The Longest Day by Terry Toler

Author:Terry Toler [Toler, Terry]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-09-27T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Thirteen

Courtney and Jamie returned to the NASA conference room, fully satisfied with the conversation with Adam, considering the circumstances. Jamie was starving so she helped herself to the cold sandwiches, chips, dips, and vegetables waiting for them.

Courtney poured herself a soft drink, and they sat down in the luxurious chairs.

Nothing was said as Jamie scarfed down the food and went back for seconds. Courtney couldn’t help but think about Adam, wondering if he survived the entry into the space stream.

“You’re thinking about Dad, aren’t you?” Jamie said, interrupting Courtney’s thoughts.

Courtney nodded.

“You two were very close, weren’t you?”

Courtney looked away and didn’t answer but nodded.

“Do you think he survived the entry?”

“I’m sure of it,” Courtney said emphatically.

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because that’s the only way I can think of him. Alive. Happy. Resilient. I can’t picture him any other way. Since I don’t know for sure, I’m just going to trust God and believe that Adam is in his hands.” Courtney said it with such affection she felt herself blushing.

Jamie looked away, clearly thinking.

Courtney noticed that was the same kind of thing her father did when he was suppressing his feelings.

She sensed what Jamie might be thinking and said, “Your father and I were just good friends. Nothing ever happened between us. He loved your mom. I don’t think he ever got over her.”

“She never got over him,” Jamie said as she ran her fingers through her still-mussed hair. “Mom never remarried either. I wonder why neither of them ever married again. Anyway… it’s okay, Courtney. I don’t mind that you and my dad were close. I like you. And my dad likes you as well. I can tell. I think he was in love with you. I’m glad he had someone.”

Jamie saying Adam was in love with her sent chills down Courtney’s spine. She tried to change the subject, turning the conversation back to Adam and her mother. “They were young and just didn’t know how to make things work at the time. If Adam had known about you, he never would have agreed to the divorce. Once he did learn about you, his whole perspective changed. He desperately wanted to know you.”

“The way that happened… I think that really bothered my mom all the way until she died.”

“I’m sorry about your mom.”

Jamie didn’t respond.

Courtney could tell Jamie had her own wounds. She didn’t probe any further.

She changed the subject again. “What happened in Miami?”

“What about Miami?” Jamie looked down, darting her eyes from side to side.

She’s hiding something. As a trained psychologist, Courtney was keenly aware of the signs of deception.

“The parking garage at the hotel. You made a 911 call, something about a woman being attacked.”

Jamie hesitated. Probably calculating how much she should tell Courtney.

“It’s okay. You can talk to me.”

Finally, Jamie blurted out the whole story. The press conference, the note for her roommate, the parking garage, Fletcher. She told in detail how he followed her into the garage and then attacked her. He had a knife, then was on top of her and was going to kill her.

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