Chapter 8 - Lucinda Claimed She Thought Grant Would Stop It
Lucinda finally began talking after seeing the video.
Her defense was not innocence.
It was cowardice.
She admitted she put Mia in the SUV.
She admitted she took the water bottle away because Mia kept spilling it on her dress.
She admitted Grant told her:
“Leave her there. Silvio will be out soon.”
Then the plan shifted.
According to Lucinda, Grant told her they needed “one bad enough scare” to derail Silvio before the audit meeting resumed.
She claimed she thought they would leave Mia inside only briefly.
Then Ethan ran toward Silvio.
Grant panicked.
Caught him.
Put him inside too.
Lucinda said she objected.
The security footage did not show much objection.
She remained standing there.
Keys in hand.
Doing nothing.
“What did you think would happen?” the investigator asked.
Lucinda cried.
“I thought Grant would unlock it.”
“When?”
“I don’t know.”
“Before or after your niece became seriously ill?”
No answer.
Then came the hardest question.
“When Grant asked, ‘Are they still alive?’ did that surprise you?”
Lucinda closed her eyes.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because then I understood he had meant it to go farther than I did.”
Maybe that was true.
Maybe not.
Either way, Lucinda had reached the point where intention stopped saving her.
She had placed a four-year-old in danger.
Watched a seven-year-old be forced in too.
Held the keys.
May you like
And waited.
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