“Russell Loming confirms it. I left a message for Cheryl, but she hasn’t called back. When I asked Felicia about their relationship, she implied that it was news to her.”

Mom reached for her tea again but didn’t drink. She was trying to busy her hands. “If what you’re saying is true, Brett was more of a cad than I thought. Cheryl and Fee were friendly. They had a few dinners together before Fee and Brett split up, back when Crissy and Robbie were dating. I don’t know a thing about Cheryl seeing Brett. I ran into her at the grocery just last week. She was with Suze’s little girl.”

Suze and Crissy, Cheryl and Brett—everything about Swanton was different now. Connections existed where they hadn’t before, and there were more secrets buried in this town than I could count. Tim liked to bore me with lengthy explanations about river bifurcation, how way up north the St. Lawrence River turns to salt water and splits into channels that head out to sea. That was what had happened here. Opposition and unification, divergent properties becoming one. I would never admit it to my parents, but it left me feeling anxious.

Mom kept talking—about protecting my mental health and giving myself enough time to heal. I nodded amiably to make her happy, but my mind wandered.

I hadn’t ruled out the possibility that Bram was responsible for Brett’s death. It was likely he was the one who’d called in the general location of Brett’s body, and while something about that was fishy, it meant he already knew Brett was dead. I wouldn’t put anything past him, not now that I knew what he was capable of.

And yet, I couldn’t stop thinking about his mother. Crissy had implied Felicia would be furious if she knew Brett was dating Cheryl. On top of that, I’d witnessed Felicia’s aggression firsthand. It seemed like my aunt had pulled her life together. She was aware of her condition now, mindful of her behavior. It was a different story twenty years ago.

“You were right about Crissy,” I said abruptly. “She’s really upset, not just about Brett, but Felicia.”

“She knows how to hold a grudge,” said Mom.

“Was Felicia angry?” I asked. “After they split?”

“You’re darn right she was,” Mom said. “As much as she hated to admit it, Brett was the more emotionally stable parent, and Fee knew the kids needed that in their lives. Was she sorry to see him leave the house? No. But when he left town, well. That was different.”

I hesitated before asking, “Did things between Brett and Felicia ever get . . . er . . . physical?”

“They did have two children, love.”

“Jesus, Dad, no. I mean did they fight.”

My mom’s thumb traced the floral pattern on her teacup. “Felicia and I have always been close. Even when things were at their worst, she talked to me about everything. Pop and Nana were so busy with the dental practice, driving back and forth from Colchester every day, that a lot of the time it was just the two of us. I think I understood Fee in a way my parents didn’t, better than anyone. Brett was a lot of things,” she said, “but he was never violent with my sister.”