If he wanted to gamble his life, I’d make sure the stakes were higher than he ever imagined.
The next afternoon, I received a call from the hospital.
I didn’t rush this time. I took my time getting there, walking at my own pace, knowing full well what awaited me. When I arrived, William was already laid out on a stretcher, a white cloth covering his lifeless body. But this time, the cloth was soaked in blood. Real blood. The game was over.
His parents, Thomas and Nancy, sat nearby, putting on their best performance of grief.
When I arrived at the place, two officers were standing by William's body, waiting for me.
One of them stepped forward, his face set in a grim mask of professionalism. "Mrs. Carter," he began, his voice low and measured. "We’re sorry for your loss. It appears Mr. Carter may have been distracted while driving and didn’t hit the brakes in time, so he ended up crashing into the mountainside. His speed wasn’t that fast, but…" The officer hesitated for a moment as if the next part didn’t quite add up. "For some reason, the gas tank exploded upon impact. Despite immediate efforts to save him, he didn’t survive."