Dead Silence by Brenda Novak

nothing to tie us to the reverend’s disappearance. But if anyone ever finds that body where it is…”
    â€œHeaven help us,” Irene finished with a whimper.
    â€œExactly.”
    Her mother began to wring her hands. “But it’s been so long. That—that night…” She stared at her plate, obviously replaying scenes in her mind that she’d rather not see. Eventually she shook her head. “No, we should sit tight. If we change…the place, we could make a mistake, miss something, leave evidence—and then Lee will win in the end. He’ll destroy me, us, even Madeline.”
    Irene was getting too worked up.
    Suddenly, Grace saw how fragile her mother had become, and let go of her arm. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the food around on her plate as it grew cold. Irene no longer had the strength or the presence of mind she’d once possessed; they couldn’t rely on her for the kind of decisions she’d made, with Clay’s help, in the past. Maybe Clay had figured that out first. Maybe that was why he shielded her so well.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Grace said. “Don’t—don’t worry about it, okay? I was wrong. We’re fine.”
    Irene’s eyes darted around the kitchen. “You really think so?”
    â€œI know so.” Grace patted her forearm. “I let Joe spook me and I…overreacted, that’s all.”
    â€œYou’re sure?”
    Grace assumed a calm she didn’t feel. “Positive.”
    Her mother nodded. “Good. I’m glad to hear it. I—Everything’s going so well for us now. Finally. It—it wouldn’t be fair if—”
    â€œI know.” Grace motioned to her mother’s plate. “Are you finished?”
    â€œYes.”
    â€œLet me take this.”
    Standing, she carried the dishes to the sink, wondering what she was going to do now that her mother couldn’t cope with the past. “Do you like your job at Amelia’s Dress Boutique?” she asked, to provide a refuge in the conversation.
    â€œI get a twenty percent discount there,” Irene said, eagerly following her lead.
    â€œYou have good taste. You always look so nice.” Grace smiled encouragingly. “Here, I’ll walk you to the car. I don’t want to make you late,” she said. And for the first time since her return, she realized how important it was that she’d come home. Not only did she need her family, her family needed her.
    Â 
    Teddy Archer stood on the doorstep of Evonne’s house, and wondered whether or not he should knock. His father had dropped him off at his grandmother’s place a while ago, but he’d known it was far too early to visit anyone. He’d forced himself to wait as long as he could—and hoped it was long enough. But now that he’d reached the porch, he could see a couple of Vicki Nibley For Mayor signs leaning against the house and guessed his new friend was “in the enemy camp,” as his grandmother put it.
    Grandma hated anyone who liked Mrs. Nibley. She called Mrs. Nibley a “bleeding heart liberal” and said she and her friends would ruin the town. But Grace didn’t seem so bad to Teddy. She’d given him that extra dollar when he pulled weeds for her, hadn’t she? It was probably still okay if he collected his cookies.
    Making his decision, he knocked and straightened the bill of his ball cap while waiting for Grace to come to the door.
    Once she appeared, he immediately felt betterbecause she seemed genuinely happy to see him. “Hello,” she said.
    Shoving his hands in his pockets, he jerked his head toward the deep ruts he’d noticed in the lawn just before he’d seen the campaign signs. “Someone gave you a lawn job last night.”
    She followed the direction of his gaze. “I know.”
    â€œYou do? Who was it?”
    She frowned. “A man named