come when he would be able to reveal the truth.
That day had arrived just less than a year ago, when a man had come to his door asking about an old case, wondering if he remembered.
As if he could forget.
Tim Raymer. A name that had never managed to fade into the past like so many others. A name he could have supplied before the stranger at his door said a single word, the sight of him alone giving Howard a premonition that told him exactly why the man had come. The time had finally arrived to tell the truth.
For almost a year, he’d waited for the day when the stranger would reveal the truth to the whole world. Now that Richard Bridges was about to officially announce his candidacy, that day was closer than ever. Everything that had been done would be revealed—including Howard’s own role in the cover-up. He was prepared to face his own disgrace for the sake of the larger truth. The only small comfort of Carol’s passing was that she wasn’t here to see it.
The doorbell rang, the sound jarring him out of his thoughts. Howard raised his head and looked back toward the front door. He couldn’t imagine who it might be. He wasn’t expecting anyone. Most of his days passed in solitude. Still, grateful for the distraction, he made his way to the front door.
He didn’t move as fast as he used to, and whoever it was rang the bell a second time before he reached the door. “I’m coming, I’m coming,” he muttered.
It never occurred to him to ask who it was. This was a small town. Innocent. So as he reached for the knob, he didn’t give a thought to opening the door.
At least until he did. And then it was too late.
Because just as he’d had a premonition when a man had appeared on his doorstep a year earlier, he knew as soon as he looked at this man that he shouldn’t have opened the door.
“S O WHAT’D YOU THINK of Clint’s story?” Audrey asked as they drove away from Raymer’s house. “Could there be something there?”
“If so, it has to be more than Rich stealing another kid’s girlfriend,” Jason said.
“Like maybe there was more to Tim Raymer’s death than just a tragic accident?”
He nodded. “Looks like we’re on the same page then. But if that is the case, we’re going to need a lot more to prove it. All we have so far is innuendo from the mouth of a drunk.”
“True. The basic facts should be easy enough to confirm. When Rich left for Europe, when he and Julia married and whether she used to be known as Julie Ann Foster. And I’m sure if she did date Tim Raymer, others will remember, maybe people they went to school with.”
“Marybeth appears to be roughly the same age as Rich and Julia Bridges,” Jason pointed out. “She may have known Julia back then.”
“We should ask her,” Audrey agreed, remembering how she’d sensed that Marybeth didn’t like Rich Bridges. Audrey wondered how she felt about his wife. “Well, if there is more to Tim Raymer’s death, and Rich was involved, it could explain some things. Assuming what Clint told us is true, then maybe Rich didn’t suddenly leave the country because his father was trying to put an end to his relationship with Julia. Maybe Dick was trying to keep him out of the reach of the law, in case anyone figured out what really happened to Tim. When they realized the crime had effectively been ruled an accident and Rich had escaped suspicion, he was free to return.”
“It certainly makes more sense than Dick simply letting Rich postpone college to bum around Europe, or sending him overseas to stop the relationship,” Jason noted.
“It could also explain why Rich suddenly fell in line with his father’s plans for him.”
“If Rich had something to do with Tim’s death and Dick helped him cover it up, then Rich would have owed him. I wouldn’t put it past Dick to hold it over his son’s head to force him to do what he wanted.”
“Well, if Clint is telling the truth, it sounds like Dick didn’t have complete
That day had arrived just less than a year ago, when a man had come to his door asking about an old case, wondering if he remembered.
As if he could forget.
Tim Raymer. A name that had never managed to fade into the past like so many others. A name he could have supplied before the stranger at his door said a single word, the sight of him alone giving Howard a premonition that told him exactly why the man had come. The time had finally arrived to tell the truth.
For almost a year, he’d waited for the day when the stranger would reveal the truth to the whole world. Now that Richard Bridges was about to officially announce his candidacy, that day was closer than ever. Everything that had been done would be revealed—including Howard’s own role in the cover-up. He was prepared to face his own disgrace for the sake of the larger truth. The only small comfort of Carol’s passing was that she wasn’t here to see it.
The doorbell rang, the sound jarring him out of his thoughts. Howard raised his head and looked back toward the front door. He couldn’t imagine who it might be. He wasn’t expecting anyone. Most of his days passed in solitude. Still, grateful for the distraction, he made his way to the front door.
He didn’t move as fast as he used to, and whoever it was rang the bell a second time before he reached the door. “I’m coming, I’m coming,” he muttered.
It never occurred to him to ask who it was. This was a small town. Innocent. So as he reached for the knob, he didn’t give a thought to opening the door.
At least until he did. And then it was too late.
Because just as he’d had a premonition when a man had appeared on his doorstep a year earlier, he knew as soon as he looked at this man that he shouldn’t have opened the door.
“S O WHAT’D YOU THINK of Clint’s story?” Audrey asked as they drove away from Raymer’s house. “Could there be something there?”
“If so, it has to be more than Rich stealing another kid’s girlfriend,” Jason said.
“Like maybe there was more to Tim Raymer’s death than just a tragic accident?”
He nodded. “Looks like we’re on the same page then. But if that is the case, we’re going to need a lot more to prove it. All we have so far is innuendo from the mouth of a drunk.”
“True. The basic facts should be easy enough to confirm. When Rich left for Europe, when he and Julia married and whether she used to be known as Julie Ann Foster. And I’m sure if she did date Tim Raymer, others will remember, maybe people they went to school with.”
“Marybeth appears to be roughly the same age as Rich and Julia Bridges,” Jason pointed out. “She may have known Julia back then.”
“We should ask her,” Audrey agreed, remembering how she’d sensed that Marybeth didn’t like Rich Bridges. Audrey wondered how she felt about his wife. “Well, if there is more to Tim Raymer’s death, and Rich was involved, it could explain some things. Assuming what Clint told us is true, then maybe Rich didn’t suddenly leave the country because his father was trying to put an end to his relationship with Julia. Maybe Dick was trying to keep him out of the reach of the law, in case anyone figured out what really happened to Tim. When they realized the crime had effectively been ruled an accident and Rich had escaped suspicion, he was free to return.”
“It certainly makes more sense than Dick simply letting Rich postpone college to bum around Europe, or sending him overseas to stop the relationship,” Jason noted.
“It could also explain why Rich suddenly fell in line with his father’s plans for him.”
“If Rich had something to do with Tim’s death and Dick helped him cover it up, then Rich would have owed him. I wouldn’t put it past Dick to hold it over his son’s head to force him to do what he wanted.”
“Well, if Clint is telling the truth, it sounds like Dick didn’t have complete
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