I stared at him, almost unable to believe what he was saying. It was such a simple answer, such a simple solution that proved the truth of every story I heard from every angle, and it exonerated him entirely all at once.

His father was already dying.

But I frowned. Something still didn’t make sense.

“So, why not just let him die naturally?” I asked him. “You could have done nothing and you would still get the title of ...