A Simple Song by Julia C. Hoffman

Author:Julia C. Hoffman [Hoffman, Julia C.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Murder Mystery
Publisher: Julia C. Hoffman
Published: 2018-10-18T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

If it wasn’t one thing, it was another. Three days’ worth of e-mails to sort through, follow-up calls to make, and new cases to review made Edie late for dinner. Why couldn’t crime take a holiday? Edie pulled into her driveway. Maybe all of us could arrange to meet on a beach somewhere sunny, relax, and not think about anything or act on it, just be.

After turning off the car, Edie sat and tried not to think, and then noticed that Phil and Sera were sitting on the front step talking. They were still talking when she kicked the car door open and slammed it shut. They still didn’t acknowledge her. Edie walked over to the step and stood quietly in front of them.

Phil looked up. “Edie, when did you get home?”

“A few hours ago. What are you two talking about?”

“My father,” said Phil. “What’s that on your forehead?”

“A Band-Aid. I’m okay, thanks for asking.”

“I’ll be the judge of that,” Phil said, standing up for a closer look at Edie’s injury.

“I knew your dad in high school,” said Sera, continuing the conversation with Phil. “Nice guy. You remind me of him, sweet and fun.”

Phil carefully loosened the edge of the Band-Aid, grabbed it, and yanked it off.

“Ouch. A little passive-aggression there, Phil?” said Edie.

“Sissy, that couldn’t have hurt. The cut is tiny, looks clean, should heal okay,” said Phil.

“It’s my skin that you just yanked off; I’ll judge when it hurts. The whole department concurs with your assessment.” Edie directed her attention to Sera. “How well did you know Phil’s dad?” She remembered how cozy they looked in the old yearbooks she had seen.

“We went out a few times. How was your day?”

“Backlog of paperwork and cases,” said Edie.

“Heard Harold told you to find Sage,” said Sera.

“He’s not the only one who is demanding it,” said Edie, wondering how Sera had found out.

“Edie, Edie.”

Edie turned around to see Lisa VandenHuevel coming up the driveway with Matilda and Brandon, who always seemed to be his big sister’s shadow.

“Edie,” said Lisa, “I saw you drive past, thought this would be a good time for you to talk to my kids. Hear what they have to say about Sage. You know, before everything goes cold. That’s what they call it on TV, isn’t it?”

Edie counted to ten before she spoke. “Has Deputy Johnson talked with you and the kids?”

“Yes, and he did a fine job, but with you on the case, I thought you’d like to hear it firsthand.”

“This isn’t the best setting for that, Lisa. I’d like to talk with each of them separately when we can have more privacy,” said Edie, attempting to balance diplomacy with directness.

Lisa didn’t take the not-so-subtle hint. Neither did Phil or Sera. None of them moved an inch.

“Oh, this is just fine, I’m sure they aren’t going to tell you anything different from what they told Deputy Johnson. Isn’t that right, kids?” Lisa gave her children a meaningful look.

Then why am I going through this?

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