under the bridge and I don’t see what happens after that, because Kelci sees me and I get her in the car and we
go home. We just made it, too, ’cause I picked Mama up at eleven sharp and she never knew a thing.”
“What—”
But Vanessa wasn’t finished. “So then Friday I’m at the restaurant and somebody leaves their paper and there’s this thing
about you finding that girl in the river. And I thought, it can’t be the same girl, ’cause I never saw it clear, you know.
It was just a shape with arms and legs going over. I thought she’d just swim to shore and no harm done except maybe she’d
catch a cold.” She glanced sideways at Laurie. “You think it was the same girl?”
Anna wasn’t out that night. Anna wasn’t involved. Vanessa had seen someone else.
She had to say something sensible. “I’m pretty sure it was.”
“You think Kelci will get in trouble if I go to the police?”
And have them find out that maybe Anna had been there after all? And that she’d run down under the bridge after Randi had
fallen? Making her maybe the last person to see Randi alive? The last person to see someone alive was always a prime suspect,
wasn’t she? Nobody ever assumed that person was simply trying to help.
No, no, no. Anna had been in her room. Everyone knew that. So it didn’t matter if Vanessa went to the police or not. She had
evidence, and it could be important. The pushing part was important. Someone else had done that. Not Anna.
“Mrs. Hale?”
Laurie blinked and behind Vanessa’s slouched form, she saw that the kids were pouring out of the elementary school and scattering
to the various cars. Tim and KeShawn were horsing around and bumping each other off the sidewalk, completely careless of the
black instrument cases dangling from their fingers.
“Will Kelci get in trouble?”
Laurie prodded her brain into coherent thought. “Not unless she was the one doing the pushing.”
“No, it wasn’t her. I’m sure of that.”
“Did you see who it was?” she asked again.
Vanessa shook her head. The boys were twenty feet away now. “It was pretty chaotic. Somebody tall, I think.”
“I think you should talk to Nick. He’s a good guy.”
“Yeah, I know. He comes into the restaurant all the time. Reuben sandwich, extra fries.”
“But, Vanessa, Anna wasn’t—”
Tim jerked open the door, fell into the backseat, and slammed it in KeShawn’s face, giggling like an escapee from the local
asylum. “Mom! KeShawn’s spitting on me!”
Vanessa opened the door and looked over her shoulder at Laurie. “What?”
The words froze in Laurie’s throat. Anna hadn’t been there. It didn’t matter what Vanessa said to Nick, facts were facts.
“Nothing. I think you should talk to him soon.”
“I will. Maybe even tonight.”
Vanessa closed the door, and Laurie glanced back to make sure Tim was buckled in. Then she backed out of the parking space
and took off down the county road as if the entire police force were after her.
“What are you trying to do, Ma, try out for the Indy 500?”
Laurie glanced at the speedometer. “Good grief.” She lifted her foot from the pedal and the minivan slowed by about thirty
miles an hour.
“Good thing Nick isn’t around,” her son informed her. “He’d have got you for that.”
With an effort, she relaxed her grip on the wheel and tried to slow her heart rate, too. “Thanks, sweetie. I needed the reminder.”
“I shouldn’t have said anything.” Tim’s eyes crinkled with mischief behind his shaggy skater-boy hair. “I want to see Nick
give you a ticket.”
“Just remember, what goes around comes around. When you get your license, Nick won’t cut you any breaks just because you’re
family.”
Her mouth said mom things while her mind galloped down the road like a frightened horse, trying to outrun its shadow.
Not Anna. Not Anna. She was at home in bed. Everything is all right. Vanessa couldn’t see
go home. We just made it, too, ’cause I picked Mama up at eleven sharp and she never knew a thing.”
“What—”
But Vanessa wasn’t finished. “So then Friday I’m at the restaurant and somebody leaves their paper and there’s this thing
about you finding that girl in the river. And I thought, it can’t be the same girl, ’cause I never saw it clear, you know.
It was just a shape with arms and legs going over. I thought she’d just swim to shore and no harm done except maybe she’d
catch a cold.” She glanced sideways at Laurie. “You think it was the same girl?”
Anna wasn’t out that night. Anna wasn’t involved. Vanessa had seen someone else.
She had to say something sensible. “I’m pretty sure it was.”
“You think Kelci will get in trouble if I go to the police?”
And have them find out that maybe Anna had been there after all? And that she’d run down under the bridge after Randi had
fallen? Making her maybe the last person to see Randi alive? The last person to see someone alive was always a prime suspect,
wasn’t she? Nobody ever assumed that person was simply trying to help.
No, no, no. Anna had been in her room. Everyone knew that. So it didn’t matter if Vanessa went to the police or not. She had
evidence, and it could be important. The pushing part was important. Someone else had done that. Not Anna.
“Mrs. Hale?”
Laurie blinked and behind Vanessa’s slouched form, she saw that the kids were pouring out of the elementary school and scattering
to the various cars. Tim and KeShawn were horsing around and bumping each other off the sidewalk, completely careless of the
black instrument cases dangling from their fingers.
“Will Kelci get in trouble?”
Laurie prodded her brain into coherent thought. “Not unless she was the one doing the pushing.”
“No, it wasn’t her. I’m sure of that.”
“Did you see who it was?” she asked again.
Vanessa shook her head. The boys were twenty feet away now. “It was pretty chaotic. Somebody tall, I think.”
“I think you should talk to Nick. He’s a good guy.”
“Yeah, I know. He comes into the restaurant all the time. Reuben sandwich, extra fries.”
“But, Vanessa, Anna wasn’t—”
Tim jerked open the door, fell into the backseat, and slammed it in KeShawn’s face, giggling like an escapee from the local
asylum. “Mom! KeShawn’s spitting on me!”
Vanessa opened the door and looked over her shoulder at Laurie. “What?”
The words froze in Laurie’s throat. Anna hadn’t been there. It didn’t matter what Vanessa said to Nick, facts were facts.
“Nothing. I think you should talk to him soon.”
“I will. Maybe even tonight.”
Vanessa closed the door, and Laurie glanced back to make sure Tim was buckled in. Then she backed out of the parking space
and took off down the county road as if the entire police force were after her.
“What are you trying to do, Ma, try out for the Indy 500?”
Laurie glanced at the speedometer. “Good grief.” She lifted her foot from the pedal and the minivan slowed by about thirty
miles an hour.
“Good thing Nick isn’t around,” her son informed her. “He’d have got you for that.”
With an effort, she relaxed her grip on the wheel and tried to slow her heart rate, too. “Thanks, sweetie. I needed the reminder.”
“I shouldn’t have said anything.” Tim’s eyes crinkled with mischief behind his shaggy skater-boy hair. “I want to see Nick
give you a ticket.”
“Just remember, what goes around comes around. When you get your license, Nick won’t cut you any breaks just because you’re
family.”
Her mouth said mom things while her mind galloped down the road like a frightened horse, trying to outrun its shadow.
Not Anna. Not Anna. She was at home in bed. Everything is all right. Vanessa couldn’t see
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