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CHAPTER FIVE
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Or, while watching one of those crime dramas on television, she would always say, “They are only sorry because they got caught.”
I would always laugh and say, “Memaw, there are horrible people that have done horrible things, and they don’t deserve to breathe.”
And she would say, “That may be true, Lewie, but rest assured, karma will take care of them in a way that humanity can’t.”
I never knew her to be religious, so her take on ethereal punishment in the afterlife was as close as we ever came to discussing that.
Covering for her brother must have been hard on her, but it explains why she always said all those things to me years in advance.
She wanted me to understand before I found out about David, so I wouldn’t judge her too harshly, especially since it appears that he also took the same secret to his grave.
I didn’t judge her at all, and after finding out the truth about her husband, I believe I would have killed him for her if I had been there.
When I emerged from the bedroom, freshly showered and relaxed, Rachel was closing the front door to the apartment. She turned around and was carrying three large pizza boxes. “Holy shit, Rach, are you hungry?” I laughed.
“Yes, actually, I am. Damn near starved to death.”
Then she announced, “THIS is one large pepperoni and bacon pizza, one large order of Chicken I was truly married to my best friend.
We ate our feast and didn’t talk about Memaw. Rachel knew to give me the space I needed. I would bring it up when I could synthesize the words. I just wanted a couple of hours of mindlessness with my beautiful wife, the awesome pizza, and those freaking cannoli.
Although I knew she was insanely curious about what I’d said.
We were putting away the leftovers when Rachel stopped and said, “You know, I’ve been incredibly patient tonight, right?
You drop a bombshell on me on the drive home, then go straight to the bedroom to shower and meditate when we get home, and you have not said a thing about it since.
I’m dying here. You have to tell me what you’ve found out.
Please! I can’t take it anymore. And what on earth are you smiling at? ”
I just smiled at her. She usually just lets me tell her eventually, but I think my revelation really shook her. Maybe it was the look on my face when I walked back into the house this afternoon.
“Yeah, you are right. You’ve been very patient. I haven’t been keeping it from you on purpose. I’m trying to figure out where to start. There are a lot of moving parts, a lot of pieces, and just inferences in some areas. But grab us a couple of beers and let’s get comfortable in the living room.”
Once we had our beers and were sitting facing each other on the huge, overstuffed leather couch, I told her everything I had discovered so far.
The trunk in the basement, the mug that I have not investigated yet, and the lunchbox.
I told her what Dad told me about the fight between David and John Robert.
When I was all finished, Rachel sat there for a long moment and then said, “You know, it could be her father, too. If her parents hated John Robert as much as David did, he could have had his fill and just ended him. I know you said a long time ago that your memaw’s father was slow to anger and not particularly given to violence, but holy shit, everyone has a limit.
“Think about it, some asshole hitting his daughter and possibly granddaughter. Motherfucker would pay for that! David may have been involved with some rough people, so of course, they would suspect him. But they wouldn’t suspect the dad.
There he was, a totally upstanding citizen, and on the town council for 30 years.
No one would ever suspect him of killing his wife-beating piece-of-shit son-in-law! ”
Then it hit me that she could be right. I’ve learned this from years of investigations, that it’s always the one you don’t suspect.
I thought back to the trunk vision. I could just see from the knees down.
The pants were very baggy and way too long.
The bottom of the pants’ legs was spilling over the tops of the work boots.
Memaw did tell me that her dad was a relatively small man.
Only about five and a half feet tall, but from what I understand, he had a presence, like when he spoke, people listened.
David and John Robert were fairly evenly matched.
Both were nearly 6’ tall. David had a little more weight on him than John Robert, but both were over 175 pounds.
Well, now, mentally, I have two suspects.
My instinct still leans toward the belief that David took care of business, but I can’t rule out her father.
My next step was to spend some time with that mug. The first touch engulfed me in chaos, so I am not looking forward to it. But preparation will make it much easier.