Part 2 (1/2)
Tess and Erny rolled their suitcases down the jetway and came out into the arrival gate at the Unionville airport. Tess looked around for her sister-in-law, Julie, who was supposed to be meeting them. She didn't see Julie anywhere. What she saw instead were cl.u.s.ters of reporters with microphones and newscameramen stationed around the small waiting area of the airport. Tess had a bad feeling that they were here because of the news conference tomorrow. She knew that the case was a big deal on the Internet and on the network and cable news shows. She lowered her gaze, hoping that they had not somehow gotten wind of her arrival this afternoon and were lying in wait for her.
Gesturing for Erny to join her, she pulled her bag toward a bank of seats in an empty arrival gate, pulled out her cell phone, and dialed Julie's cell. After a few rings, Julie answered, although the reception was poor and Julie sounded exasperated.
”I'm stuck out here, trying to get into the parking lot,” Julie complained. ”There's about a million news vans gumming up the works because the governor is arriving. You know-for tomorrow. Sit tight. I'll be there to pick you up as soon as I can park.”
”We can come out and meet you,” Tess suggested, but it was too late. Julie had already ended the call.
Tess tucked her phone away. Good, she thought. The reporters were waiting for the governor. It was just anxiety that had made her think they would be looking for her. How would they recognize her anyway? she thought. After twenty years, she bore no resemblance to the child who had testified against Lazarus Abbott. ”Okay, Erny,” she said, ”Aunt Julie is on her way. I'm going to duck into the ladies' room. You need to go to the men's room?”
Erny shook his head.
”I'm going to leave my bag, then. You wait right here for me, okay?”
”Can I get something to drink?” he asked.
Tess reached in her satchel, extracted a bill, and handed it to him. ”Okay. There's a newsstand right over there. Get what you want. But keep an eye on the luggage. I'll be right out.”
Tess watched him tear off for the newsstand and then she pushed open the door to the restroom and went in. After a quick stop in the toilet, she came out and checked her makeup in the mirror. She looked washed-out and tired under the unflattering lights. She swiped a lipstick across her lips and was about to turn to go when she heard a feeble cry from the stall at the end of the row. Tess hesitated and then she heard the cry again.
”Are you all right?” Tess asked, feeling awkward.
”I need some help.”
Tess walked down to the handicapped stall and pushed on the door. It was not locked and it gave way. Tess saw a small-boned, delicate woman with a gamine haircut sprawled on the floor of the oversize stall.
”Oh my G.o.d. Are you okay?” she asked, crouching down and reaching under the woman's arms. The woman was wearing a cashmere tunic that was soft to the touch and her arms were thin and felt rubbery in Tess's grasp.
”If you could just help me up,” said the woman.
”Sure,” said Tess. ”Sure.” She pulled the woman to her feet.
The woman seemed more downcast than embarra.s.sed. ”I'm sorry to bother you like this. I have a...condition. Sometimes I...lose my balance. Could you just help me outside? These floors are slippery. My husband's outside. He's waiting for me.”
”No problem,” said Tess. She put an arm around the woman's birdlike waist and they shuffled along together. Tess could see bruises on the woman's thin forearms as her sleeves rode up. ”You sure you're okay?”
”Fine,” said the woman grimly. ”Quite a commotion here today, isn't it?” She clearly wanted to change the subject.
”No kidding,” said Tess.
”The governor's arriving. My husband and I are meeting him. He's staying with us,” the woman said proudly.
”Really?” said Tess.
The woman nodded. ”He and my husband went to college together. My husband publishes a newspaper.” They had made their way out of the restroom and a strikingly handsome man with soft black hair that flopped across his forehead rushed up to them.
”Sally,” he cried. ”What happened?” The man was dressed casually and had wide, intense, gray eyes, the pupils ringed in black.
”I'm fine. I had a little episode, but this lady helped me,” said Sally.
”Oh, thank you so much,” he said, slipping his arm around his wife in place of Tess's arm. ”I'm very grateful to you.”
”Don't mention it,” said Tess.
”Mom,” Erny cried, rus.h.i.+ng across the concourse with a bottle of Gatorade and a comic book.
Tess could tell that the publisher was about to introduce himself and his wife and ask her about Erny. The last thing Tess wanted was to mention her own name. A newspaperman who was meeting the governor was sure to recognize it right away and be full of questions, and that was something Tess definitely preferred to avoid. ”Come on,” she said to Erny. ”We'd better scoot.” She gave the man and his wife a friendly smile and started to nudge Erny to gather up his bag.
All of a sudden Tess heard someone calling her name. She looked up and immediately caught sight of her sister-in-law Julie, a heavyset woman with gla.s.ses, her blonde hair cut short in a no-nonsense style. Over her nurse's uniform Julie wore a bulky sweater of variegated colors that she had most likely knitted herself, Tess thought. Knitting and church were Julie's primary interests now that her daughter was grown and out of the house. Julie's round face broke into a sweet smile and she waved enthusiastically.
Tess waved back. Though only in her late thirties, her sister-in-law looked much older. She had been a teenager when Jake first met her during their family's ill-fated camping trip to Stone Hill. Back then, Julie was a teenage beauty with long, wavy blonde hair and a curvaceous figure. She and Jake had fallen in love with adolescent intensity, quickly and completely. During the days after Phoebe's disappearance, and then later, during the trial, Julie had stayed glued to Jake's side. Tess could still remember spying on the teenage lovers, sitting nearly on top of each other in the corner of the living room at the Stone Hill Inn where the DeGraffs were given rooms for a pittance throughout the whole ordeal. A year later, when Jake was finished with high school, he moved up to Stone Hill to be with Julie, and they married shortly thereafter. Their one child, Kelli, was now in the army and Jake had a house-painting business in Stone Hill.
Julie opened her arms wide and embraced Tess and then Erny. ”Look at you!” she exclaimed as she gazed admiringly at Erny. ”You are really getting big.”
Erny shrugged, but smiled. His aunt was always kind to him.
”Do you have any other luggage?” she asked.
”No. We're good to go,” said Tess.
”Well, okay,” said Julie. ”I'm parked out here.” Then she noticed the publisher, who was insisting that his wife sit down and rest. ”Chan!” she exclaimed.
The man seemed mystified by the sight of Julie calling his name. He frowned slightly, combing his unruly hair back off his forehead with his fingers. Then suddenly recognition dawned in his pale, gray eyes. ”Julie. Hi. I haven't seen you in...”
”A long time,” Julie said. She looked pointedly at the pet.i.te woman on his arm.
”Oh, this is my wife, Sally.”
”How do you do?” said Julie warmly, smiling at the delicate woman. ”I've heard about you. It's nice to finally meet you. My husband's the one who painted your house this summer.”
The woman's smile transformed her pained-looking features. ”Oh yes. Of course. How is Jake?”
”Fine. We're both fine,” said Julie, nodding enthusiastically. ”What are you folks doing here?”
”We're here to pick up the governor,” said Chan. ”He's coming straight from a party meeting in St. Louis. We knew each other in college so I invited him to stay with us tonight.”
”Oh,” said Julie. ”Chan, Sally, I want you both to meet my sister-in-law, Tess DeGraff. She and her son came so they could be here for the announcement tomorrow, too. Tess, this is Channing Morris. He's the owner of the Stone Hill Record where the press conference will take place. And this is his wife.”
Tess cringed inwardly, but she smiled at them. ”We've met,” said Tess.
”Well, not officially,” said Chan. ”I didn't realize you were...involved in this whole thing. It must be a terrible ordeal for your family. If it's any consolation to you, most of us think Edith Abbott is kind of a crackpot. Don't quote me,” he said, smiling.
”Thanks,” said Tess. ”Frankly, I'll be glad when it's over.”
”I'm sure you will be. Hey, if you're going to be around a little while,” he said eagerly, ”I'd love to sit down with you and talk about all this for the paper.”
Tess forced herself to smile politely. Despite his disarming smile, Chan Morris was a journalist with a newspaper to sell and hers was a meaty story. Even Wade Maitland, her dear friend and the executive producer of her crew, had tried hard to convince her that they should accompany her to New Hamps.h.i.+re and shoot footage for a possible doc.u.mentary about the controversial death penalty case. Tess had refused in no uncertain terms. To her, it was not a story, but her family's never-ending nightmare. ”Well, maybe, after it's over,” said Tess. ”Today we're all a little on edge.”
”Of course you are,” said Chan. He glanced at his watch. ”The governor's flight should be arriving any minute. My wife has been so keyed-up about this visit,” he said, looking indulgently at the pretty woman on his arm. ”She's been fussing over the house and the food for days.”
Sally colored slightly. ”Well, he's an important guest,” she said.