RUBY

“What?” I stood up, shouting in surprise. “Who did you just say died?” I said. My voice had risen, piquing my mother’s curiosity. She hurried over to me.

“Is everything okay, dear?” she asked.

I put my finger to my lips, signaling for my mother to be quiet for a moment. She nodded and returned to the kitchen. My mother immediately understood my situation, now it was just the two of us. Things had changed a lot.

“Horton, that damned pervert. He’s dead,” Owen said again, ...