son…”
Edith nodded. “Well, you were only a child at the time. But child or not, that’s no
excuse. You’re the one who lied,” she said.
Tess felt her face burning. “Look, I told the police the truth about what I saw at
the time. That was all I could do…”
The other pedestrians on the sidewalk were slowing their steps, aware of an argument
and trying to catch the gist of it. Tess tried to ignore their curious faces.
Edith shook her head and began to sniff. She opened her purse and peered into it.
Nelson fumbled for a hanky in his pants pocket and handed it to his wife. “She’s never
going to own up to it, Edith. She thinks because she was a kid when she did it that
nobody’s going to hold her accountable. We’ll just see about that.”
“What do you mean?” Tess asked him in a quivering voice. “Is that a threat?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you,” Nelson sneered.
Tess thought of the voice on the phone, whispering “liar” into her ear. She wondered,
for a brief second, if it had been Nelson Abbott, trying to intimidate her. She drew
herself up. “I have to go,” she said. “And take my son home.”
“My son will never come home,” said Edith indignantly.
Tess slid back behind the wheel and slammed the door. She did not look at Nelson or
his wife as she pulled out.
Erny hunched his shoulders up around his ears. “What’s the matter with that dude?”
he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
Tess shook her head, not trusting her voice to answer. She clamped her hands on the
wheel and drove, although her arms were trembling and her insides were jumping. Erny
was quiet beside her, looking at her warily out of the corner of his eye.
When they reached the inn, Tess pulled up to the front door. “Go inside.”
“What about you?” he asked.
The lounging reporters were stirring, suddenly aware that the newcomers were prey.
They began to surge forward. “It’s okay. I’ll park the car and come right in.”
Erny jumped out of the car, ran to the front door of the inn, and started to open
it. Tess tried to keep her face impassive and not look into the eyes of any of the
newspeople who were surrounding her car. All of a sudden, just as Erny was slipping
through the front door, out of the corner of her eye, Tess saw something fly through
the air, hit the front door with a thud, and tumble to the welcome mat at Erny’s feet.
Erny turned around, startled, and then looked down at the missile. He bent over and
picked it up.
Tess opened the car door and jumped out. “Erny, what is that? Are you okay?” She shoved
aside the people in her way and rushed up to her son.
Erny examined the granite chunk in his hand. “It’s a rock,” he said, bewildered.
Tess turned and looked around slowly at the faces in the crowd. Some of them showed
consternation, others were impassive. Tess took the rock from her son’s hands.
“Who did this?” she said, holding up the rock. “Who threw this stone? Are you crazy?
You could have killed an innocent kid.”
The crowd was quiet. Tess searched their eyes boldly, looking for a furtive glance,
for someone who looked guilty in a sea of defiant or indifferent faces.
Hidden in the back of the crowd, a hollow-cheeked man in a gray parka quickly ducked
his head so as not to allow her to catch his eye. Tess did not notice this as her
blazing gaze swept over the assemblage. For a moment there was no reply and then a
voice drawled, “Hey, Tess, how’s the view from that glass house you’re living in?”
“What does that mean?” Erny asked.
Tess reddened. “Nothing. He’s a jerk,” she said. “Ignore them. Let’s go in.”
CHAPTER 9
“T ess, pay attention, honey,” said Dawn. “This is their driveway.”
Startled, Tess made a sharp right turn into the long driveway that led to Jake and
Julie’s house. It was six o’clock and darkness had already descended on Stone Hill
Edith nodded. “Well, you were only a child at the time. But child or not, that’s no
excuse. You’re the one who lied,” she said.
Tess felt her face burning. “Look, I told the police the truth about what I saw at
the time. That was all I could do…”
The other pedestrians on the sidewalk were slowing their steps, aware of an argument
and trying to catch the gist of it. Tess tried to ignore their curious faces.
Edith shook her head and began to sniff. She opened her purse and peered into it.
Nelson fumbled for a hanky in his pants pocket and handed it to his wife. “She’s never
going to own up to it, Edith. She thinks because she was a kid when she did it that
nobody’s going to hold her accountable. We’ll just see about that.”
“What do you mean?” Tess asked him in a quivering voice. “Is that a threat?”
“You’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you,” Nelson sneered.
Tess thought of the voice on the phone, whispering “liar” into her ear. She wondered,
for a brief second, if it had been Nelson Abbott, trying to intimidate her. She drew
herself up. “I have to go,” she said. “And take my son home.”
“My son will never come home,” said Edith indignantly.
Tess slid back behind the wheel and slammed the door. She did not look at Nelson or
his wife as she pulled out.
Erny hunched his shoulders up around his ears. “What’s the matter with that dude?”
he asked, trying to sound nonchalant.
Tess shook her head, not trusting her voice to answer. She clamped her hands on the
wheel and drove, although her arms were trembling and her insides were jumping. Erny
was quiet beside her, looking at her warily out of the corner of his eye.
When they reached the inn, Tess pulled up to the front door. “Go inside.”
“What about you?” he asked.
The lounging reporters were stirring, suddenly aware that the newcomers were prey.
They began to surge forward. “It’s okay. I’ll park the car and come right in.”
Erny jumped out of the car, ran to the front door of the inn, and started to open
it. Tess tried to keep her face impassive and not look into the eyes of any of the
newspeople who were surrounding her car. All of a sudden, just as Erny was slipping
through the front door, out of the corner of her eye, Tess saw something fly through
the air, hit the front door with a thud, and tumble to the welcome mat at Erny’s feet.
Erny turned around, startled, and then looked down at the missile. He bent over and
picked it up.
Tess opened the car door and jumped out. “Erny, what is that? Are you okay?” She shoved
aside the people in her way and rushed up to her son.
Erny examined the granite chunk in his hand. “It’s a rock,” he said, bewildered.
Tess turned and looked around slowly at the faces in the crowd. Some of them showed
consternation, others were impassive. Tess took the rock from her son’s hands.
“Who did this?” she said, holding up the rock. “Who threw this stone? Are you crazy?
You could have killed an innocent kid.”
The crowd was quiet. Tess searched their eyes boldly, looking for a furtive glance,
for someone who looked guilty in a sea of defiant or indifferent faces.
Hidden in the back of the crowd, a hollow-cheeked man in a gray parka quickly ducked
his head so as not to allow her to catch his eye. Tess did not notice this as her
blazing gaze swept over the assemblage. For a moment there was no reply and then a
voice drawled, “Hey, Tess, how’s the view from that glass house you’re living in?”
“What does that mean?” Erny asked.
Tess reddened. “Nothing. He’s a jerk,” she said. “Ignore them. Let’s go in.”
CHAPTER 9
“T ess, pay attention, honey,” said Dawn. “This is their driveway.”
Startled, Tess made a sharp right turn into the long driveway that led to Jake and
Julie’s house. It was six o’clock and darkness had already descended on Stone Hill
Similar Books
