Page 96 of Riches and Romance

“What, should I have gone instead?”

“Yes!” she shrieks.

“Mama, calm down.” Noah’s gravelly voice comes on tape for the first time.

“No. I have lived with you and you knew and didn’t say anything?”

“Why would I?”

“When he died, so did you. And you never once asked about your own daughter. You didn’t hire her a lawyer or finally confess to me so you could go be by her side. I didn’t think you cared.”

“Oh my God,” Noah’s voice again.

“Nick, you can’t be serious.”

“I am. And what are you going to do? Walk out of here and go tell the police? Noah’s my son and he wouldn’t betray me.”

The recording cuts off.

I sit back in the seat. “He did it? It washim?”

“Yes.”

“And they’re coming here to attest to that?”

“Yes.”

“But why? He’s her husband.”

“And you’re her child. I haven’t spoken to her but Noah has said she’s incredibly remorseful. She wants to do the right thing. The least she can do is tell the truth so we can get your case reopened.”

The sob that wrenches free from the depths of my soul where all my hope was buried is so loud that it scares me. I throw my head back and scream. I scream until my throat is raw and then I laugh. I’ve never been so happy I don’t think ever.

“Yeah. I had the same reaction, but in my head cause I wanted to surprise you.”

I launch myself across the console and grab his neck. The car swerves, and he puts one arm around me and tightens his grip on the steering wheel with the other. “I’m going to be free, Omar.” I say it, and I can’t believe I’m saying it.

“Yes, you are. And you can tell your dad that he can rest easy because you’re fine now.”

I nod and shake my head in wonder, letting him go and falling back in my seat, my body sprawled, my eyes staring at nothing on the ceiling.

“Thank you.”

“You’re the one who broke into the house.”

“But you’re the one who broke the chains around my heart so I could. I’d given up.”

“Only for a minute. You were going to get back to it. You just needed a break.”

I chuckle. “I see what you did there.”

“Yeah. Now let’s go and see your dad.”

I wait while he walks around to get my door and take the hand he offers to help me out. And we walk hand in hand to go and tell my dad the news.

“You know, I understand why they call you The Mastermind. You play the long game.”

He bends his head to kiss me. “Yeah, but for you, I’m playing the forever game.”

“And you’re winning.”

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