Page 121 of This is Why We Lied

Faith asked, “What about a heart attack?”

“The lips and fingernails wouldn’t be blue like that,” Sara said. “Not all heart attacks lead to cardiac arrest. Sudden cardiac death is an electrical malfunction. The heart beats irregularly, or just stops, blood doesn’t get to the brain, the person passes out. In a quiet setting like this, even over the sound of water, Will would’ve heard something before Chuck lost consciousness. Crying out, grabbing his arm in pain, the classic symptoms. At the very least, he would’ve made a heavy splash from falling into the water.”

“I was listening to make sure he didn’t come up on me,” Will said. “When I turned around, he was just floating.”

Faith asked, “What kind of poison would make his fingernails and lips blue like that?”

Sara had some ideas, but she wasn’t going to volunteer them from thirty feet away. “Only toxicology can confirm, but I can give you some options once I have a closer look.”

“We’ll come to you,” Will said. “We need to get him across the water. There’s a stone footbridge upstream at the mini-falls. You guys okay without me?”

Will didn’t wait for Kevin or Faith to answer. He jumped back into the creek to cross now. The current didn’t seem to faze him. He climbed up the bank and stood in front of Sara with a resigned look on his face.

She handed him his iPhone and earbuds, asking, “How was the water?”

“Cold.”

She wondered if a double-meaning was implied. “My love, I’m not going to lecture you for trying to save a man’s life.”

He gave her a curious look. “You’re not mad?”

“I was worried,” she told him. What she didn’t add was that the panicked sound of Faith screaming his name had stopped Sara’s heart. She had barely breathed until she’d seen that Will was all right. “I should change out the dressing on your hand. It’s soaking wet.”

He looked down at his hand. “Believe it or not, it saved my life.”

Sara didn’t know if she could hear specifics right now. “How much water did you swallow?”

“Somewhere between a little and a lot, but it all came back out.”

“There’s a slight risk of pulmonary embolism.” She stroked back his wet hair. “I want you to tell me immediately if you have any trouble breathing.”

“That’s hard to judge,” Will said. “Sometimes I look at my wife and she kind of takes my breath away.”

Sara felt her lips turning up into a smile, but she was mindful that there were more important things that needed her attention. Faith and Kevin were already carrying Chuck back toward the crossing.

She walked along the bank, asking Will, “Did Faith tell you about the knife?”

He shook his head.

“Red plastic handle. I’m assuming a steak knife. The red is not typical. Usually, even if the handle is plastic, it’s made to look like wood grain.”

“Amanda should have the search warrant soon,” he said. “I want to turn this place upside-down. I’m hoping the handle’s not at the bottom of the lake.”

“Any idea if Mercy knew she was pregnant?”

He shook his head again. “And there’s no one to ask. She didn’t trust anybody up here.”

“I don’t blame her.” Sara started thinking ahead to next steps. “With the road washed out, we need to find a place to store the body until Nadine can safely remove it.”

“There’s a free-standing freezer behind the kitchen. There’s not much in there. They’ve got another fridge inside they can probably move stuff to.” Will had put his hand over his heart. The cold water and adrenaline were clearly no longer numbing the pain. “That reminds me, I told Frank I’d have you check on Monica.”

“Already did,” Sara said. “I gave her some fluids, but I’d feel better if she was closer to a medical facility. She’s going to have to drink again or she’ll go into withdrawal. From her symptoms, she was on the precipice of alcohol poisoning last night.”

“Frank told me he was surprised she got that sick off what she drank.”

“I’m not sure Frank is that reliable. He told me that he lied to you.”

Will stopped walking.