4. The Jury by Fern Michaels

Author:Fern Michaels [Michaels, Fern]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: vigilante justice
ISBN: 9780821778784
Publisher: Zebra
Published: 2006-05-30T07:00:00+00:00

Fourteen

Nikki tried to juggle the oversize umbrella that the funeral home had provided. Numb with grief, she did her best not to look at the shiny bronze casket laden with flowers that sat under the green awning. She turned to stare at Judge Easter, Myra and Charles. They looked the way she felt: shocked and numb. She felt her heart flutter in her chest when Myra turned to stare at her. She was hollow-eyed, gaunt, the same way she’d looked when she’d stood at her daughter’s grave years ago. Now she was standing here at her goddaughter’s grave.

The minister spoke softly, his voice barely audible. Nikki found that strange. Shouldn’t he be shouting his words so the mourners could carry away some comfort?

If there was anything to be grateful for, it was the private cemetery with no more than a dozen people in attendance. Across from her was Jack, holding a green and white striped umbrella. He was dressed in a dark suit with a pristine white shirt and dark tie. Brad, Jenny’s husband, didn’t have an umbrella. He stood, stone faced, soaking wet. Jack would take care of Brad.

And then it was over, the small group lining up to walk past the bronze casket. Nikki looked down at the limp yellow rose in her hand. Jenny had loved yellow roses. When it was her turn, Nikki crooked the handle of the umbrella under her arm, the umbrella tilting backward. Her right hand touched Jenny’s last resting place. “Goodbye, old friend.” She laid the limp rose next to the others.

Disgusted with the umbrella, Nikki closed it and walked toward her car. She stopped at the lead car to embrace Judge Easter, Myra, and then Charles. She knew that Myra and Charles were going back to the farm later in the day. Judge Easter was going to stay with Brad for a day or so and then join Myra at the farm for a while.

“I’m going to stay in town and will go to the farm tomorrow if that’s all right with you,” Nikki whispered to Charles. “Is there any news on Mrs. Woodley?”

“Do what you have to do, Nikki. She’ll survive, but she’ll never be the same. We can talk about it when you return to the farm. Myra…Myra is devastated.”

Like she didn’t already know that. “I know,” was all she said. She saw Jack approaching out of the corner of her eye. She said, just loud enough for him to hear, “I’ll see you back at the farm tomorrow then.” She knew Jack wanted to offer his condolences to Judge Easter so she moved quickly to her car.

Nikki settled herself in the car, turned the key in the ignition and then burst into tears. Goodbyes were so hard. Final goodbyes were beyond hard. The windshield wipers swiped across but did nothing to clear her vision. Get a grip, she told herself. She did her best to blink away the tears as she inched her car forward to follow the procession out of the cemetery.

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