The Cousins

The next morning, Archer, Milly, and Jonah have breakfast. No one knows where Aubrey is, but Archer receives a text message from her saying, “There wasn’t a birthmark” (404). Hazel arrives with another unusual document from Dr. Baxter’s things: a medical report for Mildred. Mildred was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the same fatal condition that led to her husband’s death. Archer is amazed that his mother could live for so long with this condition, but Milly proposes a chilling idea: “what if [Kayla] and [Dr. Baxter] [weren’t] the only people who died?” Milly points out that Mildred and Theresa’s behavior and interests have changed over the years. Mildred used to have terrible taste in art but is now a connoisseur. Theresa used to be an avid baseball fan but told Milly that she doesn’t watch baseball. And Aubrey’s cryptic text was about Mildred’s birthmark and how she didn’t see it that day at the house. Milly proposes that “that woman living in Catmint House isn’t [Mildred]” (410) because Mildred likely died years ago from her fatal heart condition. Archer flies into denial, insisting that his mother can’t be dead because “people would know” (410). However, the only people who see Mildred regularly are those in her inner circle: Theresa and Donald.