Did you have surgery when you were a child?
He frowned.
After
wrote:
I remember men holding me down.
Below he added:
My father was there.
That afternoon they returned to the ranch.
Gideon opened for the first time an old trunk that he kept under his bed.
Inside were letters, documents, and a small account book belonging to his father.
Rosalie began to read.
Twenty-nine years ago, Gideon had suffered a serious infection.
But among the pages appeared a payment made to a doctor in Denver.
Next to the amount was a sentence:
Rook treatment. Guarantee permanent silence.
Rosalie felt cold.
Gideon read the words.
Her face changed.
Then they found another letter.
His father wrote that the boy had overheard a conversation that he should never repeat.
Gideon closed his eyes.
The memories came back slowly.
A stable.
Two men arguing.
Money.
A shot.
And a familiar voice.
