Chapter 223
Rowans Hearing
Rowan refused the witness chair.
The hearing had been scheduled in the old dining room, where the ceiling still carried scorch marks from the first fire. Three officials sat behind a folding table. Elise stood beside Rowan, hands visible, expression controlled.
“You are not required to testify,” the oldest official said.
“Then why is my name on the summons?” Rowan asked.
No one answered quickly enough.
That was the first victory.
Rowan placed a small recorder on the table. “I will speak from here. You can listen without owning my body.”
He described the lake, the doors, and the night Claire disappeared. He described what he did not know, refusing to decorate the gaps. When he finished, the recorder remained running.
“Are you done?” the official asked.
“No,” Rowan said. “The part where you tell the truth about what you asked me to become starts now.”
Behind the officials, the wall opened into a narrow black passage.