A somber, eerie shadow seems to hang over my father's house. My stepmom eyes me from the lounge, a tumbler of scotch in her bony fingers, as I make my way to my father's study. I say hello to her, but she's looking right through me.

The lawyer and dad are sitting at the conference table, neither making eye contact with me as I enter the room.

"What's this all about?" I ask. "I have meetings today."

That's not completely true. I rescheduled everything. I haven't yet encountered a problem that working couldn't fix, until Joy just left me. That shit tore me up. As bad as Sophia dying, my mom committing suicide. About as badly as both those things together.

My father finally looks at me. His eyes are rimmed blood red and they’re watery like he'd been up for days.

"Terry was arrested for Julie's murder this morning," Dad says.

"What? How?"

The news pierces me, hurts to the bone. Because he took Joy. If she hadn't run from him…No, I won't even go there.

"The DNA evidence they were looking at…it turned out to be his blood," the lawyer explains.

"Is this for real? He's appealing, right?" I look at both of them in turn, but I'm not reading anything hopeful in their faces. "I mean, Terry didn't do this, right?"

"It looks like he might have," the lawyer says. "They've transferred him to a closed psychiatric ward, no visitors allowed. Apparently he was acting like a total lunatic when they picked him up. Their words, not mine."

My father's wringing his hands, looking down at the table. He looks so old right now. "There's more, Eric," he says softly. "You better sit down for this."

The fuck? I'm not some frail woman.

"What?" I ask instead.

"They're reopening Sophia's case. They think Terry might have been involved, based on some of the things he said during his initial interview."

"They think he killed her?" Dad was right. I should've been sitting down for this.

"Now, now, let's not get ahead of ourselves," the lawyer says, but dad is nodding. And it explains my stepmom drinking this early, her glassy look.

For all those years, Terry was accusing me of murdering Sophia, spinning that bullshit for anyone who would listen. And it was him? Was accusing me the twisted product of his own guilt? How did no one see it? Something drove him over the edge now, and it must’ve been meeting Joy. Thank God she got away from him!

Dad clears his throat, untangling his hands and placing them palms down on the table. "I need you to take over the company, Eric. Effective immediately. We'll do all we can for Terry, but he can't run the company anymore."

I've wanted him to say those words for so long. For years. For my whole life. But not for this reason. Not because Terry is a murderer. So now that he finally has, they just fall flat.

"It needs to be done before this hits the press," Dad is saying. "Will you take over, Eric? I should've given the company to you from the start. I always knew that. But the stuff with you and Sophia…and you were always so contrary."

Contrary? Now that's a word. Though I can't deny it describes my relationship with my father perfectly.

I can't say no. Taking over his company is what I always wanted.

"Alright," I say and finally sit down. "I'll do it. Thank you."

The lawyer already drew up all the paperwork, has me signing documents until my wrist aches.

Dad's wringing his hands again, but he's smiling faintly at me as I'm signing.

"I know you'll make me proud," he says when I'm done, his voice just as brittle as when he called this morning. But he's sincere. For the first time in my life I know my father means what he's saying.

"I'll try," I say and close the fountain pen I've been using. "I'm going to need a few days off though. I have something to take care of."

A flash of annoyance passes over my father's face. But it doesn't deter me in the slightest, since I'm used to seeing that there. "What thing?"

"A personal matter," I'm already halfway to the door. I could be at Joy's house by tonight, if I leave right now. And even if she really doesn't want anything to do with me anymore, at least I'll have one piece of good news to offer her.