door. Both men looked over at
Lizzy frantically pointing at the grill. A thick fog of smoke rose
from the top and navigated across the porch. Randy hurried out of
his seat and opened the grill lid. A cloud of thick gray smoke
rushed out and exploded into his face. He stepped back and fanned
the smoke away with his hand. After a moment, the smoke cleared and
Randy removed the partially burnt meat from the grill, stacking it
on a clean plate.
“It will probably turn out okay,” he
continued, as though nothing had happened. “I just hope I’m ready
this time.”
Isaac stood up and walked next to his
friend. “The only advice I can give you is to try and take it one
day at a time. Cherish every moment like it’s the last.” He patted
Randy on the shoulder. “Trust me, I wish I had.”
Lizzy had cooked an assortment of side
dishes to go along with the barbecued meat: baked beans, potato
salad, macaroni, and a dozen biscuits. Everyone sat down at the
table and rushed to fix their plate. Randy grabbed the remote to
turn off the TV when the news anchor broke into the story of the
car wreck. Instantly, everyone stopped filling their plates and
gave the television their full attention, everyone except Isaac. He
pretended like it was no big deal, not even glancing over for a
second, while at the same time hoping that the female voice in the
background would just shut her damn mouth.
Only sound bites registered to Isaac’s
ears.
“The truck driver..."
“Highway 41..."
“Losing control...”
“Ending in the loss ..."
“Sadness for ..."
Isaac sat back and waited impatiently for it
to be over. Near the end of the report, the woman mentioned James
Ackerman, and did not forget to state the recent death of his wife
and daughter. Isaac expected the issue would arise, but what he
didn’t expect immediately followed.
“Although investigators had believed that
James Ackerman was responsible, no connection has been made yet to
link him to the death of his wife and daughter."
“Holy shit!” Randy yelled. “I had no idea.
Did you, Isaac?”
2
It took Isaac the entire length of dinner to
successfully change the subject. The group left the table and sat
down to chat in the living room. Twenty minutes later, Isaac’s
phone rang. He hesitated to take it off his belt. With a half dozen
watching eyes, he unclipped the Motorola from his belt and read the
incoming number. It was Chief Stevens.
“Isaac, I have some bad news,” said the
chief.
“Oh God,” Isaac moaned. “Don’t even say what
I think you’re going to say.”
Everyone in the room wanted to know exactly
what Isaac didn’t want the chief of police to say, especially
Randy.
“It happened again.”
When Isaac hung up the phone, Amy asked, “Do
you have to go?”
“Unfortunately.”
“That sucks,” Randy whimpered. “The night
was just getting started. I was in the mood for a little truth or
dare.”
Isaac smiled. He was a little old for truth
or dare. “Save it for another night. I’ve got to run out.”
“Big emergency?”
Isaac kissed his daughter on the cheek. “Are
you going to stay here for awhile?”
“No, I’ll probably go home soon.”
Isaac headed for the front door. “Emergency?
Yeah, I guess you could say that,” he finally answered.
Randy opened the door for Isaac. “Are you
going to tell me what it is?”
“No.”
It was getting dark outside. Storm clouds
hovered above. Isaac caught a fleeting gust of light mist as he
stepped out of the house and into the front yard.
“Oh, I get it, big detective stuff,
right?”
“Now you’re starting to catch on,” Isaac
said, walking away.
He stopped and looked back when he was
halfway to his house.
“Hey, Randy.” He shielded his eyes with his
right hand. The light mist had given birth to a hammering rain.
“Don’t worry. I think she’s great.”
Chapter Eight
1
The police cruiser sat in the empty parking
lot of an industrial warehouse on the
Lizzy frantically pointing at the grill. A thick fog of smoke rose
from the top and navigated across the porch. Randy hurried out of
his seat and opened the grill lid. A cloud of thick gray smoke
rushed out and exploded into his face. He stepped back and fanned
the smoke away with his hand. After a moment, the smoke cleared and
Randy removed the partially burnt meat from the grill, stacking it
on a clean plate.
“It will probably turn out okay,” he
continued, as though nothing had happened. “I just hope I’m ready
this time.”
Isaac stood up and walked next to his
friend. “The only advice I can give you is to try and take it one
day at a time. Cherish every moment like it’s the last.” He patted
Randy on the shoulder. “Trust me, I wish I had.”
Lizzy had cooked an assortment of side
dishes to go along with the barbecued meat: baked beans, potato
salad, macaroni, and a dozen biscuits. Everyone sat down at the
table and rushed to fix their plate. Randy grabbed the remote to
turn off the TV when the news anchor broke into the story of the
car wreck. Instantly, everyone stopped filling their plates and
gave the television their full attention, everyone except Isaac. He
pretended like it was no big deal, not even glancing over for a
second, while at the same time hoping that the female voice in the
background would just shut her damn mouth.
Only sound bites registered to Isaac’s
ears.
“The truck driver..."
“Highway 41..."
“Losing control...”
“Ending in the loss ..."
“Sadness for ..."
Isaac sat back and waited impatiently for it
to be over. Near the end of the report, the woman mentioned James
Ackerman, and did not forget to state the recent death of his wife
and daughter. Isaac expected the issue would arise, but what he
didn’t expect immediately followed.
“Although investigators had believed that
James Ackerman was responsible, no connection has been made yet to
link him to the death of his wife and daughter."
“Holy shit!” Randy yelled. “I had no idea.
Did you, Isaac?”
2
It took Isaac the entire length of dinner to
successfully change the subject. The group left the table and sat
down to chat in the living room. Twenty minutes later, Isaac’s
phone rang. He hesitated to take it off his belt. With a half dozen
watching eyes, he unclipped the Motorola from his belt and read the
incoming number. It was Chief Stevens.
“Isaac, I have some bad news,” said the
chief.
“Oh God,” Isaac moaned. “Don’t even say what
I think you’re going to say.”
Everyone in the room wanted to know exactly
what Isaac didn’t want the chief of police to say, especially
Randy.
“It happened again.”
When Isaac hung up the phone, Amy asked, “Do
you have to go?”
“Unfortunately.”
“That sucks,” Randy whimpered. “The night
was just getting started. I was in the mood for a little truth or
dare.”
Isaac smiled. He was a little old for truth
or dare. “Save it for another night. I’ve got to run out.”
“Big emergency?”
Isaac kissed his daughter on the cheek. “Are
you going to stay here for awhile?”
“No, I’ll probably go home soon.”
Isaac headed for the front door. “Emergency?
Yeah, I guess you could say that,” he finally answered.
Randy opened the door for Isaac. “Are you
going to tell me what it is?”
“No.”
It was getting dark outside. Storm clouds
hovered above. Isaac caught a fleeting gust of light mist as he
stepped out of the house and into the front yard.
“Oh, I get it, big detective stuff,
right?”
“Now you’re starting to catch on,” Isaac
said, walking away.
He stopped and looked back when he was
halfway to his house.
“Hey, Randy.” He shielded his eyes with his
right hand. The light mist had given birth to a hammering rain.
“Don’t worry. I think she’s great.”
Chapter Eight
1
The police cruiser sat in the empty parking
lot of an industrial warehouse on the
Similar Books
