ghost. Maybe I was seein’ things. It all happened so fast. Nobody ever said anythin’ about finding nobody on the side of the road. Honestly, I might have imagined the whole thing.”
“So you didn’t see reports about Erin missing? On the news?”
“Nah. It wasn’t like today with the news everywhere, twenty-four hours a day. I never heard about her missing. I don’t even know if it was around the same time to be honest. It’s just eatin’ at me.”
“Al,” said Charlotte, adopting her most serious face. “Please promise me you’ll tell Frank this story.”
He scowled. “I dunno… I want to…”
“It’s the right thing to do. I’m sure it’s nothing. It’s just the right thing to do.”
Al nodded and thrust his hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts. He started pulling out keys, a Leatherman knife, loose aspirin, gum and bits of paper, piling it all on her counter. His pockets were like a magical clown car, contents never-ending.
“What are you doing?”
“I thought I’d leave my stuff here, in case he takes me to jail. I don’t trust those guys, I’ll never get it back.”
“You don’t have to do that. You’re not going to jail.”
Al stopped and stared at her.
“I promise. And if you do, I’ll take all your stuff to your wife for safekeeping, okay?”
He started stuffing things back into his pockets.
“Okay, Char,” he said, clapping her shoulder when he’d finished. “I’ll go over there right now. I’ll do it.”
She clapped him back. “Good man.”
“Thanks,” he said, pausing at the door. “It felt good to get that off my chest.”
“Well, it will feel even better to tell the sheriff.”
“I dunno. He’s a hardass.”
Charlotte snickered. She loved how honest everyone became after the age of seventy.
“You can trust him. What if I went with you?”
“Would you?” Al beamed. “I was just about to ask. That would be real nice of you. I’d feel better.”
“No problem. Let me grab my flip flops.”
Charlotte and Al walked down the street and knocked on Frank’s door. Darla answered, wearing a flowing caftan in turquoise and brown.
“Charlotte! What brings you here?” her face clouded with confusion. “With Al?”
“She’s here in case I need someone to hold my stuff,” said Al.
Darla’s face twisted with confusion. “ What ?”
“Al has something to tell Frank,” said Charlotte. “I’m here for moral support.”
“Tell him to come back tomorrow,” said a gruff voice from inside the house.
“Oh nonsense, come on in,” said Darla.
Charlotte stepped inside in time to catch Frank rolling his eyes and pantomiming shooting himself in the head with his finger.
“Dammit, Frank, don’t do that! It’s gruesome!” snapped Darla.
“Do what?” he asked, winking at Charlotte.
Frank stood and shook Al’s hand.
“Whatcha got for me?”
Al told half his story before Frank asked him to stop.
“Two things. One, do you want a lawyer?”
“Nah, I’m sure it was just a dream. I just thought I should tell someone.”
“Okay, second thing…”
Frank looked at Darla. “Darling, love of my life, you have to leave. I can’t have you gasping and saying oh my word after ever sentence.”
Darla scowled.
“Fine. Can I get anyone a cup of coffee?”
“No, thank you,” said Charlotte. “But I’ll take a glass of wine.”
“That’s my girl,” said Darla, heading into the kitchen.
Frank took notes as Al finished his story.
“Okay, you’re free to go, Al. Got it all on paper. If we need to contact you again I’m assuming you’ll be around?”
Al nodded. “Where would I go?”
Frank and Al said their goodbyes as Charlotte sipped her wine. When Al left, Darla turned to her husband.
“You’re not going to arrest him?”
“For what?”
“He admitted to driving drunk!”
“I can’t arrest a man for driving drunk fifteen years ago. If I could, I’d have to arrest everyone in the damn neighborhood. This
“So you didn’t see reports about Erin missing? On the news?”
“Nah. It wasn’t like today with the news everywhere, twenty-four hours a day. I never heard about her missing. I don’t even know if it was around the same time to be honest. It’s just eatin’ at me.”
“Al,” said Charlotte, adopting her most serious face. “Please promise me you’ll tell Frank this story.”
He scowled. “I dunno… I want to…”
“It’s the right thing to do. I’m sure it’s nothing. It’s just the right thing to do.”
Al nodded and thrust his hands in the pockets of his khaki shorts. He started pulling out keys, a Leatherman knife, loose aspirin, gum and bits of paper, piling it all on her counter. His pockets were like a magical clown car, contents never-ending.
“What are you doing?”
“I thought I’d leave my stuff here, in case he takes me to jail. I don’t trust those guys, I’ll never get it back.”
“You don’t have to do that. You’re not going to jail.”
Al stopped and stared at her.
“I promise. And if you do, I’ll take all your stuff to your wife for safekeeping, okay?”
He started stuffing things back into his pockets.
“Okay, Char,” he said, clapping her shoulder when he’d finished. “I’ll go over there right now. I’ll do it.”
She clapped him back. “Good man.”
“Thanks,” he said, pausing at the door. “It felt good to get that off my chest.”
“Well, it will feel even better to tell the sheriff.”
“I dunno. He’s a hardass.”
Charlotte snickered. She loved how honest everyone became after the age of seventy.
“You can trust him. What if I went with you?”
“Would you?” Al beamed. “I was just about to ask. That would be real nice of you. I’d feel better.”
“No problem. Let me grab my flip flops.”
Charlotte and Al walked down the street and knocked on Frank’s door. Darla answered, wearing a flowing caftan in turquoise and brown.
“Charlotte! What brings you here?” her face clouded with confusion. “With Al?”
“She’s here in case I need someone to hold my stuff,” said Al.
Darla’s face twisted with confusion. “ What ?”
“Al has something to tell Frank,” said Charlotte. “I’m here for moral support.”
“Tell him to come back tomorrow,” said a gruff voice from inside the house.
“Oh nonsense, come on in,” said Darla.
Charlotte stepped inside in time to catch Frank rolling his eyes and pantomiming shooting himself in the head with his finger.
“Dammit, Frank, don’t do that! It’s gruesome!” snapped Darla.
“Do what?” he asked, winking at Charlotte.
Frank stood and shook Al’s hand.
“Whatcha got for me?”
Al told half his story before Frank asked him to stop.
“Two things. One, do you want a lawyer?”
“Nah, I’m sure it was just a dream. I just thought I should tell someone.”
“Okay, second thing…”
Frank looked at Darla. “Darling, love of my life, you have to leave. I can’t have you gasping and saying oh my word after ever sentence.”
Darla scowled.
“Fine. Can I get anyone a cup of coffee?”
“No, thank you,” said Charlotte. “But I’ll take a glass of wine.”
“That’s my girl,” said Darla, heading into the kitchen.
Frank took notes as Al finished his story.
“Okay, you’re free to go, Al. Got it all on paper. If we need to contact you again I’m assuming you’ll be around?”
Al nodded. “Where would I go?”
Frank and Al said their goodbyes as Charlotte sipped her wine. When Al left, Darla turned to her husband.
“You’re not going to arrest him?”
“For what?”
“He admitted to driving drunk!”
“I can’t arrest a man for driving drunk fifteen years ago. If I could, I’d have to arrest everyone in the damn neighborhood. This
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