The Devil Laughed by Gerrie Ferris Finger

Author:Gerrie Ferris Finger
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: missing persons, nautical, georgia, fourth of july, lake lanier
Publisher: Bold Venture Press

14

“Della nee Anderson Browne,” Lake said. I listened to his voice streaming through the cell phone while I looked out the window at the Atlantic Ocean, the green-gray seas rollicking toward the shore where children were building sandcastles and adults were sunning, walking, or stopping to shell. Lake was saying, “Classic case of road rage. Unnamed subject in red pickup truck tailed Della Browne on Interstate Ninety-Five, traveling south at speeds up to ninety miles an hour. Witnesses say he waved his fist at her, honked and yelled out the window for her to get out of the way. She stayed in the passing lane, and he eventually passed her, cutting her off so suddenly she was forced to swerve into a guard rail and flipped. Chest, head, neck wounds, right arm broken, legs crushed. No suspect arrested, charged, tried or convicted. Never found the driver or the truck. She suffered severe brain-damage and died six days later.” Lake paused. “Did you know fifteen hundred people are killed each year in road rage accidents?”

“I don’t call them accidents.” I grabbed my room key, handbag and a beach towel draped on a chair.

“Incidents, then,” Lake said as I left the room and locked the door. He went on, “Shrinks say anyone experiencing that kind of rage is suffering from IED, Intermittent Explosive Disorder. It affects seven percent of the population.”

Walking down the hall I said, “So?”

“I thought you’d like to know that.”

“You get the name of the witness?” I asked, going down the steps.

“Two teenagers, boy and a girl. Apparently the boy was doing the manly thing by going ninety miles an hour to help out a damsel in distress. Their statements describe the man as medium looking, red hat, like a baseball or golf hat, red knit golf shirt. The girl thought he was fair; the boy thought he wore sunglasses. They agree that he was in a rage, windows down, fist pumping, yelling, and tailgating. The girl is quoted as saying, “It was scary. The guy was out of control.”

“Names?”

“Roy Ortiz and Beth Donner, both from Raleigh, going to Hilton Head where Johnny Browne told police Della was headed for a girls’ trip.”

Outside, standing on a dune, scanning the happy families and a hunky lifeguard, I asked, “Did they interview the girls Della Browne was to meet on the trip?” I slipped through the sea oats and snugged my bare feet into the warm sand, so soothing to my sore ankle.

“One, Della’s best friend, Addie Sweppington, address twenty-one Katy’s Branch, Wilmington. She skipped the trip and went to New York. Reports say she didn’t know who else was supposed to meet Della there.”

“I ever tell you I love you?”

“The very last time I dug up info for you.”

“I’m so sweet.”

“Moving on to Sean Tyrone Broussard, first husband of Candice, father of Evangeline. A man walked into Greater Citizens Financial Bank and Trust and asked to see Mr. Broussard, who had just returned from a business lunch. The receptionist said he introduced himself as Willis Ephrom.

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