OLDER CATHY. If only we had left the day he made the key work.

She walks off.

Scene 8

The lights come up on the attic. Cathy and Carrie are still asleep.

Christopher enters quietly. Cathy sits up.

CATHY. How did you do?

CHRISTOPHER [without looking at her]. We have enough. We’re leaving as soon as Cory comes back.

Christopher crosses quickly toward the bathroom. Cathy stands.

CATHY. Christopher?

He pauses, his back to her.

CATHY. What is it? Is it just last night?

CHRISTOPHER [turning]. No.

CATHY [stepping toward him]. Then what is it? Is it something to do with Cory?

CHRISTOPHER. It’s something to do with all of us.

CATHY. What?

CHRISTOPHER [after a moment]. I took a chance and went into the old man’s office.

He pulls some papers out of his back pocket and holds them up.

CHRISTOPHER. This is his last will and testament. I flipped through it and just took these pages. Momma is going to inherit a fortune, all right. He’s forgiven her.

CATHY. Well, that’s good, then, isn’t it?

CHRISTOPHER. These pages contain a clause that says that if after her father’s death, it is proven that she had any children with our father, she has to forfeit her inheritance to a religious foundation.

CATHY. Well, I’m sure she has that figured out, Christopher. Momma isn’t going to lose her fortune. You’ve seen how far she would go to protect it. I bet that was the reason she married Bart Winslow.

CHRISTOPHER. That might have been the reason, but . . .

The door is opened, and Corrine enters slowly. She’s been crying.

For a moment, no one speaks.

CARRIE. Where’s Cory?

CATHY. How is he?

Corrine sobs and falls back against the closed door.

CHRISTOPHER. Momma!

He rushes to her. Carrie reaches for Cathy’s hand.

CORRINE. I took him to the hospital. I drove as fast as I could. He had pneumonia.

CHRISTOPHER. Pneumonia? What kind of tests have they done on him? How did they get that diagnosis?

CORRINE. Oh, Christopher, I don’t know about tests.

CATHY. Why couldn’t you ask your father’s nurses to help? Why couldn’t you get one of his fabulous doctors to come rushing over here? You had to keep him a secret, even now?

CHRISTOPHER. Wait, Cathy. They’re treating him, right? He’ll be okay, right?

Corrine takes a deep breath and shakes her head.

CORRINE. They said it was a particularly vicious strain. He died a few hours ago.

CATHY. Cory died?

Carrie doesn’t fully understand but embraces Cathy’s leg.

CHRISTOPHER. Why did you let this happen, Momma?

CORRINE. Stop it, Christopher. Don’t you think I’m in great pain, too? It could have happened anywhere.

CHRISTOPHER. No. [He forms a strange, cold smile.] They’re doing an autopsy, right? Didn’t they ask to see his parents? How did you register him? Is it out? That you have children?

CORRINE. No, I registered him under a false name, claiming he was my nephew. No one will question anything, Christopher. My father has influence. He contributes to this hospital.