Chapter 324:
He stepped out of his car, his pace unhurried as he approached the familiar property.
Time had left its mark, and what was once grand now looked worn around the edges.
Inside, laughter filled the air. Brandon noticed that the house belonged to strangers now.
Everything had changed after Millie’s father passed away. The property had been sold off during the settlement.
From the sidewalk, Brandon watched the new family of three, and in their joy, he caught a glimpse of summers past—Millie’s family together once more in his mind.
Parents spun each other around the room, their daughter giggling at the piano keys.
A red dress swirled with the music, and the little girl’s joyful face seemed etched into his memory.
Someone shouted a warning, “Slow down! You might fall!”
“Ouch!” A small accident interrupted the fun. The little girl—this new family’s child—had run too fast, tripped, and landed in a sulky heap, nearly in tears.
Brandon knelt beside her, producing a handkerchief to gently dry her cheeks, as though he could wipe away someone else’s sorrow from long ago.
Offering comfort, he said, “You’re all right,” and reached out to lift her gently from the ground.
A cheerful voice called from the doorway. “Thank you, Mr. Watson!” The child’s mother hurried over, gratitude clear on her face.
People around here rarely forgot Brandon’s name or story.
Offering a small nod, he answered simply, “Think nothing of it.”
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Once more, his attention drifted down to the little girl beside him.
Tears had dried, but she now watched him with a mixture of caution and wonder.
Unexpectedly, a gentle smile broke across his face.
He rose to his feet, deciding it was time to move on.
For a split second, a wave of memory washed over him—he almost believed Millie was standing there. Not the Millie hardened by loss, but the one before tragedy, before those cold stares.
A heavy breath left his chest as he walked back to his car.
He found himself wondering if any destination could make sense now.
With nowhere to go, Brandon pressed the accelerator, letting the city roll by. His thoughts spun for what felt like hours, until finally, the skyline thinned, and he realized he’d wandered into the city’s forgotten edge.
Off to one side, a massive building rose against the fading light.
The bleak outline of Crobert’s penitentiary stood against the sky.
A quiet certainty settled over Brandon as his car rolled to a stop. He finally understood who he needed to confront.
.
.
.