Midnight Clear by Trocheck Kathy Hogan

Author:Trocheck, Kathy Hogan [Trocheck, Kathy Hogan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2011-03-02T08:26:43.484000+00:00

24

Ferd’s telephone greeting was a chest-racking cough. He gave me Brian’s address with great reluctance. “He gave me this in confidence,” he protested. “If he’d wanted you to have it, he would have given it to you.”

“He needs to answer some questions,” I said. “A lot of questions. I’m tired of his moodiness. I’ve been out busting my butt for three days, trying to save his ass, and he has done nothing to help me. In fact, he’s done everything he could to keep me from finding out the truth about his life.”

“Some things you don’t want your family to know,” Ferd said gently.

“It’s a little late for that,” I retorted. “Did you know

that Brian was admitted to the same hospital, the same

night he allegedly beat Shay? I saw the hospital chart,

Ferd, I’ve got one of the Polaroids. Somebody beat him

bad. And I don’t think it was all Shay’s doing. But why

hasn’t he mentioned that?”

“He’s an odd guy,” Ferd said. “Nothing like his

mama or daddy or sisters or brother.”

“He doesn’t have to be like us,” I said. “He doesn’t

even have to like us. But he does need to live up to his

responsibilities. And one of those is Maura. Like it or

not.”

“One other thing,” Ferd hesitated again. “Edna’s

been calling me. She’s fit to be tied. Annette has disappeared with Maura.”

“No. That’s not possible,” I said.

“Your mother hung around outside the church during the services, even followed the funeral procession to

the cemetery. She said Annette was staring daggers at

her the whole time. And Maura, apparently, just cried

and cried.”

“But the judge said they could only have her one

day,” I protested.

“And they’re interpreting that as twenty-four hours,”

Ferd said. “Right after the graveside visitation was over,

Annette jumped into a different car than the funeral

home limo she’d come in, and they just took off. Your

mama lost them at the first traffic light. She had me on

the phone about fifteen seconds later. Like to have burnt

my ear off.”

“Oh God, Ferd, I’m sorry.”

“Needless to say, Chuck Ingraham has not returned

my calls.”

“I saw him, just about an hour ago,” I said. “He was

leaving his law offices, with a lot of papers and files.” “Do you have any idea where he and Annette are

staying?”

“None,” I said helplessly. “I know they’re not at the

apartment. The police still haven’t let them move

back in.”

“We’ll just have to sit back and wait,” Ferd said.

“Your mama wants to put out an all points bulletin, of

course. I tried to explain to her, but . . .”

“Edna only hears what she wants to hear,” I told

him. “How’s Brian taking the news?”

“He was with Edna when Annette took off with

Maura. I think that’s why he went off on a toot before

going back to work.”

“This sucks,” I said. “What do we do if they don’t

return Maura in twenty-four hours?”

“Go back to the judge,” Ferd said.

Brian’s “apartment” was actually a double-wide trailer in a fairly new-looking trailer park just off Old National Highway, less than a mile from the apartment Shay had shared with Annette. The trailers were parked close

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