jail,” Opal said, clearly fighting off tears. “Think about her children.”
“Opal, do you
think Ellen killed her ex-husband?”
“No, of
course not,” she said. “Keep your voice down, would you?”
“They’ll find
out that you confessed to killing their father sooner or later,” I replied,
though I complied by lowering my voice as I said it. “How is Ellen going to
feel when she finds out that you tried to confess to save her? She’s going to
know that you think she did it.”
“I never said
that,” Opal said loudly, violating her own request. The kids looked up from the
screen for a moment before going back to their show.
“Then let’s
just forget that you just confessed,” I said. “Rebecca’s looking out for Ellen.
You don’t have to worry about her.”
“I know that
she can’t afford her services,” Opal said. “I’ve got a little put away. I might
be able to pay her.”
“Right now
she’s doing it as a favor to me,” I said. “We’ll worry about who pays her
later, okay? For now, you need to have a talk with the children about their
father. Can you do that?”
She looked at
them worriedly before she turned back to me. “I don’t want Ellen to have to do
it, so I suppose I have to.”
The front
door opened, and Robert Hightower walked in. “Where have you been, Opal? Was
Ellen with you the entire time?”
The kids told
their grandfather hello, but their gazes never left the television.
“She’s at the
police station, Bobby,” Opal said.
Ellen’s
father scowled. “We’ll see about that.”
I put a hand
on his shoulder. “Mr. Hightower, she’s in good hands right now. Rebecca Davis
is with her, so nothing’s going to happen to her. Your wife needs you here
right now.”
“What’s
wrong, Opal?” he asked her softly. The two obviously cared deeply about each
other, even though they hadn’t been able to live in the same house together.
Robert hadn’t gone far, though, buying the house across the street.
“They have to
be told about their father,” Opal said, her voice choking a little.
“I’ll handle
it,” Robert said.
“We’ll do it
together. I’ll be right beside you,” Opal answered.
“I’ll be in
touch,” I said, not wanting to intrude on this painful family moment.
“Do I need to
take you home?” Robert asked as he flexed his right hand a little. It appeared
to be giving him a little trouble, and I noticed some fresh bruises on his
knuckles.
“What
happened to your hand?”
“This? It’s
nothing,” he said.
“It looks
like something to me,” I said, not willing to let up until I heard the truth.
“I punched a
wall, okay? It was stupid, but I was frustrated, and I took it out on the
concrete. Not very bright of me, but I don’t think anything’s broken.”
“You might
want to have somebody look at that.”
“I’m not
worried about it. Now, how about that ride?”
“Thanks, but
Moose will be out front in a second. We’ll talk later.”
“That’s fine,
then,” Robert said, and then he reached down and took his wife’s hand in his.
“It’s time, Opal.”
I didn’t envy
them the conversation they were about to have.
I got into
Moose’s truck as he stopped in front of the house. “How did it go?”
“Opal and
Robert were just about to tell the kids about their father when I walked out
the door. It’s going to be a bad night for everyone concerned in that family.”
“Yes, but it
has to be done,” Moose said. “Where should we go now?”
I was
suddenly exhausted from the day I’d just had. “Would you mind taking me home? I
need to see Greg and give him a great big hug.”
“I was just thinking
the same thing about Martha,” he admitted. “Life is short, isn’t it?”
“And we’re
not promised a single extra day of it,” I said.
“Is Ellen
going to be okay?” Moose asked me as he drove me home.
“Rebecca’s
looking out for her. I’m hoping that Ellen calls me when they’re
“Opal, do you
think Ellen killed her ex-husband?”
“No, of
course not,” she said. “Keep your voice down, would you?”
“They’ll find
out that you confessed to killing their father sooner or later,” I replied,
though I complied by lowering my voice as I said it. “How is Ellen going to
feel when she finds out that you tried to confess to save her? She’s going to
know that you think she did it.”
“I never said
that,” Opal said loudly, violating her own request. The kids looked up from the
screen for a moment before going back to their show.
“Then let’s
just forget that you just confessed,” I said. “Rebecca’s looking out for Ellen.
You don’t have to worry about her.”
“I know that
she can’t afford her services,” Opal said. “I’ve got a little put away. I might
be able to pay her.”
“Right now
she’s doing it as a favor to me,” I said. “We’ll worry about who pays her
later, okay? For now, you need to have a talk with the children about their
father. Can you do that?”
She looked at
them worriedly before she turned back to me. “I don’t want Ellen to have to do
it, so I suppose I have to.”
The front
door opened, and Robert Hightower walked in. “Where have you been, Opal? Was
Ellen with you the entire time?”
The kids told
their grandfather hello, but their gazes never left the television.
“She’s at the
police station, Bobby,” Opal said.
Ellen’s
father scowled. “We’ll see about that.”
I put a hand
on his shoulder. “Mr. Hightower, she’s in good hands right now. Rebecca Davis
is with her, so nothing’s going to happen to her. Your wife needs you here
right now.”
“What’s
wrong, Opal?” he asked her softly. The two obviously cared deeply about each
other, even though they hadn’t been able to live in the same house together.
Robert hadn’t gone far, though, buying the house across the street.
“They have to
be told about their father,” Opal said, her voice choking a little.
“I’ll handle
it,” Robert said.
“We’ll do it
together. I’ll be right beside you,” Opal answered.
“I’ll be in
touch,” I said, not wanting to intrude on this painful family moment.
“Do I need to
take you home?” Robert asked as he flexed his right hand a little. It appeared
to be giving him a little trouble, and I noticed some fresh bruises on his
knuckles.
“What
happened to your hand?”
“This? It’s
nothing,” he said.
“It looks
like something to me,” I said, not willing to let up until I heard the truth.
“I punched a
wall, okay? It was stupid, but I was frustrated, and I took it out on the
concrete. Not very bright of me, but I don’t think anything’s broken.”
“You might
want to have somebody look at that.”
“I’m not
worried about it. Now, how about that ride?”
“Thanks, but
Moose will be out front in a second. We’ll talk later.”
“That’s fine,
then,” Robert said, and then he reached down and took his wife’s hand in his.
“It’s time, Opal.”
I didn’t envy
them the conversation they were about to have.
I got into
Moose’s truck as he stopped in front of the house. “How did it go?”
“Opal and
Robert were just about to tell the kids about their father when I walked out
the door. It’s going to be a bad night for everyone concerned in that family.”
“Yes, but it
has to be done,” Moose said. “Where should we go now?”
I was
suddenly exhausted from the day I’d just had. “Would you mind taking me home? I
need to see Greg and give him a great big hug.”
“I was just thinking
the same thing about Martha,” he admitted. “Life is short, isn’t it?”
“And we’re
not promised a single extra day of it,” I said.
“Is Ellen
going to be okay?” Moose asked me as he drove me home.
“Rebecca’s
looking out for her. I’m hoping that Ellen calls me when they’re
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