

THE ONLY SOUNDat the table is the clink of silverware. Zach takes a bite of his almond-crusted salmon and washes it down with bubbly water.

His mom sits across from him, his dad next to him. This is the first family dinner they’ve had in months. The food was brought in from Arendale, his mother’s favorite restaurant. No one in the Ward house cooks.

“I thought it would be good for us to spend some time together,” Mom says. “Given what happened today at school.”

“It’s unbelievably tragic,” Dad says. “Sonia Benjamin was a fine woman.”

Zach nods. He’s still a little dazed about what happened. It was at the end of the day when he heard the sirens. His first thought was that the police had come to arrest someone for killing Ingrid. Someone other than Courtney.

Instead, someone else was dead. No one knows why, or what happened, but a bunch of rumors are already making the rounds online.

“She was a good teacher,” Zach says.

“Yes, she was.” Dad pauses to take a sip of water. No one drinks alcohol in the Ward home, not unless there are guests. Too much work and no time for fun. “I spoke to her many times and always found her to be a reasonable, intelligent woman.”

Zach doesn’t add that Mrs.B always did what Dad wanted her to do. That’s why he liked her so much.

“There’s just been so many traumatic events over the past months,” Mom says. “First Ingrid, then Courtney. And now, this...” She reaches across the table but can’t quite reach Zach’s hand. The table is too big. “How are you doing, Zach? Really, how are you?”

Even if Zach knew how to answer that question, he wouldn’t. Not with both of his parents staring at him.

“I’m still processing it,” he says. They like those kinds of words. Processing is something they understand.

Dad nods. “It will just take some time.”

“And, of course, if you want to talk to someone, I can arrange that,” Mom says. “A partner at my firm is married to one of the finest psychologists in the area. Shall I make an appointment?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Well, you just let me know,” she says.

“Okay,” he says.

The silverware starts clinking again as they fall back into silence. Zach senses that something is coming, but he isn’t sure what.

His parents wait until they’re done eating. The business way of doing things. People don’t talk about the difficult things at the start of a meal, because if everything goes sideways, you still have to eat together. No one wants to do that when they’re angry. Zach’s father taught him well.

“Given everything that’s been happening at Belmont,” Dad says, “your mother and I have been wondering if it’s the best place for you.”