Chapter 19 - The Fallen King's Letter
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Three months later, a plain white envelope bearing an official correctional facility stamp arrived at my private office desk. The return address read: Inmate #88492 - Richard Kensington, Terre Haute Federal Penitentiary.
I sat in my leather chair, holding the letter for a long moment. Part of me considered tossing it directly into the paper shredder without opening it. But curiosity won. I slid a brass letter opener through the top fold and pulled out the single sheet of lined notebook paper.
The handwriting was shaky, crude, a shadow of the arrogant, looping script he used to possess.
Margaret,
They moved me to the east block last week. The winter here is cold, colder than the county lockup. I sit in this six-by-eight cell every night, listening to the guards walk the hall, and I realize something that haunts me every waking second.
I thought I was putting you in a cage to destroy you. I thought if I stripped away your money, your home, and your reputation, you would turn to dust. But I didn't break you, Margaret. I just removed every distraction from your life. I gave you three uninterrupted years to study my weaknesses, map my greed, and plan my execution.
I locked a lion in a dark room and handed her the key. You were always smarter than me. My mother always said I was foolish to take you for granted, but my pride wouldn't let me see it.
Savannah tried to write me last month from her facility. I burned her letter. I hate her. But I hate myself more for thinking I could ever replace you with a shadow.
I don't expect forgiveness. I know I will die in this place or leave it an old, broken man. I just wanted you to know... you won. You took everything.
I read the letter twice. I didn't feel a surge of triumph. I didn't feel pity. I simply folded the paper, picked up my desk lighter, and held the flame to the corner of the sheet.
May you like
I watched the blue flame consume his words, turning his bitter regret into gray ash that fell quietly into the glass ashtray on my desk. Richard was officially a closed chapter.
Or so I thought.
