truth was, though, I had given some thought to the consequences. I was a former FBI agent. I had been responsible for putting away a lot of scum in my career. If I was locked up in a federal prison with the se lowlifes my incarceration would most definitely be violent and short-lived. But the way my thoughts had been tending lately, did it really matter whether I took my life or someone did it for me?
W hat Con s aid next surprised me. “I’ve met your wife. Did ya know that?”
I’d had no idea. Callie had never mentioned him. “No I didn’t,” I said.
“Not long after you folks moved here she brought over a cake for me. It just happened to be a bad time for a drop in. I was kinda hammered up that day and … well, ya know, I might have made her a little nervous.”
“She never said a word about it . ”
“ Mmm,” he said contemplatively. “That don’t surprise me at all. She ’s a hell of a fine woman.”
His comment seemed a tad inappropriate in that he didn’t know her well enough to make it, but I let it be. “She is ,” I said . “ The best.”
“ What do ya think she’d have ta say about your pl ans?”
“Not something that’s really too pertinent, Con ,” I responded. “ I have n’t been given much hope that she’s going to pull through. Her doctors don’t seem optimistic about her future .”
“I’m real sorry to hear that, Jack. I do hope you’re wrong about it.”
I don’t know why this simple statement affected me the way it did but suddenly my eyes started to mist up. I rose quickly and went into the house just in time to conceal the torrent of tears that spill ed out of me .
It took a while to get my emotions under control.
When I came back out to the porch later, Con had left .
1 4
The crime scene guys phoned to let me know the motor home would be released to me whenever I wanted to pick it up. It had been held in Lumberton but an inspection had yielded no evidence of Henderson’s presence and so served no useful purpose in the investigation. I decided I would get a rental car for the drive up to Lumberton and pay the extra drop off fee that would permit me to leave it there. Meanwhile I took the path that led from my place to Con’s to ask if he would look after Winston while I was away.
Con’s home was a very unassuming place. It looked like it had been built sixty or so years earlier and could have used some attention. The yard was pretty much left to nature. L ike mine, his home was set well back on a heavily treed property and could not been seen from the road. He answered my knock at his door with a friendly smile. “Jack, good to see y a .”
“Hi, Con. I’ m sorry for the other night. I guess my feelings got away on me a little.”
“ Hey,” he said, “if anybody’s got a reason to let go now and then it’s you. Ya holding up okay ?”
I nodded, not sure I could pull off a spoken lie. “I was wondering if you might look after Winston for me again. It’d just be for a day or two .”
“Not a problem, man. Glad to. ”
“I’ve got t o go up to Lumberton to get my RV. I’ll leave in the morning. ”
“Oh. How ya getting up there?”
“I’ll get a one-way rent al .”
“
W hat Con s aid next surprised me. “I’ve met your wife. Did ya know that?”
I’d had no idea. Callie had never mentioned him. “No I didn’t,” I said.
“Not long after you folks moved here she brought over a cake for me. It just happened to be a bad time for a drop in. I was kinda hammered up that day and … well, ya know, I might have made her a little nervous.”
“She never said a word about it . ”
“ Mmm,” he said contemplatively. “That don’t surprise me at all. She ’s a hell of a fine woman.”
His comment seemed a tad inappropriate in that he didn’t know her well enough to make it, but I let it be. “She is ,” I said . “ The best.”
“ What do ya think she’d have ta say about your pl ans?”
“Not something that’s really too pertinent, Con ,” I responded. “ I have n’t been given much hope that she’s going to pull through. Her doctors don’t seem optimistic about her future .”
“I’m real sorry to hear that, Jack. I do hope you’re wrong about it.”
I don’t know why this simple statement affected me the way it did but suddenly my eyes started to mist up. I rose quickly and went into the house just in time to conceal the torrent of tears that spill ed out of me .
It took a while to get my emotions under control.
When I came back out to the porch later, Con had left .
1 4
The crime scene guys phoned to let me know the motor home would be released to me whenever I wanted to pick it up. It had been held in Lumberton but an inspection had yielded no evidence of Henderson’s presence and so served no useful purpose in the investigation. I decided I would get a rental car for the drive up to Lumberton and pay the extra drop off fee that would permit me to leave it there. Meanwhile I took the path that led from my place to Con’s to ask if he would look after Winston while I was away.
Con’s home was a very unassuming place. It looked like it had been built sixty or so years earlier and could have used some attention. The yard was pretty much left to nature. L ike mine, his home was set well back on a heavily treed property and could not been seen from the road. He answered my knock at his door with a friendly smile. “Jack, good to see y a .”
“Hi, Con. I’ m sorry for the other night. I guess my feelings got away on me a little.”
“ Hey,” he said, “if anybody’s got a reason to let go now and then it’s you. Ya holding up okay ?”
I nodded, not sure I could pull off a spoken lie. “I was wondering if you might look after Winston for me again. It’d just be for a day or two .”
“Not a problem, man. Glad to. ”
“I’ve got t o go up to Lumberton to get my RV. I’ll leave in the morning. ”
“Oh. How ya getting up there?”
“I’ll get a one-way rent al .”
“
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