Page 76 of Hoodoo House
Declan looked around the table, then asked Henry, “Do you feel badly for what you did?”
Henry looked up. “Yes,” he squeaked out. “It’s a sin to hurt someone. I’m going to go to hell and burn.”
“Did you do what you did because you were concerned about your gramma?”
Henry rubbed his nose on his sleeve. “Yeah.”
“And when Momrath was on fire—and this was a person who had attacked you—didn’t you risk your own life to save his?”
Henry remained silent, but nodded.
“Where’s this all going?” Mrs Cameron asked.
Declan replied, “The police have no evidence that would lead them to believe that Henry was involved. Ultimately it will be up to them, but outside of this room, nobody else knows about the pills Henry put into the drink, and we know it wasn’t enough to kill Mr Tull. Under any other circumstances, the only thing that would have happened is Mr Tull would have had a deeper night’s sleep.”
“If anyone was going to be implicated in Mr Tull’s death based on what the police have,” Charlie added, “it would be somebody else.”
“What do you mean?” Sinclair asked.
“I made copies of some significant files from Mr Tull’s laptop before it was stolen—files that included the video I mentioned of Mr Tull in an interaction with Adolph Moses where they were involved in choking play. If the police were to receive a copy of that file from an anonymous source…”
“But he didn’t kill Mr Tull,” Henry said. “It’d be wrong to say he did!”
“Yes, it would, Henry,” Declan said. “But he is a wanted criminal, and he will be charged with the attack on you and the burning down of Hoodoo House. The video wouldn’t be enough to charge him with being responsible for Mr Tull’s death, but without any other proof, there would be no need to investigate any further.”
Henry nodded his head.
“So…a lot of secrets have come out tonight,” Declan said. “And a lot of them have caused harm, but some don’t have to. Tonight we all have to decide if we want to keep everything we’ve learned here a secret, or not?”
The group sat in silence. Sinclair and Mrs Cameron both finished off their drinks. Henry looked around nervously from face to face.
“I’m not so sure about this,” Sinclair said.
Charlie looked directly at him. “Keep in mind, Sinclair, that among the files we took off the computer, we found the missing manuscript, which we’re happy to turn over to you, but we also kept one other file of a more…personal nature. And it would perhaps be better if that file never found its way into the wrong hands.”
Sinclair paused for only a second before saying, “I think, for the boy’s sake, we should keep the secret.”
“Mrs Cameron?” Charlie asked.
Henry looked up at her.
“I think both Henry and I can keep this secret. Isn’t that right, Henry?”
Henry nodded.
Declan stood and said, “So we all agree. When we talk to the police tomorrow, there will be no mention of Mr Tull’s death, other than what they already know.”
Everyone nodded in agreement. Mr Yamada, Mrs Cameron and Henry got up from the table and left the dining room.
Declan looked at Charlie and said, “You did good.”
“So why don’t I feel better about this?”
Declan shrugged. “Keeping secrets. It’s part of the job. Ultimately we do what we do for the greater good. Now let’s finish our drinks and go upstairs.”
* * * *
Charlie and Declan made their way to their room on the top floor. Charlie flopped on the couch, exhausted. The meeting had taken more out of him than he’d expected.
