“The seniors on the team got their class rings early. It was a big deal. They were big shots in school. Heck, they were big shots all over town.”
“Glory days,” I said softly.
“The photograph is Tom being presented with his ring. And there’s another shot, a close-up of the ring itself.”
She stumbled a bit over his name, I noticed. I took another drink of my coffee and waited while she collected her thoughts.
“And you’re right, those were his glory days, his shining moment in the spotlight. Then it was gone. Like that.” Roma snapped her fingers. “It was diapers and bottles and bills.” There was an edge of hurt to her voice that sharpened her words.
I reached across the table and gave her arm a squeeze again.
“My mother told me once that he never took that ring off. He didn’t wear a wedding ring but he always, always wore his class ring.” Her eyes met mine and I could see the pain in them as well. “Those…” She cleared her throat. “It’s him, Kathleen.”
“I think you should call your mother and let her knowwhat’s happened,” I said. “Marcus is going to want to talk to her.”
“You’re right. I’d rather her hear about this first from me.” She looked at her watch. “I need to get back to the clinic.”
We both got to our feet. “Roma are you going to be all right?” I asked.
That got me a smile, albeit a small one. “I’m supposed to be asking you that,” she said.
I smiled back at her. “I’m fine, just some scrapes and my dignity’s a little banged up.”
“Don’t overdo it. Okay?” she said.
“I promise,” I said. “You do the same. If you need anything, if you just want to talk, call me. Anytime. Please.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I’ll probably be taking you up on that.” She hesitated for a moment, and then wrapped her arms around me in a quick hug.
“Marcus will figure this out,” I said.
She nodded. “It’s funny. I’m always telling you what a great guy and a great police officer he is. I guess now I’m going to find out.”
I walked her to the back door. She turned on the top step. “There were always two versions of my father—Tom—what my mother said about him and all the gossip whispered around town. I wanted to believe that he was a decent guy, that he was just young and scared and stupid. Now, I just want the truth, whatever it is.”
I waited until I heard her SUV start in the driveway before I went back into the kitchen. Hercules and Owen were sitting in front of the refrigerator.
“You could have come out and said hello,” I told them as I got myself a fresh cup of coffee. They stared at me, steady and unblinking.
I sat down again at the table. Owen’s whiskers were twitching. He could smell the coffee cake. I broke off a bite and set it down on the floor for him. He scooted over and began sniffing it. “It’s not hemlock, Socrates,” I said. He ignored me.
I broke off another piece of cake for Hercules and held it out to him. Being a lot less finicky than his brother, he just ate the food from my fingers.
I took a long drink from my coffee and propped my leg on the chair again. “Marcus has an anthropologist out at Wisteria Hill, looking at the bones that were unearthed when the hill collapsed,” I said to the cats.
Owen had finally finished checking out his food. He didn’t even look up at me. Hercules was sniffing around to see if there was any more, so all I got from him was an offhand glance.
I speared a piece of cake with my fork. That got both cats’ attention. “This is mine,” I said. They gave me their best pathetic kitty looks. They shouldn’t have worked on me, but they usually did.
“That’s enough,” I said. “Roma is right, you know. I give you two way too much people food.”
When I said Roma’s name they exchanged glances. I took another sip from my mug.
Poor Roma. It really did look like the ring belonged to her biological father. And if it was his…it raised the
“Glory days,” I said softly.
“The photograph is Tom being presented with his ring. And there’s another shot, a close-up of the ring itself.”
She stumbled a bit over his name, I noticed. I took another drink of my coffee and waited while she collected her thoughts.
“And you’re right, those were his glory days, his shining moment in the spotlight. Then it was gone. Like that.” Roma snapped her fingers. “It was diapers and bottles and bills.” There was an edge of hurt to her voice that sharpened her words.
I reached across the table and gave her arm a squeeze again.
“My mother told me once that he never took that ring off. He didn’t wear a wedding ring but he always, always wore his class ring.” Her eyes met mine and I could see the pain in them as well. “Those…” She cleared her throat. “It’s him, Kathleen.”
“I think you should call your mother and let her knowwhat’s happened,” I said. “Marcus is going to want to talk to her.”
“You’re right. I’d rather her hear about this first from me.” She looked at her watch. “I need to get back to the clinic.”
We both got to our feet. “Roma are you going to be all right?” I asked.
That got me a smile, albeit a small one. “I’m supposed to be asking you that,” she said.
I smiled back at her. “I’m fine, just some scrapes and my dignity’s a little banged up.”
“Don’t overdo it. Okay?” she said.
“I promise,” I said. “You do the same. If you need anything, if you just want to talk, call me. Anytime. Please.”
“Thanks,” she said. “I’ll probably be taking you up on that.” She hesitated for a moment, and then wrapped her arms around me in a quick hug.
“Marcus will figure this out,” I said.
She nodded. “It’s funny. I’m always telling you what a great guy and a great police officer he is. I guess now I’m going to find out.”
I walked her to the back door. She turned on the top step. “There were always two versions of my father—Tom—what my mother said about him and all the gossip whispered around town. I wanted to believe that he was a decent guy, that he was just young and scared and stupid. Now, I just want the truth, whatever it is.”
I waited until I heard her SUV start in the driveway before I went back into the kitchen. Hercules and Owen were sitting in front of the refrigerator.
“You could have come out and said hello,” I told them as I got myself a fresh cup of coffee. They stared at me, steady and unblinking.
I sat down again at the table. Owen’s whiskers were twitching. He could smell the coffee cake. I broke off a bite and set it down on the floor for him. He scooted over and began sniffing it. “It’s not hemlock, Socrates,” I said. He ignored me.
I broke off another piece of cake for Hercules and held it out to him. Being a lot less finicky than his brother, he just ate the food from my fingers.
I took a long drink from my coffee and propped my leg on the chair again. “Marcus has an anthropologist out at Wisteria Hill, looking at the bones that were unearthed when the hill collapsed,” I said to the cats.
Owen had finally finished checking out his food. He didn’t even look up at me. Hercules was sniffing around to see if there was any more, so all I got from him was an offhand glance.
I speared a piece of cake with my fork. That got both cats’ attention. “This is mine,” I said. They gave me their best pathetic kitty looks. They shouldn’t have worked on me, but they usually did.
“That’s enough,” I said. “Roma is right, you know. I give you two way too much people food.”
When I said Roma’s name they exchanged glances. I took another sip from my mug.
Poor Roma. It really did look like the ring belonged to her biological father. And if it was his…it raised the
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