was so long ago now, Gracie.” Her mother rubbed her forehead and put a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
“As I remember, the police ran into a dead end with no real witnesses.” Her father pulled the white garbage bag from the trashcan.
“But didn’t somebody give them a partial plate number?” Gracie let the leash drop to floor as she searched for her keys in the over-sized tote bag.
“Hmm, yes.” Her father tapped his forehead with his index finger. “I think somebody did spot a car speeding along Mill Street that night and remembered two or three numbers on the plate. Nothing ever came of it though.”
“I think it was Matthew Minders who reported that,” her mother interjected. “Maybe it wasn’t enough for them to go on. Those weeks after Charlotte’s accident were pretty awful. Shirley and Stan had a lot to deal with. With your Uncle Stan’s reputation then, the police wouldn’t have cut corners. Everyone wanted to find the driver, but it was a horribly rainy night, and no one saw it. It was such a terrible loss for all of us.” Her voice suddenly quavered, and she quickly grabbed a tissue from the box on the counter. Her husband put his arm around her.
“Sorry, Mom. I shouldn’t be dredging this stuff up. You’ve got enough on your plate, losing Aunt Shirley.” She decided that it wasn’t the time to drop the bombshell that Char had been pregnant, but maybe they knew. She’d save that for another time. Her mother had truly loved her sister, and the reality of her loss was sinking in.
“It’s OK, Gracie. I’m tired, and Shirley’s death is kind of hitting me now that we’re home. I went to call her to tell her we were back and…” Theresa’s voice broke.
Gracie hugged her mother.
“Get some rest, Mom.” She glanced at her watch. “I guess I’ll catch Uncle Stan tomorrow. It’s getting late, and this will keep another day.” Gracie swung the bag over her shoulder and whistled for Haley. With tail thumping against the screen door, Haley stood panting with a silly Lab grin and leash dragging on the floor.
“Come on girl, let’s hit the road. Love you both, and I’m glad you’re back.”
“Love you too,” her father said as he rubbed his wife’s back. “ Be careful, Gracie.”
“ Sure thing. See you later.”
Chapter 15
S tan put the receiver down slowly. He wished Gracie was home. He needed to talk to her about Charlotte. Rubbing his jaw, he stood by the phone, pondering his next decision. He picked up the portable phone again and then put it down.
With Shirley gone, a weight should have lifted from his shoulders. It was a weight that had been there for way too many years. But the pain of losing Charlotte had never dissipated. The guilt and questions remained. He’d been afraid of the truth since the accident, but now he needed to know. Didn’t Charlotte deserve some justice after all these years?
Stan could still clearly see the large dent in the grillwork of Shirley’s car the morning after Charlotte’s death. She said Isabelle had hit a deer and they needed to get it repaired quickly. In the numbness of grief and haze of funeral arrangements, the car had been repaired before the funeral service. Shirley hadn’t wanted to discuss the car or report it to the insurance company. He’d put in the claim with Howard though. Shirley had been stoic and in control during the funeral and the investigation. How could he have been so weak? He’d let Shirley make too many decisions, and now he was left with a pile of regret.
He was too tired to deal with Isabelle anymore, and by giving Gracie the information, he knew he had disturbed a hornet’s nest. He needed to explain to her the suspicions he’d carried around for 20 years. Why wasn’t she home?
Stan took the phone into the living room and sat heavily into the deep-cushioned, buttery leather club chair. He thought about getting a beer, but he needed to think clearly.
“As I remember, the police ran into a dead end with no real witnesses.” Her father pulled the white garbage bag from the trashcan.
“But didn’t somebody give them a partial plate number?” Gracie let the leash drop to floor as she searched for her keys in the over-sized tote bag.
“Hmm, yes.” Her father tapped his forehead with his index finger. “I think somebody did spot a car speeding along Mill Street that night and remembered two or three numbers on the plate. Nothing ever came of it though.”
“I think it was Matthew Minders who reported that,” her mother interjected. “Maybe it wasn’t enough for them to go on. Those weeks after Charlotte’s accident were pretty awful. Shirley and Stan had a lot to deal with. With your Uncle Stan’s reputation then, the police wouldn’t have cut corners. Everyone wanted to find the driver, but it was a horribly rainy night, and no one saw it. It was such a terrible loss for all of us.” Her voice suddenly quavered, and she quickly grabbed a tissue from the box on the counter. Her husband put his arm around her.
“Sorry, Mom. I shouldn’t be dredging this stuff up. You’ve got enough on your plate, losing Aunt Shirley.” She decided that it wasn’t the time to drop the bombshell that Char had been pregnant, but maybe they knew. She’d save that for another time. Her mother had truly loved her sister, and the reality of her loss was sinking in.
“It’s OK, Gracie. I’m tired, and Shirley’s death is kind of hitting me now that we’re home. I went to call her to tell her we were back and…” Theresa’s voice broke.
Gracie hugged her mother.
“Get some rest, Mom.” She glanced at her watch. “I guess I’ll catch Uncle Stan tomorrow. It’s getting late, and this will keep another day.” Gracie swung the bag over her shoulder and whistled for Haley. With tail thumping against the screen door, Haley stood panting with a silly Lab grin and leash dragging on the floor.
“Come on girl, let’s hit the road. Love you both, and I’m glad you’re back.”
“Love you too,” her father said as he rubbed his wife’s back. “ Be careful, Gracie.”
“ Sure thing. See you later.”
Chapter 15
S tan put the receiver down slowly. He wished Gracie was home. He needed to talk to her about Charlotte. Rubbing his jaw, he stood by the phone, pondering his next decision. He picked up the portable phone again and then put it down.
With Shirley gone, a weight should have lifted from his shoulders. It was a weight that had been there for way too many years. But the pain of losing Charlotte had never dissipated. The guilt and questions remained. He’d been afraid of the truth since the accident, but now he needed to know. Didn’t Charlotte deserve some justice after all these years?
Stan could still clearly see the large dent in the grillwork of Shirley’s car the morning after Charlotte’s death. She said Isabelle had hit a deer and they needed to get it repaired quickly. In the numbness of grief and haze of funeral arrangements, the car had been repaired before the funeral service. Shirley hadn’t wanted to discuss the car or report it to the insurance company. He’d put in the claim with Howard though. Shirley had been stoic and in control during the funeral and the investigation. How could he have been so weak? He’d let Shirley make too many decisions, and now he was left with a pile of regret.
He was too tired to deal with Isabelle anymore, and by giving Gracie the information, he knew he had disturbed a hornet’s nest. He needed to explain to her the suspicions he’d carried around for 20 years. Why wasn’t she home?
Stan took the phone into the living room and sat heavily into the deep-cushioned, buttery leather club chair. He thought about getting a beer, but he needed to think clearly.
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