Death on a Deadline by Joyce St. Anthony

Author:Joyce St. Anthony
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: CROOKED LANE BOOKS

Chapter Sixteen

Mersa Matruh in N. Africa Falls to Axis

The Progress Herald, June 30, 1942

What in the world was she saying? “That doesn’t make any sense, Louise. Richie died at Midway. The Japanese navy killed him. Kirk had nothing to do with it. He was Richie’s friend.”

“Some friend. Richie wouldn’t have joined up if it wasn’t for him.”

“Let’s go, Irene,” Kirk said. “We’re upsetting her.”

“You bet I’m upset,” Louise said. “I want both of you to leave right now.”

I wanted to get to the bottom of this. “I’d like to say goodbye to your mother first.”

“Stay away from her,” Louise said loudly enough that a couple of people looked our way. She continued more quietly. “I don’t want her knowing about this.”

“Knowing about what?” I said.

Kirk took me by the arm. “Let’s go.”

“But—”

“Let’s go.”

I had trouble keeping up with Kirk as he pulled me through the doorway and up the stairs to the parking lot. Once we were outside, I yanked my arm from his grasp. By this time I was the angry one—angry enough to swear. “What the hell was that all about? That woman is nuts! Why would she say something like that? You and Richie were friends and she treats you like that? Why didn’t you stop her? Why didn’t you make it clear she was wrong?”

“Because maybe she wasn’t wrong.”

He started across the parking lot and I followed. “Now you’re as wacky as she is.”

Kirk stopped beside his rental car. “It makes sense.” He got in.

I blocked the door so he couldn’t close it. “No, it doesn’t. You’re not leaving until you tell me what you mean. What Louise meant.”

“I can’t,” he said. “Leave it alone. Please.”

“No.”

He turned the key in the ignition. “You’d better move.”

“You’d rather run me over than talk to me?”

Kirk didn’t answer. He put the car in gear. “Please.” His voice broke. “I can’t.”

The pain in his voice went right through me. I took a few steps back from the car. He slammed the door shut and I watched him drive away.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.