King of Ashes: A Novel
by S. A. Cosby
Contents
Chapter Thirty-Four
Overview
Summary
Two days after Dante's death, Roman returns home having spent the time with Jealousy and arranged with Weldon to receive Dante's body for cremation, unable to face collecting his brother himself. He finds Neveah smoking inside, breaking her own house rules, a sign that everything has changed.
As Roman tentatively raises the idea of a memorial service, Neveah delivers devastating news: their father Keith died the previous night from an abdominal aneurysm. She speculates aloud that perhaps someone gave him aspirin that interfered with his blood thinners. Roman pushes away the dark implication and collapses against the table in grief, reaching for his sister's hand.
Neveah places the melted gold sliver with the heart-shaped diamond, Bonita's ring, into Roman's hand, then pours their mother's ashes from a paper cup onto the table. She rages that Keith killed Bonita and kept her ashes in a cookie jar above the fridge. Roman insists their father did not do it.
Cornered, Roman finally confesses the truth he has carried for years: Bonita's death was an accident during an argument after Dante saw her with Oscar; she fell, and Keith covered it up to protect the family from arrest. Keith was not even present. Neveah recoils, then murmurs, "I did it for nothing," implicitly admitting she killed their father over a lie.
Neveah retrieves a gym bag and heads for the door. Roman chases her, pleading that they are all each other has left. Neveah turns and tells him they have nothing, then drives away, leaving Roman alone in the wreckage of the family.
Who Appears
- Roman CarruthersGrieving Dante's death, he finally confesses Bonita's death was an accident and begs Neveah to stay; left alone.
- Neveah CarruthersReveals Keith died of an aneurysm, implicitly admits poisoning him over Bonita; devastated by Roman's confession, she leaves forever.
- Keith CarruthersRoman and Neveah's father; dies offscreen of an abdominal aneurysm, likely caused by Neveah tampering with his blood thinners.
- Bonita CarruthersThe siblings' deceased mother, whose ashes and melted ring are revealed; her death is confessed to have been an accident, not murder.
- Dante CarruthersRoman's deceased brother, whose body Weldon will collect for cremation.
- JealousyRoman's companion during the two days of mourning before he returns home.
- WeldonFuneral contact tasked with retrieving Dante's body from the medical examiner.