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What Ha
“It wasn’t just the TV, neither,” Ha
“It wasn’t?”
Ha
“Because of your hand? Are you saying your father did that to you?”
“I was go
“When did that happen?”
Ha
“How recently?”
“Not recent. It was after my husband divorced me and I came hone to Daddy and Mama’s place.”
“When?” Joa
“Nineteen sixty-five or so, I guess,” Ha
“More than thirty years ago?”
Ha
Somewhere at the far end of the house, the dogs began barking. The chorus was stifled almost immediately. Daring to hope that help was at hand, Joa
Concerned that any intrusion might upset the woman Joa
The woman nodded but didn’t move.
“I’ll have to answer it.”
Ha
By the time Joa
“We’ve got the house surrounded,” Ernie barked. “Where is she?”
“In the kitchen,” Joa
“Are you and Je
“Yes,” Joa
From out of nowhere, Je
“Is she armed?” Dick asked.
“I don’t think so,” Joa
The flood of relief that washed over her then took her by surprise. One moment she was laughing. The next, laughter unaccountably changed to tears.
“Mommy, why are you crying?” Je
That was the precise instant when Joa
“Shhhh now,” he said, awkwardly patting her shoulder. “It’s okay, Joa
ELEVEN
The next half hour or so was a blur of frantic activity. The whole house buzzed with cops while Joa
Ha
Je
Then Ha
“Thanks for Iettin’ me get that load off my chest,” Ha
“You’re welcome,” Joa
“Come on now,” Ernie Carpenter urged, taking Ha
Joa
Dick Voland followed her into the kitchen and then stood leaning against the kitchen counter as she rinsed what was left of the scorched potatoes and rescued the pork chops from being burned to a crisp.
“This is a nice place you’ve got here,” Voland observed, looking around the efficient but spacious kitchen.
“Thank you,” Joa
Voland nodded. “It is a long way out of town.”
Joa
“But what if Je
Joa
“But she could have,” Voland countered. “And so could any other crazy who might choose to show up here.”
“What are you saying?”
Voland shrugged. “With a house like this, on some acre age with your own well, you could probably sell it in a minute. Maybe buy something in town. A place where Je
Joa
Joa
“No,” Dick Voland said a moment later. “I suppose not.”
The afternoon had stretched so long after the luncheon that her trip out to the Rob Roy with her mother and mother-in-law seemed eons ago. Still, Dick Voland’s suggestion about Joa
“Speaking of selling,” she said. “Did you know Terry Buckwalter is making arrangements to sell out Bucky’s practice?”
Voland looked surprised. “So soon’“ lie asked. “With a business like that, especially one with a professional involved, I would have thought it would take months, it not years, to unload it. Where’d you hear about that?”
“At the luncheon today,” Joa