too.”
“Your mom must have worked very
hard.”
Star changed the direction of her
story. “Sunny and I walked down to our old trailer earlier this
year. She didn’t remember it at all.”
“But you did?”
“Some things. I remember it being
bigger. We used to chase each other up and down the hall. That
Sunny could run even when she was a toddler! Now, when she runs
inside our trailer I tell her to stop. The whole place shakes.
Living in a trailer is really crappy.”
“You keep yours very clean and
nice.”
“Thanks. I try, but we have some money
from when Grandpa got hurt. I don’t think my mom had anything at
all. That’s why she was trying to get that job. At least now I know
that she didn’t walk away and leave us.”
“Did you think that,
before?”
“I didn’t want to think so, but
sometimes I would hear people talking, until they thought I might
hear them, and then they clammed up. It was hard, not knowing. But
now, I know she couldn’t come back and that means she really loved
us. Right up until the end.” Tears began to run down her
cheeks.
“I don’t want to get your hopes up,
but we don’t know for certain yet that it is your mom.”
“Yes we do. The Sheriff called a while
ago and said the dental records proved it. Grandpa is planning a
memorial service for Wednesday.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, feeling
inadequate.
“I have to be strong for Sunny and
Grandpa, but would it sound like a kid to ask for a
hug?”
“Of course not!” We stood up and I
held Star close while she cried silently.
“Grandpa’s really sad, and he’s
letting Dad boss him around.”
“You’ve lost your mother, but he’s
lost a daughter, too. I think he’ll be fine, but it will take some
time. Your grandfather is a good man.”
We heard a diesel truck coming into
the driveway.
“That’s Dad,” said Star, pulling away
from me and running to the window. “How did he know I was here?
Sunny must’ve told him.”
This was going to be awkward. It
wasn’t exactly the way I had hoped to meet DuWayne Jefferson, but
that couldn’t be helped now. He walked purposefully toward the
porch and seemed prepared to pound on the door, but I opened it
before he had a chance. I wanted to take the initiative.
“Hi Dad,” Star said.
“Hello, Mr. Jefferson,” I said at the
same time.
The man never looked at me, but glared
at Star. “What are you doing here?”
“I came over to talk to Miss Ana,” she
answered. Her voice was firm, but not as confident as I knew it
could be.
“Get in the truck,” DuWayne ordered.
“And put your bike in the back, first.”
“Yes, sir.”
I stepped back, and Star pushed past
DuWayne and walked meekly toward her bicycle.
DuWayne turned to me. He was, indeed,
a big man, probably six feet tall. He was solid and muscular with a
shaved head, and he was wearing a tight black t-shirt and black
pants. I’m not easily intimidated, but I certainly wouldn’t ever
want to cross this man. Nevertheless, I didn’t appreciate his
brusque manner with a young girl who had just figured out that
she’d lost her mother and somehow grown up without a childhood,
especially when that girl was his daughter and should have been
able to count on some sympathy from him.
“I don’t like you messing with my
family,” he said in a cold voice. “Those girls have a hard enough
time as it is without someone making them think they’re better than
they are.”
“I’m not sure what you mean—we’ve made
cookies and are sewing some school clothes. Those aren’t exactly
extravagant.”
“And I’ve heard about you solving
mysteries. I’ve been here one day, and already people tell me you
poke your nose into other people’s problems.”
I was shocked. “Look, I have nothing
to do with this. Angelica was buried along the river, and my
driveway provides good access. I enjoy spending time with the
girls, but I’m certainly not going to try to solve a
“Your mom must have worked very
hard.”
Star changed the direction of her
story. “Sunny and I walked down to our old trailer earlier this
year. She didn’t remember it at all.”
“But you did?”
“Some things. I remember it being
bigger. We used to chase each other up and down the hall. That
Sunny could run even when she was a toddler! Now, when she runs
inside our trailer I tell her to stop. The whole place shakes.
Living in a trailer is really crappy.”
“You keep yours very clean and
nice.”
“Thanks. I try, but we have some money
from when Grandpa got hurt. I don’t think my mom had anything at
all. That’s why she was trying to get that job. At least now I know
that she didn’t walk away and leave us.”
“Did you think that,
before?”
“I didn’t want to think so, but
sometimes I would hear people talking, until they thought I might
hear them, and then they clammed up. It was hard, not knowing. But
now, I know she couldn’t come back and that means she really loved
us. Right up until the end.” Tears began to run down her
cheeks.
“I don’t want to get your hopes up,
but we don’t know for certain yet that it is your mom.”
“Yes we do. The Sheriff called a while
ago and said the dental records proved it. Grandpa is planning a
memorial service for Wednesday.”
“I’m so sorry,” I said, feeling
inadequate.
“I have to be strong for Sunny and
Grandpa, but would it sound like a kid to ask for a
hug?”
“Of course not!” We stood up and I
held Star close while she cried silently.
“Grandpa’s really sad, and he’s
letting Dad boss him around.”
“You’ve lost your mother, but he’s
lost a daughter, too. I think he’ll be fine, but it will take some
time. Your grandfather is a good man.”
We heard a diesel truck coming into
the driveway.
“That’s Dad,” said Star, pulling away
from me and running to the window. “How did he know I was here?
Sunny must’ve told him.”
This was going to be awkward. It
wasn’t exactly the way I had hoped to meet DuWayne Jefferson, but
that couldn’t be helped now. He walked purposefully toward the
porch and seemed prepared to pound on the door, but I opened it
before he had a chance. I wanted to take the initiative.
“Hi Dad,” Star said.
“Hello, Mr. Jefferson,” I said at the
same time.
The man never looked at me, but glared
at Star. “What are you doing here?”
“I came over to talk to Miss Ana,” she
answered. Her voice was firm, but not as confident as I knew it
could be.
“Get in the truck,” DuWayne ordered.
“And put your bike in the back, first.”
“Yes, sir.”
I stepped back, and Star pushed past
DuWayne and walked meekly toward her bicycle.
DuWayne turned to me. He was, indeed,
a big man, probably six feet tall. He was solid and muscular with a
shaved head, and he was wearing a tight black t-shirt and black
pants. I’m not easily intimidated, but I certainly wouldn’t ever
want to cross this man. Nevertheless, I didn’t appreciate his
brusque manner with a young girl who had just figured out that
she’d lost her mother and somehow grown up without a childhood,
especially when that girl was his daughter and should have been
able to count on some sympathy from him.
“I don’t like you messing with my
family,” he said in a cold voice. “Those girls have a hard enough
time as it is without someone making them think they’re better than
they are.”
“I’m not sure what you mean—we’ve made
cookies and are sewing some school clothes. Those aren’t exactly
extravagant.”
“And I’ve heard about you solving
mysteries. I’ve been here one day, and already people tell me you
poke your nose into other people’s problems.”
I was shocked. “Look, I have nothing
to do with this. Angelica was buried along the river, and my
driveway provides good access. I enjoy spending time with the
girls, but I’m certainly not going to try to solve a
Similar Books
