“Foolish man, really,” said Finney. “Kind and generous with everyone else, but harsh with his own.”
“You think? I’ll tell you what I think. Yes, Charles Morrow was told by his own father to beware of the next generation, and he believed it. His one foolish decision. But sons tend to believe fathers. So Charles made another decision. A wise one this time. I think he decided to give his children something else, some other riches besides money. Something they couldn’t waste. While he showered his wife and his friends with wealth and gifts.” He bowed slightly to Finney, who acknowledged the gesture. “He decided to withhold that from his children. Instead he gave them love.”
Gamache could see the ropy muscles of Finney’s ill-shaven face clench.
“He thought a lot about wealth, you know,” said Finney finally. “Obsessed with it, in a way. He tried to figure out what money bought. He never really figured it out. The closest he came was knowing that he’d be miserable without it, but honestly?” Finney turned his ravaged face on Gamache. “He was miserable with it. It was all he could think of in the end. Would he have enough, was someone trying to steal it from him, would the children squander it? Made for very boring conversation.”
“And yet you yourself sit here and do your sums.”
“It’s true. But I do it privately and don’t impose on anyone.”
Gamache wondered if that was true. With Julia dead this man’s sums just got a whole lot more interesting. Killing Julia could be considered an imposition.
“So whether because he was miserly or wise Charles Morrow decided he’d shower his children with affection instead of cash,” continued the Chief Inspector.
“Charles went to McGill, you know. He played on their hockey team. The McGill Martlets.” Finney paused, acknowledging the admission. “He used to tell his children all about those games, but he’d tell them about the times he’d tripped on the ice or missed the pass or gotten smashed into the boards. All the times he’d messed up. To let the little ones know it was all right to fall, it was all right to fail.”
“They didn’t like to fall?” asked Gamache.
“Most don’t, but the Morrow kids less than most. So they risked nothing. The only one who could risk was Marianna.”
“The fourth child,” said Gamache.
“As it happens, yes. But of all of them Peter was the most fragile. He has an artist’s soul and a banker’s temperament. Makes for a very stressful life, being so in conflict with himself.”