and your mom want to stay with me at my place tonight, I’ve got plenty of room at my house.”
“Why would we want to do that?” I asked, honestly puzzled by the offer.
“Come on, Suzanne, that tree isn’t far from your doorstep, and I don’t know how you’re ever going to get that image out of your head. I know I’m going to have nightmares about it for weeks, and I live down the road.”
“Don’t worry about the two of us. We’ll be fine,” I said, certain that my mother would echo the sentiment. The evils of the world had come close to our home before, but we wouldn’t let them chase us away, even for one night. It was more than a house for us; it was our sanctuary, and we weren’t about to let anyone spoil it for us.
“Well, don’t say I didn’t offer,” she said. “If you change your mind, any time, even in the middle of the night, you’re welcome there.”
I stopped and squeezed her shoulder. “I appreciate that so much, and I’m sure Momma will, too. Would you like to come in?”
“Maybe just for a second,” she said as her gaze went back to the crime scene.
“Good enough,” I said. I didn’t want to keep her there any longer than it was comfortable for her, but I also didn’t want her leaving with a bad taste in her mouth, with memories of bodies and not the friendship we shared. My home needed to be a place of comfort and refuge for her as well, if I could help make it so.
We walked up the steps of our cottage together and the porch light came on.
“What happened?” Momma asked. She was still dressed in blue, and I marveled again at just how pretty she looked, though she was frowning in concern as she spoke.
“How’s your headache?” I asked, ignoring her question for the moment.
“Better,” she admitted. “Do you know who was hanging from the tree?”
There was no use in trying to sugarcoat it, she’d find out sooner or later. “It was Tim Leander,” I said.
Momma looked shaken by the news, and Grace and I raced up the stairs to support her. “Are you okay?” I asked her as I helped her to the porch swing.
“I’m fine,” Momma said as she settled into it. “It’s just shocking, isn’t it? Tim fixed a flat tire for me just last week, did I tell you about that? I was about to call the auto club when he offered to change it for me, and when I tried to pay him, he refused to take any money. He told me that friendship was worth more than cash to him.” Momma looked as though she might cry at any moment. “Who would want to hurt Tim?”
“The chief just asked me the same thing,” I said. “What really happened on your date, Momma?”
She frowned again, this time for my benefit entirely. “We were having a fine time, but I got a headache, so we left, and I don’t care to discuss it any more.”
“Does that mean we don’t get a minute-by-minute recap, then?” I asked.
Grace tweaked my arm, but I ignored her. I wasn’t about to let Momma get away with blowing the chief of police off like that, after all they’d been through setting up their first date. Though it was clear to anyone who knew me that I wasn’t the man’s biggest fan, he at least deserved better than he’d gotten tonight.
“Drop it, Suzanne.” The tone of her voice made it loud and clear that she was finished with the subject, maybe forever.
I chose to ignore it. This was too important to just forget.
“I will, if you promise never to say another word about my love life again,” I said. I knew it was an idle offer. There was no way she would ever agree to that, but maybe I could get her to see that it was important we discuss what had really happened that night. The worst thing that could happen in my opinion is that she might just give up and never take another chance again.
Momma tried to stare me down, and I fully realized that look would make most people wilt, but I wasn’t one of them. I was pretty immune to it, having been desensitized over the years.
She shook her
“Why would we want to do that?” I asked, honestly puzzled by the offer.
“Come on, Suzanne, that tree isn’t far from your doorstep, and I don’t know how you’re ever going to get that image out of your head. I know I’m going to have nightmares about it for weeks, and I live down the road.”
“Don’t worry about the two of us. We’ll be fine,” I said, certain that my mother would echo the sentiment. The evils of the world had come close to our home before, but we wouldn’t let them chase us away, even for one night. It was more than a house for us; it was our sanctuary, and we weren’t about to let anyone spoil it for us.
“Well, don’t say I didn’t offer,” she said. “If you change your mind, any time, even in the middle of the night, you’re welcome there.”
I stopped and squeezed her shoulder. “I appreciate that so much, and I’m sure Momma will, too. Would you like to come in?”
“Maybe just for a second,” she said as her gaze went back to the crime scene.
“Good enough,” I said. I didn’t want to keep her there any longer than it was comfortable for her, but I also didn’t want her leaving with a bad taste in her mouth, with memories of bodies and not the friendship we shared. My home needed to be a place of comfort and refuge for her as well, if I could help make it so.
We walked up the steps of our cottage together and the porch light came on.
“What happened?” Momma asked. She was still dressed in blue, and I marveled again at just how pretty she looked, though she was frowning in concern as she spoke.
“How’s your headache?” I asked, ignoring her question for the moment.
“Better,” she admitted. “Do you know who was hanging from the tree?”
There was no use in trying to sugarcoat it, she’d find out sooner or later. “It was Tim Leander,” I said.
Momma looked shaken by the news, and Grace and I raced up the stairs to support her. “Are you okay?” I asked her as I helped her to the porch swing.
“I’m fine,” Momma said as she settled into it. “It’s just shocking, isn’t it? Tim fixed a flat tire for me just last week, did I tell you about that? I was about to call the auto club when he offered to change it for me, and when I tried to pay him, he refused to take any money. He told me that friendship was worth more than cash to him.” Momma looked as though she might cry at any moment. “Who would want to hurt Tim?”
“The chief just asked me the same thing,” I said. “What really happened on your date, Momma?”
She frowned again, this time for my benefit entirely. “We were having a fine time, but I got a headache, so we left, and I don’t care to discuss it any more.”
“Does that mean we don’t get a minute-by-minute recap, then?” I asked.
Grace tweaked my arm, but I ignored her. I wasn’t about to let Momma get away with blowing the chief of police off like that, after all they’d been through setting up their first date. Though it was clear to anyone who knew me that I wasn’t the man’s biggest fan, he at least deserved better than he’d gotten tonight.
“Drop it, Suzanne.” The tone of her voice made it loud and clear that she was finished with the subject, maybe forever.
I chose to ignore it. This was too important to just forget.
“I will, if you promise never to say another word about my love life again,” I said. I knew it was an idle offer. There was no way she would ever agree to that, but maybe I could get her to see that it was important we discuss what had really happened that night. The worst thing that could happen in my opinion is that she might just give up and never take another chance again.
Momma tried to stare me down, and I fully realized that look would make most people wilt, but I wasn’t one of them. I was pretty immune to it, having been desensitized over the years.
She shook her
Similar Books
