Iris glares him down. “I mean, it makes perfect sense,” Iris says, the words like a knife. “She finds out about the drug dealing and freaks out and argues with you. How it’s ruining your future. Maybe she says, hey, we’ll throw Julia to the cops to save you, although Julia only knew of it because you told her; you abused your friendship with her to drag her into it. And so she calls this Marland guy and tells him she’ll expose him, and he kills her. And it’s all because of you.” She cannot believe the words coming out of her mouth. But this is what desperation for her own family is. This is what fear is.

Ned erupts in a shuddering, shaking howl of grief, of disbelief.

“I don’t think normally she’d meet a man like Marland in the park, but she would to protect you. To keep you from knowing what she did. To make a deal with him to save your future…” She doesn’t recognize her own voice.

“Mom, stop. Stop!” Julia yells, clutching her arm, but Iris shakes free.

“STOP IT!” Ned screams, and he shoves Iris away from him. She sprawls on the hardwood floor.

“It was Kyle! She argued with Kyle! I heard her!”

“Of course you’d say that. You need to blame someone other than yourself for setting all this in motion…” Iris slowly gets up from the floor, Julia helping her, Julia staring at Ned like she’s never seen him before. Or seen this rage and heartbreak inside him. “You told Julia you thought you knew who killed her. But if it’s Marland, it’s your fault. You can’t face that truth.”

Ned’s hands close into fists. His voice shakes when he speaks. “You liar. You should have kept your own husband happy. Then he wouldn’t have come around my mom. And killed her.”

“She found out about your drug dealing and that you dragged my poor daughter into your idiotic scheme. Did your mom want to go to the police and cut a deal that would protect you and offer up Julia as a whipping boy to the police, someone you could frame and blame because she’d kept her mouth shut, because she dared to be your friend? Now, I could believe that’s what she and Kyle were talking about. Your mother wouldn’t have minded hurting us,” Iris says, her voice cool, controlled. “Kyle wouldn’t kill her. Even if they had an affair. Because he knows I’d forgive him. I’d make him pay for it. But I’d forgive him. He’s confessing to protect Julia’s future, the one you’ve nearly ruined. So none of this comes out. But he wouldn’t have killed her. Maybe Marland threw the punch, but you set all this in motion, Ned. You.”