“The point is, I read a lot of crime novels. And I know most of these types of books have what’s known as an “unreliable narrator” these days, where the person telling you the story is, in fact, lying most of the time. I also know that I may be typecast similarly when recounting these events. So I’ll strive to do the opposite. Call me a reliable narrator.”
Ernest Cunningham’s assurance means that he intends to be objective in his narrations about his family. Being objective will bring out factual truths. A reliable narrator would not cover up for anyone or exaggerate issues. He seeks to be different from the narrators in other crime books because he wants to relay all the truth about his family members’ involvement in various murders.
“It had been three and a half years since I knelt in spiderwebs and watched my brother murder a dying man. Three years since my mother walked out of a courtroom while I was explaining to a jury how he did it. And in less than twenty-four hours, he would arrive at Sky Lodge a freeman."
Ernest Cunningham was present when Michael let a man who he had hit with his car die. Although they are blood brothers, Ernest chooses to stand for the truth. His testimony displeases his mother to the degree that she no longer talks to him. The mother would have preferred that he stood by his brother and lied for him to save him from going to prison. The accident adversely affects the relationship between Ernest and Michael and the relationship with his mother as well. His testimony contributes to Michael being incarcerated for three years.
“The guy—his name was Alan Holton, if you’re interested—had been shot, and it was difficult to prove whether the bullet or Michael had more to do with his death. Yes, Michael had hit Alan with his car when he stumbled onto the road after being shot, and, yes, he'd made a terrible mistake not taking him directly to a hospital, but he'd had an impeccable defense in Marcelo Garcia.”
Michael received a sentence of three years due to his involvement in Alan Holton's death. The sentence was lenient, given that the gunman and the gun he had used to shoot Alan were not recovered. After the accident, Michael went home with the body of Alan. He persuaded Ernest that they should bury the body before Alan's breathing had ceased. Michael was motivated to have the man buried to keep the 260 grand he had gotten after hitting the man. Ernest found it difficult to convince the relatively older Michael about taking Alan to the hospital instead of burying him.
