we'll be close enough you'll call me Mom, but we'll give that some time."
"Uh, Irene, I have an appointment with my attorney this morning, but if you're still going to be here in a couple of hours, maybe we could grab some lunch." Even as she spoke the words, Amanda wasn't sure where they had come from. This woman was a stranger. She hadn't known her mother-in-law while she was married, and now she was no longer married. Yet there was something compelling about this woman who offered cookies and a family.
The happy smile on Irene's face relieved any misgivings Amanda had about her offer. "That'd be real nice. I'll just do some shopping while you're gone. They don't have stores like these in Silver Creek."
Amanda regarded her new-found mother-in-law with unexpected affection. How on earth had this gentle, compassionate woman produced Charley?
"Let me give you my cell phone number," she offered. "I don't have a land line. That's why you couldn't find my listing." She scribbled on a piece of paper, tore it off the pad and handed it to Irene. She started out the door, then turned back. "Charley mentioned one person from Silver Creek. Do you happen to know a man named Roland Kimball?"
Irene's lips tightened, and her expression looked as if she'd just tasted something bitter. "Everybody knows Roland Kimball. Big shot. Mayor of the town. Running for governor. Probably gonna win."
Chapter Nine
"There's no doubt your motorcycle was deliberately sabotaged."
Amanda sat in a comfortable, muted blue client's chair in Brian Edwards' office, listening to the statement delivered in his matter-of-fact lawyer's voice. She understood the words, had even expected to hear them, but she was having trouble processing the meaning .
Somebody had damaged her motorcycle. Somebody had wanted her to have a wreck, be hurt, perhaps even die.
Last night she'd listened to Charley tell her the same thing, but she hadn't believed it, wasn't sure if she was really hearing it from Charley or if she imagined the whole thing. Today, in the stark light of day, sitting in Brian's mundane, medium-sized office on the fourteenth floor of a building in downtown Dallas, she had to accept it as truth .
Had Charley had tampered with her bike? Was he that upset about the divorce?
Or was it possible that Charley's outrageous story about Kimball was true? Had the Mayor of Silver Creek tried to kill her to keep her quiet?
The thought that either of them had tried to kill her sent a chill down her spine.
"Our expert tells me these things were done by someone who knows bikes and who knew you would have to ride several miles before your brakes failed and the rear wheel came loose. That person would presumably have known you were going on a trip." His expression grim, Brian took off his glasses and laid them on his polished walnut desk along with the papers from which he'd been reading, then folded his hands and looked at her.
She felt that he wanted her to respond, to say something, but she couldn't think of anything to say.
"I'm sorry, Amanda, but the only conclusion we can reach is that Charley tried to kill you. He knows motorcycles, and he knew you were leaving on a long trip."
Amanda shook her head slowly. "I don't think Charley would do that." Though hadn't she accused him…or his ghost…or her hallucination…of doing just that? "Why would he try to kill me?"
Brian spread his hands. "The two of you were going through a bitter divorce. Perhaps he was angry. Perhaps he didn't want to be left with nothing, wanted to inherit your assets."
Amanda gave a brief snort of laughter. "That's not a whole lot more than nothing."
"People have killed for less."
"Well, he's the one who's dead." I think. "So what difference does it make if he tried to kill me?"
Brian replaced his glasses, then took them off again. Amanda liked that he hadn't been a lawyer
"Uh, Irene, I have an appointment with my attorney this morning, but if you're still going to be here in a couple of hours, maybe we could grab some lunch." Even as she spoke the words, Amanda wasn't sure where they had come from. This woman was a stranger. She hadn't known her mother-in-law while she was married, and now she was no longer married. Yet there was something compelling about this woman who offered cookies and a family.
The happy smile on Irene's face relieved any misgivings Amanda had about her offer. "That'd be real nice. I'll just do some shopping while you're gone. They don't have stores like these in Silver Creek."
Amanda regarded her new-found mother-in-law with unexpected affection. How on earth had this gentle, compassionate woman produced Charley?
"Let me give you my cell phone number," she offered. "I don't have a land line. That's why you couldn't find my listing." She scribbled on a piece of paper, tore it off the pad and handed it to Irene. She started out the door, then turned back. "Charley mentioned one person from Silver Creek. Do you happen to know a man named Roland Kimball?"
Irene's lips tightened, and her expression looked as if she'd just tasted something bitter. "Everybody knows Roland Kimball. Big shot. Mayor of the town. Running for governor. Probably gonna win."
Chapter Nine
"There's no doubt your motorcycle was deliberately sabotaged."
Amanda sat in a comfortable, muted blue client's chair in Brian Edwards' office, listening to the statement delivered in his matter-of-fact lawyer's voice. She understood the words, had even expected to hear them, but she was having trouble processing the meaning .
Somebody had damaged her motorcycle. Somebody had wanted her to have a wreck, be hurt, perhaps even die.
Last night she'd listened to Charley tell her the same thing, but she hadn't believed it, wasn't sure if she was really hearing it from Charley or if she imagined the whole thing. Today, in the stark light of day, sitting in Brian's mundane, medium-sized office on the fourteenth floor of a building in downtown Dallas, she had to accept it as truth .
Had Charley had tampered with her bike? Was he that upset about the divorce?
Or was it possible that Charley's outrageous story about Kimball was true? Had the Mayor of Silver Creek tried to kill her to keep her quiet?
The thought that either of them had tried to kill her sent a chill down her spine.
"Our expert tells me these things were done by someone who knows bikes and who knew you would have to ride several miles before your brakes failed and the rear wheel came loose. That person would presumably have known you were going on a trip." His expression grim, Brian took off his glasses and laid them on his polished walnut desk along with the papers from which he'd been reading, then folded his hands and looked at her.
She felt that he wanted her to respond, to say something, but she couldn't think of anything to say.
"I'm sorry, Amanda, but the only conclusion we can reach is that Charley tried to kill you. He knows motorcycles, and he knew you were leaving on a long trip."
Amanda shook her head slowly. "I don't think Charley would do that." Though hadn't she accused him…or his ghost…or her hallucination…of doing just that? "Why would he try to kill me?"
Brian spread his hands. "The two of you were going through a bitter divorce. Perhaps he was angry. Perhaps he didn't want to be left with nothing, wanted to inherit your assets."
Amanda gave a brief snort of laughter. "That's not a whole lot more than nothing."
"People have killed for less."
"Well, he's the one who's dead." I think. "So what difference does it make if he tried to kill me?"
Brian replaced his glasses, then took them off again. Amanda liked that he hadn't been a lawyer
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