Part 10 (2/2)
”She's seeing him again.”
”Cindy?”
”Uh-huh.”
”Bulls.h.i.+t.”
There was a sweet, soft breeze, but I couldn't enjoy it. I didn't believe what he'd told me, but somehow I didn't quite dis-believe him, either.
The last few days, Cindy had been acting odd. The nights we went out, she found a reason to go home early. And any plans I suggested, she always put off, saying she wasn't sure what her schedule would be like.
She wouldn't even kiss me right, either.
I guess that was the worst of it because that's where I could really feel her slipping away from me, her kisses too quick, too cold.
”She hates him,” I said.
”Maybe.”
”And since she hates him, it wouldn't make any sense that she was seeing him, would it?”
”I just thought you should know.”
I was quiet for a time.
Then, ”Somebody tell you this or you see it for yourself?”
”I saw it for myself.”
”When?”
”Last few nights.”
”Where?”
”Couple of different places. Out behind McDonald's where all the kids hang out?”
”Yeah?”
”He was kissing her.”
I felt a lot of things just then, but mostly I felt sick. I saw a little kid tottering across the gra.s.s in search of his fallen Frisbee. It really would be good to be a kid again and not give a d.a.m.n about a girl betraying you.
He said, ”She tell you anything about him?”
”Like what?”
”Anything he might have done that was against the law.”
I'd forgotten his suspicions about David Myles.
”She hinted at a couple of things, I guess.”
”Like what?”
”Nothing specific.”
”She ever mention the Franson woman?”
”The old lady who got murdered?”
”Yeah, murdered and robbed. Her.”
”No, she never mentioned her. You don't think Myles had anything to do with the Franson woman, do you?”
He shot his sleeve and looked at his wrist.w.a.tch. It was silver and new and impressive. I guessed his folks gave it to him as a gift.
”I'm not sure yet.”
He stood up and I saw it in him, too, the way I'd seen it in my younger brother Josh. Garrett the cop here was becoming an adult. We were the same age and I was still a boy and he was becoming an adult.
Then I remembered the well and said, ”She's got this weird thing about a well.”
”What kind of well?”
I told him.
”You know she was in the mental hospital, don't you?”
”Yeah.”
”Now I can see why.”
I should have defended her, but I was too angry. I had no doubt that Garrett had told me the truth about Myles kissing her. I wanted somebody to dislike Myles as much as I did. Garrett seemed willing to take on the role.
He checked his wrist.w.a.tch again. ”I'd better get going.”
His Sam Browne creaked; his Magnum was as imposing as ever.
”You headed back to work?” he said.
”Yeah. Different direction. If you're headed to the station, I mean.”
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