Unquiet Ghosts by Glenn Meade

Author:Glenn Meade
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Howard Books

56

* * *

Knoxville, Tennessee

Earlier that day, when Brewster Tanner finished shaving, he threw water onto his face, and stared at himself in the mirror.

Droopy eyes, scraggly hair that could do with a cut, and a vest that looked like it needed to be replaced. When his wife was alive, he used to look after himself. Now, on weekends or days off, he never shaved and lounged around watching TV in a size 4XL Snuggie he found on sale at Kohl’s. Beware, folks, if ever there was one single reason not to retire, it was afternoon TV.

And money. Most pensions barely covered the cost of living these days. He saw that with his mom. She almost killed herself working a job all her life, retired at sixty-six, and spent a year living on a misery of a pension that barely clothed and fed her and paid the rent on an apartment the size of a garden shed. A place so small Tanner used to joke she’d get a hunched back.

Some days when he visited his mom, he knew by looking in her fridge that she probably hadn’t eaten more than one meal a day. He’d force her to come out for dinner, to a local Applebee’s or Shoney’s, but getting her to accept the offer was hard work.

No more than she’d accept money from him. His mom would rather sit alone in her apartment and starve than be beholden to anyone. A proud black woman. He knew lots of them, doing double duty by raising kids alone and holding down two jobs. Too proud to ask anyone for help.

She went to cancer a year later, having told no one about her ailment until two months before she passed—a painful end with no health insurance worth talking about. Tanner still shivered thinking about that.

He sure didn’t want that kind of miserable end to a life.

He traipsed back into his Sleep Inn motel bedroom and a plucked a fresh shirt from his suitcase. Lying on the bed were some photocopied pages from the original case file from eight years ago. He’d spent the evening reading them and was none the wiser for it. Then he left a voice-mail message for Dexter, inquiring after his progress.

His cell phone rang. It was Courtney. He picked up.

“Rise and shine, Tanner.”

“I rose and illuminated thirty minutes ago. You here?”

“In the lobby.”

“Breakfast?”

“I already ate.”

“OK, see you in five.”

He flicked off his cell. It rang a second time.

“Tanner.”

“Hey, big man. It’s Dexter, your friendly NTSB amigo. Got those results you’ve been waiting for.”

“Hit me, bro.”

* * *

She was waiting in the lobby, 9:30 a.m. on the button, like they’d arranged. Courtney looked smart in jeans and a pale-blue top, comfortable sneakers. She had a notebook and a pen in her hand.

“Grab a coffee? They’re still serving breakfast,” Tanner suggested.

“Sure.”

They crossed the lobby to the breakfast area and helped themselves to two coffees. The place was empty, and they took a seat near the window.

“How’s Kath doing, do you know?”

“I called her yesterday evening.

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