The Register | H.S.

Chapter 40

Aspen

"Aspen, I have no choice but to ask you; are you sure you want to know what really happened that night?"

I shook my head slightly, returning my attention to the question Louis's father asked me. I was lost in the thoughts rushing through my mind. My meeting this morning with Louis and his father made me extremely anxious. No matter what I learn this morning about the fire will impact not only Harry but our relationship as well. Even though it scared me, my heart told me it was the right thing to do.

The three of us were sitting around the kitchen table at Louis's parents. It was a simple but charming house in the same neighborhood as the house Harry grew up in.

I nodded in response. Harry had to know the truth. He had lived in ignorance for too long already.

"The file related to the fire is, by far, the most neglected that I have seen in my entire career, it will stir up a lot of things to bring out this truth, you understand?"

"I know Dan, but I'm convinced it's the right thing to do." I glanced at Louis, seeking his approval. He nodded softly, giving me a reassuring look before I returned my gaze to his father.

Dan nodded, understanding. "I am convinced it is an arson. The cause of the fire has not been identified. They didn't even try to find what started the fire. Because of my connection to the victims, I wasn't the investigator in charge of the case, but there is a lot of crucial information missing in the case for reasons that I don't understand." He explained to us, nodding his head in discouragement.

"But I found the death certificates and autopsies of Mary and Evangeline." He took out two documents from the cardboard folder on the table in front of him, laying them in front of me.

I looked at the documents for a long time without being able to read them even though I never had any difficulty reading. These documents were complex and long-standing, but it was the situation I was in that turned me so upside down that I was unable to concentrate on reading.

"They died of an overdose. They were probably already dead when the fire broke out." He ended up saying.

I looked up from the autopsy photocopies to look at Dan with my eyes wide open, my lips parted. And all along, Harry believed it was the fire that killed his mother and sister.

"Do you think someone drugged them?" Louis asked, making sure we understood what he was trying to tell us.

"There is no doubt about it. I knew Mary well, she would never have used drugs in her whole life. But with the background of her ex-husband, the authorities did not ask more questions I suppose."

I rested my head in my hands, sighing. I couldn't believe it. How should I explain this to Harry now?

"Why does this all sound like the culprit is Andrew? Harry's father is mentally ill, a real psychopath. It wouldn't even surprise me if he paid the cops and hired someone to-."

"Louis, calm down. These are huge accusations that you are making." His father warns him.

Louis slipped his hand through his hair, sighing. Louis's temperament is usually quite calm. It was the first time I had seen him so explosive. What we had just learned seemed to really piss him off. It pissed me off too, but unlike him, I was unable to react. I was just frozen, unable to do or say anything. I was just thinking about Harry, how hard it was going to be for him to hear this. And it was I who was going to have to tell him.

"It happened too long ago, it's impossible to confirm what you-."

I felt Dan's gaze fall on me, then Louis's. I stared into space, way too far in my thoughts to return my attention to them.