The Last Death of Jack Harbin by Terry Shames Page A

back to my apartment.”
    When we get to her apartment, she goes into the bathroom and I hear pills rattle from a plastic container and water running. When she comes out, she sinks onto the sofa and stares at the wall. Eventually she rouses herself. “I want to ask you something. Do you think Curtis could have killed Jack?”
    That’s exactly what I think, but I don’t need to go into it with her. “Marybeth, what would make you say such a thing?”
    She moves forward to the edge of the sofa. “Curtis was always out for what he could get. He never had any interest in other people.”
    â€œI don’t know what he’d get out of it. Seems like you’re the one who would inherit the house and anything Jack left.”
    Marybeth shakes her head. “I signed over the house to Bob when I left. I told him I didn’t want anything. If he left a will, I expect he left everything to the boys. Which means with Jack dead, Curtis will get it all.”
    â€œDo you know if Bob left a will?
    She shakes her head. “After the funeral, I got out of there.”
    â€œDid you talk to Jack?”
    Her lips are trembling, and there’s such longing on her face that I can’t look at her. “I didn’t know what to say to him. What do you say when you’ve abandoned your son? If I’d been a good person, I’d have told him that I’d come back home and take over where Bob left off.”
    â€œMarybeth, I’m sure he didn’t expect that of you. He knows you’ve struggled.” Would things have been better if she had stayed in Jarrett Creek? I expect Bob would have ended up with two people to take care of.
    â€œStill, I should have told him I’d try.”
    I wish like anything that Jeanne were with me. She’d know what to say. All I can think of is practical details. “You and Bob never got a divorce, am I right?”
    â€œI never thought about it, and I guess Bob didn’t either.”
    I’m wondering if Bob left a will. Not that it is any of my business, but things get talked about in a small town, and Loretta surely would have told me if she’d heard.
    â€œI know a lawyer you can talk to about legal matters.”
    â€œOh, legal matters.” She waves a hand. “I’m not going to fight with Curtis.”
    â€œStill, it would be good for you to talk to my friend Jenny Sandstone. Besides being a good lawyer, she has a lot of sense. There may be things you have to do legally, even if you want to turn everything over to Curtis. Jenny can help you with that.” I write down Jenny’s phone number and lay it on the coffee table. Then I stand up.
    â€œMarybeth, do you have a friend who could come over here and spend some time with you?”
    She shakes her head. “I don’t want anybody around right now.” She looks up at me. “Oh, Samuel, you don’t need to worry about me. I don’t have the courage to kill myself. If I did, I would have done it a long time ago.”
    I pat her shoulder. “Listen, don’t dwell on Curtis. I’ll grant you, he’s a different kind of person, but there’s no reason to think he killed Jack. You should leave all that to the authorities.” Even as I say it, I’m damned sure if it were my son who had been murdered I wouldn’t leave it to Rodell to investigate.
    â€œIf Curtis killed Jack, they’ll never figure it out anyway. He’s smooth.” She pushes herself off the sofa gingerly, like she’s afraid she’ll break if she moves too fast. “I guess you’re right. Maybe I should go over and take a look at the house. Even though everybody will think I’m a vulture.”
    â€œMarybeth, it doesn’t matter what anybody thinks. It’s nobody’s business but yours.”
    Marybeth says she’ll drive over tomorrow. “You think Curtis is going to be there?”
    â€œI don’t