Summary

In Chapter 15, Annemarie tells Jean-Claude that she and Dan confirmed the horse is Highland Hurrah. She explains she did not think about the consequences of identifying him until it was too late.

As they talk, Jean-Claude notices emergency vehicles with their lights flashing parked in front of the house. Annemarie knows before she even reaches the house that her father is dead. She finds Mutti sitting in the living room. A female officer is questioning her. The officer tells Mutti they will contact her “if the coroner decides to pursue it” (274). Annemarie wonders what that means.

After all of the officials are gone, Mutti tells Annemarie the police were there because her father killed himself. They had been hoarding phenobarbital elixir which Mutti mixed into vodka lemonade. Mutti tells Annemarie that her father did not suffer, but it took him 18 hours to die...