What Comes After by Joanne Tompkins

Author:Joanne Tompkins [Tompkins, JoAnne]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2021-04-13T00:00:00+00:00

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I STUDIED THE PICTURE OF MY FATHER AND DANIEL, wondering what would have happened that last morning if I had turned to my son and opened my arms.

I glanced at my watch. Eleven thirty. Eight thirty in Port Furlong. I picked up my cell and called Peter. His wife, Elaine, answered. She inquired after my aunt with her usual warm concern, and I asked about the girls.

“I know Peter wants to talk with you,” she said, “but he’s out right now.”

“Without his cell?”

“He was distracted when he left. You know, all that political stuff with the superintendent. I don’t really follow it, but he’s pretty riled up. Had another one of those meetings tonight. Thought he’d be home by now. Do you want him to call when he gets in? I know it’s late back there.”

I told her I’d be up another half hour, and we said our good-byes. My bags still needed packing, and I gathered my belongings, thinking how Peter and Newland were probably fighting over the budget again. I had turned out the light and was nearly asleep when the phone rang.

“Sorry for calling so late,” Peter said. “In my defense, Elaine told me to, and I always do what she says.”

“I’m glad you did,” I said, sitting up, trying to sound awake. “What’s going on with Newland?”

“That really what you want to talk about this time of night?”

“No. Not really.”

He let me collect my thoughts, the line giving off a low buzz. “I’ve been struggling with Daniel’s last day,” I said. “Would you mind a few questions?”

I heard a soft sigh, then, “No. Of course not.”

“You talked to him that last afternoon, right?”

“Only in passing. I ran into him after classes. He was on his way to practice, and I asked how the team was shaping up. Nothing much to it.”

“Was he agitated? Anything like that?” We’d been over this before, likely many times, but Peter stayed patient with me.

“He was distracted. Kind of blew me off, said he was running late, which wasn’t really like him. Nothing that made me worried for him, though, just a sense he had something on his mind.”

I let the line go silent.

“I’m sorry that I don’t have more for you.”

“What about Evangeline?”

“Evangeline? What about her?”

“You thought you saw her with the boys. You were certain. Then you changed your mind. What do you think now?”

“Isaac, I told you, it wasn’t Evangeline. The person I saw was too tall. It had to be Derek.”

Again I wanted to tell Peter about the bracelet, the pregnancy, all Evangeline had admitted. And all she had not. Once more, something held me back. “So you don’t think Evangeline had anything to do with the boys?”

“I really don’t.”

An edge of frustration had crept into his voice. He was likely exhausted from a rough meeting with the superintendent. Then it occurred to me. “This thing with Newland, is it about Evangeline?”

A moment of dead air. “Why would it be?”

“The forms. The ones that don’t always get inputted.

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