Henry's words were nothing new to Martin Riley. He was well aware of how cunning and deceitful the old man could be. The thought of Crystal Foster carrying such a heavy burden made his heart ache. If he had another chance, he would never let Crystal bear it all alone.
The old man eventually showed up, looking worn out and devoid of his usual vigor. His hunched back reminded Henry of a phrase: "a flickering candle in the wind." At this moment, Mr. Harrington was just that—a frail old man. From the moment Hyland Riley was imprisoned, his spirit had been crushed. Yet here he was, pleading with Martin Riley over the matter.
As he looked at the confident man before him, a pang of regret hit the old man's heart. Deep down, he knew the truth of what happened back then. It wasn't Martin's doing. The deaths of his son and daughter-in-law were due to Hyland Riley's mistakes, but he had shifted all the blame onto Martin.
